12/28/2009 - 14:46
TC Spreads Holiday Cheer
by Evelyn Lau

He is out of the lineup, but Tyson Chandler is still spreading holiday joy.

Tyson is currently out with a foot injury, but that hasn't stopped his community service efforts. In a holiday column for The Morning Call, Keith Groller commended TC's mission in helping others.

There are a lot of good guys playing professional basketball.

One of them is Tyson Chandler of the Charlotte Bobcats.

The 7-foot-1 center, in his ninth season in the league, may be one of those guys you don't think much about.

But he has been a very good citizen in the league.

Groller talked about the efforts of Ty and his family to help Hurricane Katrina victims, but it was Ty's most recent mission that caught Groller's attention this holiday season:

He's also involved with a league-wide effort against childhood obesity.

"Since 1990, childhood obesity has more than doubled in this country," he said. "We're trying to encourage kids to live a healthy and more active lifestyle and make both parents and children more aware.

"One of the many myths out there is that kids with asthma can't exercise. That's not the case at all. I prove that by having asthma and still being able to pay in the NBA."

Ty believes it is important for kids to step out of that comfort zone of their own home and get outside to play and stay fit, as he told Groller:

"When I was younger, the kids would walk around every night, gathering up other kids to go play football, baseball and basketball," Chandler said. "We'd ride bike around the neighborhood; we'd be active all day. Now in this era of video and electronic games, everything is geared toward keeping in front of the TV screen. And that leads to obesity."

Chandler said kids need help from their parents to be more active.

"Parents need to find the time themselves. They need to be role models for their sons and daughters and pick up a ball and start throwing it themselves, get on a bike and start riding. They can help their kids get started with a healthy lifestyle."

To learn more about the efforts of TC and the rest of the NBA to keep kids fit, visit NBA Fit.

''Different players are involved with different things and asthma is something very important to me as is its connection to childhood obesity,'' he said. ''If we can use our position in the public to bring attention to some of the issues that we feel are important our community, and our youth, we should do whatever we can to increase awareness and help out because as a society, we need to take better care of ourselves.''

NEXT UP
The Bobcats will host the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night, but Ty is likely to sit out while still nursing the stress reaction in his left foot. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be watched on SportSouth. Tyson could return Wednesday night in Toronto.

RELATED STORIES
Tyson Chandler's off-court mission (The Morning Call, Dec. 27, 2009)
http://www.mcall.com/sports/all-groller.7128715dec27,0,1929152.column
Preview: Bucks vs. Bobcats (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 28, 2009)
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/80180862.html

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