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Encouraging Youth Play, by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, SportsTravel
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| Los
Angeles, CA – February 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / Project Play, which
was developed by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, recently
released a report that focuses on the significant decline in participation
of sports among children between the ages of 6 and 12. The report, “Sport
for All, Play for Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game,” offers
an ambitious plan to re-imagine organized youth sports, prioritizing health
and inclusion, while recognizing the benefits of unstructured play.
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addition to looking at the issue on an institutional level, Project Play
identified eight strategies that stakeholders can use to help every child
become physically active through sports. This month and next, we’ll be
sharing the key conclusions contained in the report that are likely to
impact sports organizations and the sports-event industry:
Ask kids what they want. It’s important to know your audience, yet according to the report, few studies have examined youth sports through the eyes of children. Youth sports organizations should work to understand the needs of children—especially those who are left out or who opt out of sports. If your sports organization is not surveying participants and former participants, you’re missing a tremendous opportunity to grow your sport. Encourage sport sampling. In a survey conducted by the U.S. Olympic Committee at the request of Project Play, seven out of 10 Olympians said they grew up as multi-sport athletes, and nearly all called it “valuable.” Sports organizations should work to bring a variety of opportunities to all children, including those with special needs or those who do not have access to affordable resources. Over-specialization, especially at a young age, can end up burning out young athletes and, in the process, losing them to your sport forever. Revitalize in-town leagues. Sports-specific local leagues have been a setting where children of all skill levels and backgrounds can play at the same local field or gym. For many families, local play is the only affordable option. Revitalizing these recreational leagues will require improving the quality of local parks, facilities and programs. For sports organizations, supporting these efforts is likely to result in growth of membership and participation. Think small. Broadening access to play spaces for children begins with small, simple moves. This may mean finding spaces to develop smaller fields and games with fewer players, as the U.S. Soccer Foundation has done with local partners in several cities. Sports organizations should reach out at the local level to find businesses and others that could help sponsor these spaces or support the occasional closing of downtown streets for community sports activities. To access the full Project Play report, visit YouthReport.ProjectPlay.us. The future of the sports-event industry and ideas for creating new and improved opportunities for sports organizations at all levels will be on the agenda at TEAMS ‘15, November 9–12 in Las Vegas. For more details, please call us toll-free at 877-577-3700 or visit TEAMSconference.com. This current issue of SportsTravel can be viewed in digital format online by clicking here. ### SportsTravel, the sports world’s event magazine, is published by Los Angeles-based Schneider Publishing Company, which also publishes Association News. Founded in 1997, SportsTravel was the first magazine to identify and serve the sports-related travel and event industry. Schneider Publishing organizes the TEAMS Conference & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers, which will be held November 9–12 in Las Vegas. In addition, Schneider Publishing organizes the Meetings Quest trade-show series for corporate and association meeting planners. The travel markets served by Schneider Publishing generate 106 million hotel room nights annually. For more information, visit SchneiderPublishing.com or call toll-free 877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if dialing from outside the United States. SportsTravel,
Association
News, TEAMS and Event Doctor are registered trademarks
and Meetings Quest is a trademark of Schneider Publishing.
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