State of Play Kansas City

State of Play Kansas City was released Sept. 17, 2024, as the Aspen Institute’s 14th community report. In partnership with Children’s Mercy Kansas City, the report analyzes the state of youth sports, play and outdoor recreation in the Kansas City region and offers recommendations to grow more opportunities for children to move their bodies.

The Aspen Institute surveyed more than 4,000 local children about their sports and physical activity experiences; conducted focus groups with young people, coaches, sports administrators and parents; and collaborated with community members at the State of Play Kansas City Summit in April 2024.

KEY FINDINGS

Only 20% of surveyed youth in the Kansas City region receive 60 minutes of physical activity daily as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s below physical activity rates for the U.S. (24%), Kansas (24%) and Missouri (26%). In Kansas City, the activity rates for girls (15%) are less than boys (24%). Children with at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily expressed less anxiety, worry and depression and more happiness and motivation than their inactive peers.

Why local children play sports: Having fun (50%) and playing with friends (48%) were by far the top reasons among surveyed youth. Winning games (20%) and trying to earn a college scholarship (8%) ranked much lower.

Most popular sports in Kansas City: Boys most regularly participate in tackle football (40%), basketball (38%), soccer (34%), baseball (22%) and weightlifting (17%). The most popular activities for girls are soccer (24%), volleyball (22%), basketball (19%), dance (18%) and gymnastics (17%). The chart above shows the top sports and physical activities youth said they most want to try.

Household income impacts the type of sports experiences: Surveyed children from low-income homes were three times less likely to play on traveling teams than those from high-income homes. Low-income children were also less likely to “almost always” or “frequently” have fun in sports or gain sports knowledge from their most recent sports experience than the wealthiest youth.

Lack of infrastructure to support youth with disabilities: Only 2% of regional sports and physical activity providers focus on serving people with developmental or physical disabilities, according to preliminary research by the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

RECOMMENDATIONS

While many quality programs exist in Kansas City, there are not enough opportunities to connect families, schools, sports providers and governments to balance competing interests and develop shared solutions. In consultation with local leaders, the report makes recommendations that can help grow access to quality sport activities for children, especially underrepresented populations. Among them:

  • Kansas City region can create a recognition program informed by the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, a resource that creates a shared cultural understanding that all youth should have the opportunity to develop as people through sports. In 2024, Kansas City, Missouri, became one of the first cities to sign the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports through an endorsement by Mayor Quinton Lucas.

  • States can require coach training and conduct policies in youth sports programs.

  • Cities and counties can establish athletic councils to coordinate how sports are offered.

  • Schools can create adaptive sports leagues with disabled and non-disabled athletes.

  • Community sports organizations can start a coalition of smaller nonprofits to build capacity and advocate for funding.

STATE OF PLAY KANSAS CITY SUMMIT

On April 8, 2024, we brought together elected officials, community recreation leaders, representatives from pro sports franchises (Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and Sporting Kansas City), health officials, children and others. The event featured panel discussions, group brainstorming sessions, and a review of survey results of Kansas City-area youth. Speakers included Kansas City Sports Commission CEO Kathy Nelson and Jackson County Executive and Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer Frank White Jr. 

Media stories about the State of Play Kansas City report:

For more information about State of Play Kansas City, email Project Play Community Impact Director Jon Solomon at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.

In partnership with