Project Play Summit 2022

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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.

Summit rewind: Soccer lessons to revitalize your rec league

Jason Targoff, president of Cambridge Youth Soccer in Massachusetts, set out to change the perception that travel teams are for the “good” players and local or rec leagues are for the rest. Or that you have to choose one or the other. By implementing small changes focused on making the league more fun and engaging, he said the kids were more enthusiastic and games became more of a community event. So how did they do it?

Summit recap: National soccer leaders call for more local play

Top soccer leaders endorsed the creation of more local programs as a solution to the often expensive travel team model that has come to dominate the youth soccer ecosystem, limiting access to a sustained experience for low-income youth, including many minorities.