Marine Youth Physical Fitness Program

The Marine Youth Physical Fitness Program is the major part of the US Marine Youth Foundation and is headed by former Commandant of the Marine Corps General Alfred M. Gray.

There are local, state, regional, and National meets that are held during the course of the year. Aside from the aforementioned, high schools hold competition amongst themselves to determine the best for the school and they in turn will represent their school. Teams are made up of no more than six and no less than five competitors. Each team will ONLY 5 or 6 boys or girls, but NOT mixed.

Local, state, Regional meets are generally organized by the Marine Corps League with help from the Marine Corps Recruiters if possible. Not all Recruiting Stations participate but are approachable and in most cases willing to discuss the program. The National meet which has been held annually in San Diego for the past 10 years is hosted and supported by the Marine Corps Recruit Depot with help from the 12th Marine Corps Recruiting District.

The program consists of Five (5) events whereby the competitors have the ability to earn 100 point in each of the five categories: Sit-ups, Push-ups, Standing Broad Jump, and a 300-yard shuttle, thus making it possible for each team, if each competitor attained a perfect score in each event, of 600 points.

The point system is reflected as to what each competitor can do. For example: They have the ability to do a maximum of 100 sit-ups in 2 minutes. There is the maximum of 60 push-ups within 2 minutes. If the maximum in these two events are reached, the competitor will receive 200 points. For the Standing Broad Jump, each competitor will have the opportunity to make 3 jumps with the best jump being utilized. As for Pull-ups, there is a time limit of 2 minutes and the competitor will do as many as they possibly can as long as they are done correctly. What that means is that there is no kicking, swinging, or thrashing. It starts as a dead-mans hang. Then there is the shuttle run. Each competitor runs in their assigned lane and must traverse the cones at each end of the field. If by chance the competitor knocks over the cone, they must go back and reset the cone accordingly.

Marine Corps Leaguers are generally eager to assist in the event as deemed by the Event Coordinator. These functions can be found in the distribution of t-shirts, judges, scorekeepers, award presenters, etc.

Further information concerning the program can be found on the US Marine Youth Foundation website. Once you get into the website, look on the left-hand side of the home page for High School Program. Click on it and you will have the entire high school program there. It can then be printed off for your use.

If further information is required, you may contact Mr. Ted Corbett at ecorbet1@san.rr.com or call him at 858-279-4768