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What is it?  Tigers on the Prowl (TOTP) is our school’s walking/running school-wide fitness program. 

The program has grown each year since its first year in 2003 and has proven to be very popular and successful. 

TOTP starts each fall with the annual TOTP Kickoff, a festive event bringing out hundreds of parents and

community members (the mayor, town commissioners, police officers, firefighters, Davidson College

athletes/coaches, etc.) who walk and run with the children as they complete their first laps of the year. 

Over the course of the school year, students can walk/run laps during their recess time or other physical

activity breaks.  Some students do just a couple of laps a day at the start of their recess  time

(before moving on to other physical activities), while others are motivated to complete many laps-a-day. 

As students accumulate laps/distance, they earn membership into the 10K Club (6 mi.),

the ½ Marathon Club (13 mi.),  the Marathon Club (26 mi.) and the Multi-Marathon Club (52+ mi.). 

At each new level reached, they are awarded a  color-coded key chain (most kids proudly display

these on their backpacks).  At the Marathon Club level, they also earn  the coveted TOTP Marathon Club t-shirt.

Potential Benefits:    Most importantly, the students develop improved physical fitness and health, learn about

the importance of physical activity, have opportunities to practice setting (and working towards) personal fitness

goals, and feel a sense of accomplishment/pride upon reaching new goals.  Many parents and teachers

have reported  that TOTP has had a positive impact in a variety of ways.  Current research confirms

the benefits of physical activity on both health and learning.

Some TOTP Statistics:    The first year of TOTP (2003), 121 students earned their Marathon Club shirt. 

Last year over 700 children earned Marathon Club shirts and over 200 achieved Multi-Marathon status

(which earns  an invitation to an after school Multi-Marathon Celebration in late May). 

During the last school year, Davidson Tigers totaled almost 22,000 miles.