The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the nation’s leading advocate for parks and recreation, is proud to announce the organization is partnering with Nike to address and advance gender equity in youth sport.
NRPA and Nike share the belief that all youth need play for communities to thrive. Nike is partnering with community organizations and experts across the globe to improve sport access and experience for all youth, especially girls. The company also has a legacy of support for park and recreation agencies and foundations in Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; Chicago; and New York City. This support began with Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who served as program director at Kenilworth Park and Lents Park in Southeast Portland for two summers in 1959 and 1960, prior to founding Nike.
As one of the largest providers of sports for youth in the nation, local parks and recreation agencies are critical to advancing this vision and ensuring that all kids can benefit from fun, welcoming and positive sport experiences. NRPA is committed to supporting agencies by providing funding, training, research and best practices. NRPA and Nike currently collaborate on the Million Coaches Challenge and Project Play’s 63x30 initiative.
With Nike’s investment, NRPA will conduct key nationwide research to evaluate gender equity in sport, provide professional development opportunities to the park and recreation field, and highlight case studies and impactful stories of girls and women who have played sports in park and recreation programs across the country. In addition, NRPA will also provide funding to 10 park and recreation agencies in support of gender equity strategies. This work will culminate in the development of a gender equity roadmap that will help the more than 10,000 park and recreation agencies increase access and build a culture that celebrates girls and women in sports.
“NRPA is thrilled to partner with Nike to advance gender equity in youth sport through the power of parks and recreation,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. “Girls do better physically and mentally when they have the chance to play sports, yet girls are dropping out at twice the rate of boys. Park and recreation agencies are leaders in creating positive youth sport experiences for all kids, and have a unique opportunity to adopt new practices, policies and norms that level the playing field and prioritize girls and women. NRPA, in collaboration with Nike, is excited to explore solutions and lead this change.”
“At Nike we believe access to sport is a fundamental human right that can help build stronger, more inclusive communities. Yet, the reality is: girls continue to enter sport later and drop out earlier, if they have the chance to start at all,” said Matt Geschke, Senior Director of Americas, Social & Community Impact, Nike. “That’s why the opportunity to partner with NRPA to create a gender equity roadmap for park and recreation agencies across the U.S. — where millions of kids get their start in sport, and more girls will in the future — is fundamental to how, together, we can scale and sustain the research and program solutions NRPA is leading.”
For more info on NRPA’s Youth Sports Initiative, click here.
For more info on the NRPA’s Equity Pillar, click here.
For more info on NRPA, visit nrpa.org
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About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.
Social & Community Impact at NIKE, Inc.
Nike is powering the future of youth sport — with the vision of an active, inclusive world that inspires all youth to play and achieve their greatest potential. Together with community organizations, athletes, experts and employees, Nike is changing the game to improve sport access and experience for everyone and is focused on providing quality coaching, engaging more girls in sport, and addressing societal barriers that keep too many youth on the sidelines. All youth need play for communities to thrive, and an active next generation means a better, more equitable future. Learn more about Nike’s Social & Community Impact work as part of its Purpose to move the world forward through the power of sport.