School Sports

Maryland pioneers model that brings soccer into high-poverty schools

TAKOMA PARK, Maryland – It’s 3:40 pm on a fall afternoon, and as classes let out, about 40 children flood into the outdoor patio at Rolling Terrace Elementary School. They come for snacks and soccer and receive life lessons along the way.

On this day, many are antsy to play soccer, tying their free cleats and chatting loudly with friends rather than listening to their mentors discuss what optimism and persistence mean. Lukas Barbieri, a high school student who is the youngest of Rolling Terrace’s soccer mentors, eventually quiets the kids down.

“Does anyone remember what optimism means?” Barbieri asks.

“Helping your friends,” says one child. “Being thoughtful,” adds another.

“Sort of,” Barbieri replies. “Optimism means you have to believe in yourself.”

In a sense, this scene represents what optimism for youth sports looks like.

Analysis: Serious knee injury among teen athletes grows 26%

Among the most dreaded injuries in sports, the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among high school athletes has grown significantly over the past 15 years, according to a new data analysis by organizations collaborating to assess and address the problem of serious knee injuries.      

The National ACL Injury Coalition reviewed injury data for 12 major girls and boys sports over five three-year periods from 2007 to 2022, as supplied by certified athletic trainers in the High School RIO surveillance program. From period one to five, the average annual ACL injury rate grew 25.9% to 7.3 injuries per 100,000 athlete exposures. ACL injuries now represent more than 14% of all injuries involving the knee.  

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Project Play Summit recap: Olympic reform panel explores big changes

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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The independent commission set up by Congress to review recent reforms and governance of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its affiliated National Governing Bodies of sport plans to do so with an eye toward how those organizations fit into and contribute to the larger sport ecosystem, a co-chair of the commission said at the Project Play Summit.

In a livestream session, Dionne Koller discussed the scope of the work of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, and the need for better sports policy. The USOPC and NGBs get their statutory authority from the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, the law that created the current U.S. Olympic system in 1978.

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Health experts: It’s time for more high schools to budget money for athletic trainers

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“We have to change the mindset. The priority has to be the health and safety of the athletes.”

Although about 80% of high school athletes have access to an athletic trainer, just 56% of schools have one, down 10% since 2017, according to the Korey Stringer Institute. Rural and inner-city schools have far less access than those in the suburbs.

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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.

The year of sports reform is here

This year, college sports is headed for a rethink, with Congress, states and the Supreme Court all considering efforts to secure the economic rights of athletes, as well as health protections. A federal commission is being formed to develop recommendations on the modern role of the U.S. Olympic movement. The expansion of legalized sports betting and the rise of streaming media will further change consumers’ relationship with the games they watch.

Then there’s the pandemic – the unforeseen disruptor that still has months to play itself out. School-based sports have been especially impacted, with many seasons cancelled or delayed. The grim upside? The loss of activity has heightened awareness of the physical, mental, social, and emotional benefits of playing sports. We’re left to ask: If sports are so great, how do we give every student an opportunity to play when they return in full?

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NFHS director is “very worried” high school sports get cut due to COVID-19

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Introduced more than a century ago as a tool of nation-building, high school sports sit at a crossroads. Only 39% of students participate, and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 25, Project Play hosted a conversation with school experts and students about the challenges and opportunities for high school sports.

Why we’re reimagining school sports in America

Pre-COVID-19, the supply of experiences made available to students was not meeting the demand for them. Offer them a sport experience tailored to their needs and interests, led by a caring coach, and most are in. But only 39% of students play high school sports, according to a 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Rates are lowest in urban (32%), high-poverty (27%), and charter (19%) schools.

That’s why our Sports & Society Program at the Aspen Institute is launching a new phase of Project Play – “Reimagining School Sports in America.” The multiyear initiative consists of a national search to find high schools that are exemplary in providing or connecting the broadest reach of the student population with quality sport experiences.