No Child Left Behind?
Stephen M. Pratt, President
Dear Friends:
Sports have remained one of the rare institutions in our society where classes and races still mix on a regular basis. In a time when the wall between suburb and city seems higher than ever, we cannot afford to lose any chances to build connections and understanding among youths and adults alike. It was in this context that the recent controversy over the withdrawal of several suburban teams from a Pop Warner Football league that included six Boston teams brought a visceral reaction from The Boston Globe and many advocates for youth. Were the teams motivated by racism, by classism, by a desire to improve their chances of winning, or by legitimate fears for the safety of their players?
While the facts of the case are important on some levels, the reality is that this story has played out in the era of the "gated community," where resegregation has become an ugly fact of American life, and where the opportunity to participate in youth sports is dramatically different in suburbs and cities. In fact, Good Sports notes that only 17% of urban youth participate in sports programs, compared to 85% of suburban youth.
The news is not all bleak. While the Pop Warner league from which the suburban teams withdrew subsequently folded, all six Boston-based teams found spots in the Pop Warner Football Conference of Eastern Mass, a league that already included teams from a diverse array of suburban and urban teams. Moreover, Boston children able to make elite "travel teams" have the opportunity to regularly compete with their suburban peers in soccer and hockey, among other sports.
For Boston's children, much progress has been made in the past few years with the growth of entrepreneurial programs like Metro Lacrosse, SquashBusters, and Tenacity as well as the development of volunteer-run efforts like South End Baseball. The Mayor has made a significant commitment to developing recreation programs through the city's community centers. And our Boston Youth Sports Initiative is working to promote the development and growth of the entire network of youth sports organizations in the city. All of these efforts are giving Boston's children of all abilities the chance to discover themselves through sports.
That said, the disparities between suburb and city remain glaring. Consider the Boston Youth Sports Initiative's comparison of middle school sports programming in Boston and Lexington, which found a dramatic gap in the opportunity to participate in school-based teams at the middle school level. Massachusetts is one of the few states in the US that does not mandate Physical Education for school children. The effect on physical activity is dramatic, according to research published by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Boston, at 9%, has the second lowest participation rate in the country when looking at both major cities and states. The average for the US is 28.4%.
Whether the suburban teams that withdrew from Pop Warner football were motivated by the best or worst of intentions is beside the point. When the gap in opportunity to participate in youth sports remains far too wide, the move surely seemed to send the worst message to Boston's youth, that they were once again being left behind.
What can you do? Volunteer with a youth sports program in your area. Make a donation to support a local team or a youth development program that has a sports and fitness component. And if you run a youth program, consider how you can connect your program to local leagues or field a team of your own.
Thanks for reading,
New Additions on this Topic to our Online Research Library
Moving Toward Success: Framework for After-School Programs
Available from Collaborative Communications Group, the Framework is a working document developed by a committee of preeminent researchers, evaluators, and program experts, including contributions from Harvard Family Research Project staff, with funding from the C. S. Mott Foundation. It describes a theory of change approach to help guide the thinking and implementation of program goals and elements, outlines a broad range of desired participant outcomes to consider, and discusses conditions most suitable for achieving positive results that meet the needs of the after-school participants.
Physical Activity Recommendations: Where Do We Go From Here?
Evidence-based physical activity recommendations for school-age youth recently developed by expert panel are published in the June issue of The Journal of Pediatrics. Under a contract with the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Division of Adolescent and School Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Constella Group, Inc., an expert panel was convened in January 2004 to review and evaluate available evidence on the influence of physical activity on several health and behavioral outcomes in youth 6-18 years of age. The panelists systematically evaluated relevant articles in the specific areas of adiposity, cardiovascular health, asthma, several domains of mental health, academic achievement, injury, and musculoskeletal health. Results of the expert panel review concluded that school-age youth should participate in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day through a variety of enjoyable and developmentally appropriate activities. These recommendations reflect presently available scientific evidence and are in general agreement with recommendations promoted by governmental agencies and professional organizations.