Introducing Project Play
Pay to play leaves some in the cold
By Bob Boyle
Fewer than half of kids age 6 – 11 meet the U.S. Surgeon General’s recommendation for engaging in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
So how do we square up this sobering statistic with reports citing Denver as one of the “healthiest” cities in the U.S.? And what are local youth sports, physical education and public health leaders doing to enable more kids to be active and realize multiple cognitive, emotional and spiritual benefits everyday?
As much as we can look around our neighborhood and see examples of innovative schools, youth sports organizations and community programs leading the charge to bring sports and active lifestyles to more kids, there is the urgent call to do more as sports participation among kids is on the decline. Youth sports advocates have a crucial role to play if we expect to move the needle in the right direction and make progress on the youth wellness and long-term public health fronts.
To serve as a dynamic and highly interactive resource for grassroots youth sports solutions, the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program created a program called Project Play in 2013 to find ways to help all children in America help themselves become active through sports.
The website, youthreport.projectplay.us posts narrative, public health statistics, graphs and recommended strategies. The stated goal of the Project Play model is for every child in America to be physically literate by age 12. That is, every 12-year-old should have the ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life.
Pay to play leaves some out in the cold
Many local sports and recreation leaders continue to make a difference in Park Hill. Denver Parks and Rec, the Boys and Girls Club and The Bike Depot, just to name a few, continue to develop strategic, low-cost/high-return programs and collaborative partnerships to increase daily physical activity through sports.
Yet the dominant mode of access in American youth sports is increasingly a “Pay To Play” model influenced by money, leaving many children, families, and communities on the outside looking in.
Sustainable funding streams for youth sports programming generally require full transparency, accountability for performance and reasonably objective return on investment criteria. Current best practices in social and community investment require measurable health data for key youth wellness metrics including Body Mass Index, Aerobic Capacity and Waist Circumference. The competitive landscape for securing funding streams is broad and diverse, calling for effective and trackable programming strategies, such as after-school enrichment and physical literacy programs.
Ultimately, Project Play aims to serve a broad range of community development priorities by aligning the interests of elite and grassroots sports with public health and other sectors to promote physical literacy.
For example, by linking specific, mission-driven youth sports solutions to scholarships, grants, sponsors and other available resources, Project Play’s “8 Plays” framework can help communities develop or enhance strategies to improve youth access to sports, active lifestyles and improved prospects for intergenerational success in life.
Keeping the ball moving
With more than 4,000 acres of traditional parks and parkways, over 300 acres of parks designated rivers and trails and an additional 14,000 acres of spectacular mountain parks, Denver residents and visitors enjoy unmatched access to sports, recreation and active lifestyles.
Presumably, this means there is much open space to play and be active, yet Denver youth sports advocates are not immune to the typical challenges and bottlenecks faced by other cities.
In addition to the all-too-familiar money challenges, there are the ongoing issues of safety, transportation, qualified coaches and increased specialization geared exclusively toward exclusive subsets of “special” athletes (another related topic, are we serving young elite athletes in the most developmentally appropriate manner?).
Case in point, when the renovated Holly Peace Park opened in September 2012, the new courts presented an easy opportunity for neighborhood kids to play and get some exercise while developing an appreciation for team sports via basketball and soccer.
As noted in previous GPHN articles, there are many tactical and technical similarities between the two sports, not the least of which is the need to keep the ball moving in order to be effective. And this core tactical principle from both games can be applied to the sports programming solutions we develop. We need to keep the ball moving.
While much is being done to move the ball and create chances to score and win on multiple youth wellness fronts, community leaders continue to innovate and press to develop resource-savvy win-win-win solutions wherever possible.
For example, flexible “multi-sport” facilities serve diverse range of community participants across sport segments and demographics.
Great work Park Hill. Now let’s change the game for good.
Bob Boyle is a Park Hill resident, dad, soccer coach, youth sports advocate and lifelong student-athlete. Watch for neighborhood spotlights related to this article and youth sports themes in future GPHN issues. All feedback, insight, questions and story ideas welcome and appreciated via email at reboyle7@gmail.com
Park Hill Soccer and Recreation Resources
• 2nd Annual Summer SOCCER and a MOVIE Camp @ City Park and Sie Film Center — June 15–19. Ages 6 – 11 Participants play games and learn basic soccer skills with experienced and licensed soccer coaches at City Park in the mornings, followed by lunch and a closely supervised 10-minute walk to the Sie Film Center in the afternoons for soccer-inspired films. Fees: $315 per player For more information and registration visit soccerelectric.com
• The FIFA 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 — June 6 to July 5 in six Canadian host cities. Get to know the US Women’s National Team at ussoccer.com
• Major League Soccer All-Star Game Wednesday — July 29 Denver is host city for the league’s annual summer showcase, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
• America SCORES Denver provides its innovative soccer, poetry and service learning programming to nearly 320 DPS elementary school students. Details at americascoresdenver.org
• Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club Soccer for Success is the United States Soccer Foundation’s innovative youth development program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in under-served urban communities. Information and programming at rapidsyouthsoccer.org
• The Soccer Fields in the City Collaborative is a forum of youth sports advocates, schools and others working to co-develop innovative multi-sport programming to improve access to developmentally appropriate sports opportunities for al kids. Short impact video and project information at soccerelectric.com
• FootGolf is now being offered four times a week at Park Hill Golf Club. The front nine holes are used exclusively for FootGolf on nights it is offered. Park Hill Golf Club is at 4141 E. 35th Ave., Denver, CO 80207, phone (303) 333-5411.