Want to feel great about yourself, make new friends, do better in school and have an excellent chance of going to college and getting a killer job in the future? Then get off the couch and get into some kind of sport! [Interesting facts about sports] Athletic participation isn't just for those who are Born to Jock – and can actually be fun. "Sports: Get In The Game" will show you that there's an athlete in everyone.

"I wanted to play basketball so bad, I knew that I had to spend most of my time in school in order to become the person and player that I wanted to be," says NBA star Stephon Marbury, who agreed to be our third man and co-host the show. The program also features NHL veteran Mark Messier, who offers advice on how to deal with losing, as well as an interview with Olympic Gold Medalist Amy Van Dyken, who explains why she started swimming, what keeps her going, and how she deals with the physical challenges of asthma. [Express your point-of-view!]

A visit to a "Watermelon Ball" competition at one high school introduces viewers to students who invented their own sport and made it part of their school intramural program. The point? That fun, challenges, and fulfillment can be found even in low-pressure, low-commitment activities. [Get and give advice]

"Sports: Get In The Game" also explores a softball league that gives over 800 teenage girls in New York City a chance to deal with peer pressure, build self-esteem and leadership skills, and get off the sidelines of boys' sports. Also profiled is a running club organized by a science teacher for students seeking a non-competitive sport to help them set and achieve personal goals, not to mention coping with stress and staying fit. [Cast your vote about sports participation]

Also sitting in is one young woman who says double-dutch jump-roping is her passion, a "no-holds-barred" seventeen-year-old professional inline skater from Australia, and a guy who explains why he took up windsurfing – and how it changed his life. Finally, a coach gives advice to teens on warming up, avoiding injuries, and exactly what makes a dedicated – and effective – athletic advisor. [Great resources]

"Sports: Get In The Game" is regularly re-broadcast on PBS affiliates across the country. Please check our schedule and station list for airtimes.





Related In the Mix episodes:

• Soccer: Kickin' Butts