At NRPA, we believe all children — no matter who they are — deserve access to high-quality youth sports opportunities. Parks and recreation is critical to advancing this vision. Local park and recreation agencies reach more than 40 million youth each year, with the majority of agencies (providing youth with opportunities to play sports. As one of the largest providers of youth sports in the nation and the leading provider of youth sports facilities, park and recreation professionals are catalysts for increasing access to youth sports in communities nationwide, offering affordable, fun, welcoming and multisport options that level the playing field and promote positive youth development.
When kids play sports, they grow up healthier, develop essential social and emotional skills and are more likely to succeed in school and in their future careers. Through the Healthy People 2030 program, the federal government set the first national target for youth sports participation: 63 percent by the year 2030. We are a long way from reaching that goal, with sports participation declining and lingering just above 50 percent.
To help reach this goal and advance our vision, NRPA developed the Youth Sports Framework, guiding park and recreation professionals through five key pathways to improve access to youth sports and increase youth sports participation. Case studies highlighting successful models are also included.
The Youth Sports Framework was made possible with support from Musco Lighting.
Explore Now
