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USOPC’s Rocky Harris: Let’s “rethink” sport in America

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The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee occupies a unique place in the national and global landscape. The U.S. is one of the few countries in world without a ministry of sports or some government body to guide and fund sport development. Here, the closest entity to that is the USOPC, a private, non-profit organization that since passage of the 1978 Amateur Sports Act has been asked to “establish national goals for amateur athletic activities” and “encourage physical fitness and public participation” in sports, plus represent the nation in Olympic matters.

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What youth sports can learn from Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest

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The tragic collapse of Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin highlighted the need for a quick response to help cardiac arrest victims. An NFL stadium provided just that environment.

Trained emergency personnel were on the sideline and within seconds of where he fell. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was quickly available to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat. An ambulance was nearby and took him to the hospital, following steps documented – and practiced – in an emergency action plan.

December 2022 newsletter

Remembering Grant Wahl, 2022 Impact Report, Program Survey

Featured Items:

  • READ the Project Play 2022 Impact Report

  • WATCH our Future of Sports event honoring the legacy of Grant Wahl

  • TAKE our program survey and tell us how Project Play can better serve you in 2023

  • Holiday greetings from the Sports & Society team

Read more

November 2022 newsletter

National Coach Survey, World Cup, Future of Sports

FEATURED ITEMS:

  • It’s time to support coaches
    Sports & Society’s Dr. Vince Minjares shares a call to action in response to the National Coach Survey

  • Future of Sports: U.S. in the World’s Game
    Join us for our next free, virtual event on Dec. 15 (12-1 ET)

  • How soccer can transform youth sports
    Revisit our conversation at the Project Play Summit with U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman

  • Stay connected to Project Play
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Plus ideas, insights, and some inspiration from Ted Lasso…

Read more

Summit rewind: What kids want and need

As kids across the country return to school, the importance of centering their voices couldn’t be more timely. The first play in our youth sports framework is Ask Kids What They Want.

At the most recent Project Play Summit, we asked three girls how they got involved in sports and what they feel like when playing. Only 15% of girls nationally meet the CDC recommendation for 60 minutes of physical activity.

What if the NBA developed its player pipeline?

Adam Silver is done with one-and-done. The National Basketball Association commissioner wants teams to be able to draft players right out of high school, at age 18, down from the current minimum of 19, a requirement that ends up forcing prospective NBA players to enter college for just one season. He calls it the “right thing to do” and hopes the players’ union agrees in the next labor negotiation.

Summit rewind: Soccer lessons to revitalize your rec league

Jason Targoff, president of Cambridge Youth Soccer in Massachusetts, set out to change the perception that travel teams are for the “good” players and local or rec leagues are for the rest. Or that you have to choose one or the other. By implementing small changes focused on making the league more fun and engaging, he said the kids were more enthusiastic and games became more of a community event. So how did they do it?

Summit recap: National soccer leaders call for more local play

Top soccer leaders endorsed the creation of more local programs as a solution to the often expensive travel team model that has come to dominate the youth soccer ecosystem, limiting access to a sustained experience for low-income youth, including many minorities.