The Aspen Institute

Physical inactivity and childhood obesity are major problems in California where, according to the California Department of e ducation, an estimated 40 percent of high school freshmen are overweight. These are also national problems. Participation rates in sports—the most attractive form of physical activity for many—are declining, with a leading national survey reporting that only 50 percent of children ages 6 to 17 played sports in any form, organized or casual, even once, which is down from 54 percent in 2012. Moreover, only 3 in 10 kids play regularly, with the lowest rates among low-income youth. These statistics are the focus of the a spen Institute’s Project Play, a thought exercise to help stakeholders reimagine youth sports in a merica in a manner that serves all children and all communities