Recap of Virtual Project Play Summit

Similar to last year, the Aspen Institute decided to make their annual Project Play Summit virtual. The two-day Summit kicked off October 19 at 7 pm with an introduction from Tom Farrey on the current state of youth sports. Aspen released their 2021 State of Play Report, where they surveyed parents and discovered that 47% of their kids had resumed sports and 17% of those kids resumed play at a higher level. However, the gap between those with a higher household income and those with a lower household income increases.

The Summit issued a call to action to bring change within the youth sports culture. A significant theme from the Summit was changing the narrative of youth sports because the current climate shows that sports and making sports fun again for the young athletes.

On opening night, Tom Farrey highlighted the importance of the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports as a set of principles designed to spark narrative change and the understanding that all children should have the opportunity to develop through sports.

The second day of the Summit focused on the environment of youth sports and the resources to support those involved. For example, the Mojo app provides resources and practice plans for new coaches.

Now is the time to take steps to promote the value of sports and provide resources to support coaches, families, and organizations. For a summary of each session or to watch the interviews, please visit Project Play Summit.