A powerful coalition of sports leagues and businesses are mobilizing to help more kids get — and stay — in the game.
Contact: Eric Baker
Media Relations Manager
The Aspen Institute
Eric.Baker@AspenInstitute.org
Washington, D.C. — June 10, 2025 — The Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program’s 63X30 national roundtable—a coalition of 20 leading organizations including ESPN, Under Armour, NBC Sports Next, Gatorade, MLB, and the NBA—is launching a coordinated effort to better support sports parents and reignite youth sports participation nationwide.
From Nike and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) How to Coach Kids and Coaching Girls courses, to the U.S. Tennis Association’s new parent and coach platform, to the USOPC’s Youth Sports Hub, families are gaining access to trusted tools and guidance. Grant funding through programs like MLS GO, DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, and Little League International impact programming ease financial strain for families and communities. And with Take Back Sports, an ESPN campaign featuring Steph Curry, bringing powerful storytelling to the forefront, the group is driving toward a bold goal: 63% youth sports participation by 2030.
At a time of rising mental health challenges, inactivity, and disconnection among young people, sports remain one of the most effective tools to promote physical and emotional well-being. Yet only 55% of U.S. children ages 6–17 participate in sports—a number far below what’s needed for a healthy next generation.
To close that gap, the Sports & Society Program’s Project Play initiative launched 63X30, a call to action to lift youth sports participation to 63% by 2030, an increase of 3 million kids. Grounded in Healthy People 2030 goals from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the campaign aims to help reshape how youth sports are delivered, accessed, and valued.
“Parents need help,” said Tom Farrey, executive director of the Sports & Society Program. “Nine out of 10 understand the value of sports to their child’s development, but many of them feel lost, overwhelmed or not entirely certain how to navigate their way through an often expensive, up-or-out system that pushes aside too many kids. It’s great that so many members of the 63X30 roundtable have rallied around this challenge to provide trusted resources.”
On June 11, the International Day of Play will serve as a signature moment for the campaign, with members distributing parent-focused messages and resources from their platforms, including new Project Play Parent Checklists. Several members will be partnering with ESPN through its Take Back Sportscampaign that will be elevated over the summer.
The 63X30 roundtable is a coalition of 20 national organizations committed to improving access, quality, and safety in youth sports. Roundtable members include the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation and GameChanger, ESPN, Gatorade, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), LeagueApps, Little League International, Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBC Sports Next, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Nike, PGA of America, Players Health, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Stack Sports, TeamSnap, Under Armour, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA).
As the backbone organization for 63X30, the Sports & Society Program will also help amplify additional entities who contribute to the goals and annual priorities of this initiative.
To learn more or get involved, visit ProjectPlay.org/63×30.
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About Project Play
An initiative of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, Project Play develops insights, ideas and opportunities to build healthy children and communities through sports. For more information, visit ProjectPlay.org.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.