Youth Sports

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Olympic and Paralympic commission hears reform ideas

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Rewarding National Governing Bodies that best support grassroots sports and tying financial incentives to coach training were among the ideas heard Sept. 6 by an independent commission studying entities that shape the sport ecosystem for 11 million Americans.

The Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics (CSUSOP) was established by Congress in 2020 to study recent reforms after the Larry Nassar sex-abuse scandals and make recommendations for policy changes in governance and oversight of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and its affiliated NGBs. After funding delays, the commission began its work in early 2023 and will deliver a final report to Congress and the public in the spring of 2024.

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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.

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Summit rewind: What kids want and need

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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.

How Norway won all that Olympic gold (again)

Norway has the population of Minnesota. But that that didn’t stop the tiny Scandinavian country from topping the medal standings at the recently completed Beijing Olympics, just as it did in 2018 at the PyeongChang Games. Indeed, this time, its athletes won a record 16 gold medals across six disciplines. The performance burnished Norway’s reputation as having the best sport system in the world, both in elite performance and making a meaningful contribution to communities and its democracy. We invited three architects of Norway’s sport system to share their insights.

Ohio joins New York in allocating cut of sports betting proceeds to youth sports

Following a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the door for states to legalize sports betting, many have taken the opportunity to do just that. Sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states, 18 of which boast online sports betting, generating new tax revenue for state budgets across the country.

How to bet on the future of youth sports

One of the things we try to do at the Aspen Institute is pump big ideas into the bloodstream, and see what takes. Three years ago, we introduced one not yet ready for playing time, at least in the United States: Use proceeds from legalized sports betting to fund community-based recreation. Take from the treetops — enhanced interest in the results of professional and college sports — to replenish the grassroots and address widening gaps in our sport ecosystem for youth.

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How park and recreation agencies can empower coaches in the return to play

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When local conditions allow for a safe return to play, we must prioritize kids’ gradual return to physical activity during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic — which requires knowledgeable coaches focused on health and safety as kids resume youth sports.

Ohio State AD: Eliminate tackle football for kids until age 13

Tackle football becomes embedded culturally with many children in the Central Ohio region at young ages. They practice and play during the week – it’s not hard to find tackle leagues as young as kindergarten – and then join their parents to watch the pageantry of major college football on fall Saturdays at Ohio State University.

But if Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith had his way, football would dramatically shift to flag as the only option until age 13, in order to protect children from brain injuries.

Time to rebuild youth sports in America

Over the past generation, youth sports in America has become increasingly privatized and exclusionary. Families with resources often move children into club programs costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year, chasing college athletic scholarships and preferential admission to universities. What we currently lack is equitable youth sports programming that serves children at scale.

Race in America: Can cops as coaches in youth sports offer some healing?

What if as a society we more intentionally found a way for White police officers to connect with Black and Latino youth and their families positively? What if more cops actually know the names of people who they serve and become familiar with who they are? Could barriers come down to regain some level of trust by police and communities if they see each other in a new light through sports?

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#DontRetireKidOneYearLater

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One year ago next week, 9-year-old Derek Heyswiver (an anagram for Kids Everywhere) retired from sports, announcing as much at a packed press conference that included journalists, his parents and coaches.

Kobe Bryant announced the news with a tweet, followed by an in-studio appearance on SportsCenter as ESPN launched the PSA campaign on all networks. Clayton Kershaw, Albert Pujols, Cody Bellinger, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Blake Griffin, Swin Cash, Cassius Winston and other stars chimed in on social media, most of them encouraging Heyswiver to unretire. In the first week alone, the campaign to address the problem of early attrition in youth sports generated 167 million impressions. Nearly every major national TV news network ran pieces on the campaign, as did many online outlets.