Fields of Dreams: Innovate and They Will Come?
This invitation-only event is sponsored by Nike.
Any true commitment to broad-based sports participation begins with infrastructure. Fields. Gyms. Rinks. Rec centers. Bike paths. Build, maintain and secure ‘em, or pay the price later. Federal support for such projects took a serious hit in 1980, and it’s never recovered. Today, we see park and rec departments under significant duress — and the rise of private, specialized athletic facilities whose programming is too expensive for many families.
In Chicago, the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program convenes 30+ leaders for a Project Play conversation on how to grow the supply of safe play spaces that meet the needs of all children in all communities. Held at Navy Pier on the final day of the Illinois Youth Sports Summit, and on the eve of the US Olympic and Paralympic Assembly, the dialogue will identify breakthrough ideas in funding, collaboration and innovation that can serve urban, suburban and rural comm unities – each of which face its own distinct challenges. Leaders will also consider ways that the hosting of an Olympic Games can best leave a legacy of community facilities.
Any true commitment to broad-based sports participation begins with infrastructure. Fields. Gyms. Rinks. Rec centers. Bike paths. Build, maintain and secure ‘em, or pay the price later. Federal support for such projects took a serious hit in 1980, and it’s never recovered. Today, we see park and rec departments under significant duress — and the rise of private, specialized athletic facilities whose programming is too expensive for many families.