Building Equity and Accessibility into Youth Sports

Participation in youth sports has many benefits that include improved fitness, health, flexibility, muscle strength, cognitive functioning, mental health, and social-emotional wellbeing. Playing sports at an early age can help maintain optimal body weight, reducing the risk of childhood obesity. It can also teach young people valuable life skills such as the importance of teamwork, perseverance, setting goals, and it can minimize the likelihood that at-risk youth will engage in substance abuse or other negative behaviors. The positive physical and mental health benefits from playing sports as a young child or adolescent do not end once an individual becomes an adult but can last across the lifespan. Studies show a positive correlation between youth participation in sports and a commitment to exercising regularly as an adult. This can help minimize the chances that an individual will develop heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, or other conditions as they age. The risk factors for these illnesses often begin when a person is young.

Yet, despite the proven life-long benefits that come from playing sports, many school-aged children and adolescents are denied the opportunity to participate in these activities. This is especially true in underserved communities that include Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, economically disadvantaged families, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Hung-Ling (Stella) Liu, associate professor of the Recreation Management program within the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University, recently discussed how participation in sports can be made more widely and equitably accessible to youth from diverse backgrounds.

The Need for a National Youth Sports Strategy

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), children and adolescents should do 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. HHS emphasizes that playing sports is one way in which children and adolescents can get this recommended daily amount of physical activity. Many young people, however, are falling short of this benchmark. One of the findings from the National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) showed that only 54 percent of the nation’s youth participated in team sports, with even lower participation rates for girls, racial and ethnic minorities, youth living in rural areas, and youth with disabilities. HHS also referenced data highlighting disparities across socioeconomic lines with participation rates for youth from households with incomes lower than $25,000 per year only half that of youth from families with incomes of $100,000 or more.

Youth from marginalized communities face obstacles in accessing opportunities to participate in sports.

There are many obstacles that prevent underserved and marginalized populations from participating in youth sports. Among these is cost. Many sport activities for children and adolescents require fees to pay for equipment, facility, and other expenses, which can limit the ability of individuals from low-income families to participate. The lack of safe and reliable transportation to and from recreation centers or athletic fields is another factor that can discourage participation.

The quality of the recreation facility's features can also reduce youth participation in sports. Operating under budget constraints and faced with competing priorities, local governments in disadvantaged communities are sometimes forced to cut athletic programs or delay needed upgrades to recreation facilities which could result in the elimination of certain sports activities that children and adolescents might otherwise engage in. In addition, the time demands placed on parents can make getting their child to and from a scheduled sports or recreational activity difficult. This is especially true for parents who must work a second job for financial reasons and who do not have the flexibility to take time off to take their young child to an organized activity.

A Call for a Movement to Develop Physical Literacy in All Youth

The challenge that underprivileged youth face in accessing quality sport and fitness activities has raised awareness of the importance of physical literacy in children. Physical literacy is described as the ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life. This report highlights the need for a national movement focused on making all youth in the U.S. physically literate by the time they reach middle school. The report emphasizes that this is especially important because youth in racial and ethnic populations may lack certain physical literacy skills that are deemed essential and which all young people should have to live healthy and active lives. The communities in which these youth reside often do not have the sports and recreational centers needed to develop those fitness skills. The report includes a strategy to advance physical literacy in the U.S. by closing existing gaps and disparities in the physical activity and sports participation levels in youth across race, gender, ability, geography, and socioeconomic categories.

Girls Rule the Court™

There is growing recognition of how participation in sports contributes to the physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of youth and the significant role that parks, recreation centers, and sports facilities can play in providing inclusive, quality athletic programming in support of the development of children and adolescents. Partnerships between non-profit organizations, community members, government policy makers, educational institutions, business leaders, parents, and other stakeholders are being formed to provide funding for creating innovative programs to expand youth participation in sports. One such initiative is Girls Rule the Court™, a free program of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, that teaches young girls from under-resourced communities the basics of tennis while providing them a foundation in social-emotional learning and growth. Through this program, the participants build confidence and learn the concept of teamwork as they interact with their peers.

To learn more about the Recreation Management program in the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University, please visit the program website.