It’s Rule No. 1 in business: know your customer. Video games, esports, and other forms of technology have exploded in popularity among young people because they provide so much of what kids look for in an experience: action, freedom, competition, inclusion, connection, and personalization. And yet, the world of youth sports continues to be created by, and largely for, adults, driving professionalization, overspecialization, and hyper-competitiveness. A high-quality youth sports system centers the voice of youth at every step of the way, empowering kids to lead and instilling feelings of ownership that last long after kids have grown.
From Sport for All, Play for Life:
Imagine if youth sport providers worked to understand the needs of kids, especially those who are left out or who opt out of sports. Organized competition can be scary for many children. We should ask them why and what should change. We should also look at minimizing attrition among girls, who drop out of sports at higher rates than boys. And figure out how can we systematically solicit and act on the diverse perspectives of kids who are living with disabilities, or who have chronic health conditions, or whose families have few resources or don’t speak English. Children mostly want a venue to try their best. We need to close the feedback loop.
What Kids Say is the Most Fun
They want social bonds and access to the action.
(Data: Visek et al., Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2014)
Ideas
“The most important thing is establishing an element of fun and imagination.”
Kobe Bryant, NBA legend
Resources
5 Ways to Talk to Your Child about Their Sports Experience
Learn more in this one-pager created for Project Play by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Questions to Ask
Our Project Play Parent Checklists include several questions worth asking your child to tease out their motivations and true interests.
LET KIDS LEAD ON PROGRAMMING
Our Worldwide Day of Play Partner Playbook with Nickelodeon offer tips to help kids use their voices and adults put their ideas to work.
SUMMIT SESSIONS
“Kids in baseball say they want to hit, catch, and run. Yet, what do parents do as soon as they take over? Eliminate the hit, catch, and run by telling kids not to swing or maximizing use of a pitcher who strikes everyone out. They eliminate the basis for fun.
Jay Coakley, sports sociologist
FINDING SUCCESS
The Tony Hawk Foundation — the only national organization that empowers at-risk youth through the development of skateboard parks — provides toolkits that help kids advocate and raise funds for park construction. Since 2002, more than 557 parks have been built in all 50 states, work that was honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with the 2013 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy. At the 2018 Project Play Summit, Hawk shared lessons learned from this work (WATCH).
For more ideas, read about the commitments made by Project Play Champion organizations here.