Supporting Sports-Based Youth Development as Catalyst for Social Change
Adopted at the 78th Annual Meeting in 2010
WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes that childhood obesity, youth crime, and academic performance are significant challenges to the healthy development of America's youth throughout this nation's cities and towns; and
WHEREAS, research has shown that: 33% of the nation's children are overweight or obese by the 3rd grade, with higher numbers in low income areas; and more than 750,000 children throughout the country are in gangs; and the public school dropout rate is now 30%, and approaches 50% in many inner-city communities; and
WHEREAS, the structured activity and leadership of organized youth sports programs have been shown to be strong contributors to the healthy physical, social and academic development of our nation's children; and
WHEREAS, kids who play sports are more likely to stay active as adults and less likely to suffer from obesity and related chronic health conditions; and
WHEREAS, youth sports programs can potentially employ tens and thousands of adults, including returning veterans, as coaches in schools, community centers, and community-based organizations; and
WHEREAS, schools across America were forced to cut more than $2 billion of funding for youth sports programs in 2009 and resort to practices like pay-to-play which affect participation rates especially among the poor; and
WHEREAS, youth in urban, minority communities are is proportionately affected by the lack of organized sports; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes that sports-based youth development programs provide quality empowerment opportunities to help children andcommunities build and sustain healthy and safe cities, and adopts as its policy the pursuit of access for all American youth to quality sports programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls for federal, state and local levels of government to support their cities and districts in investing in sports-based youth development by: - Supporting strategies that expand the scope and capacity of sports-based youth development programs in cities so that - every child has access to a sports program that promotes their physical, academic and social wellness; - Supporting efforts that provide resources and training to existing sports programs in cities with the purpose of increasing their effectiveness on reducing childhood obesity, youth crime and school dropout rates; - Supporting efforts to promote volunteerism in youth sports including the expansion of Coach Across America, that provides AmeriCorps members to serve as coaches in disadvantaged neighborhoods in cities; - Recognizing the annual Coach Appreciation Week in September through local initiatives and activities that highlight the heroic volunteerism of sports coaches in promoting the wellbeing of our youth; - Promoting community engagement in service learning projects that renovate recreational spaces for youth during key service learning days and throughout the year; and - Encouraging collaboration between government agencies, non-profits and local business communities to promote joint use of resources, to attract funding, and to foster more research and evaluation that promotes quality in youth sports programming.