July 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 43

baseball/softball fields in a lowincome neighborhood. The Chicago
Park District recognized girls sports
as a growing need and is directing its
grant to a girls basketball program.
And, Coral Gables is repairing the
tennis court in Phillips Park, allowing
youth programming to be expanded
within this low-income community.
Just as hiding a bit of spinach in
lasagna is an easy way to increase
children's intake of healthy greens,
encouraging children to participate
in youth sports is a great way to boost
healthy activity. However, many private leagues price families out of
sports through registration and equipment fees or travel requirements. Park
and recreation-based sports not only
provide a lower-cost opportunity for
children to play sports, but they also

offer avenues for children to participate in nontraditional sports, such as
skateboarding, parkour, dance and
BMX.
Youth sports have seen a steady decline in participation in recent years. A
2014 joint report by espnW and The
Aspen Institute's Project Play, summarized at www.aspenprojectplay.org/
the-facts, provides a look at the barriers
and perceptions of youth sports today
and the future challenges associated
with a decline in youth fitness - from
lack of military preparedness to shortened lifespans.
Grants, such as ESPN Access to
Sports, to increase children's participation in sports are helping park and
recreation agencies expand their reach
and impact. These grants allow agencies to target community needs and

desires that have been identified but
lack funding. However, as a park and
recreation professional, you should
not wait for a grant to do what you
know needs to be done. Ensure your
community outreach - fliers, emails,
newsletters, etc. - actually reach the
community. Make sure your community knows that your agency is more
than ball fields and butterflies. With
the expertise of your cadre of staff,
partners and instructors, your agency
is, quite possibly, the greatest resource
and opportunity your residents have
to improve their health and wellness.
Access to sports is access to health,
but access to parks - from economical to physical to cultural - is the
critical first step.
Jimmy O'Connor is NRPA's Director of Grants
and Partnerships (joconnor@nrpa.org).

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W W W. N R PA . O R G | J U LY 2 0 1 5 |

Parks & Recreation

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July 2015 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2015 - Parks & Recreation

July 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 1
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