Key Takeaways
- NRPA and Musco Lighting are collaborating on a comprehensive framework to help park and recreation agencies increase youth sports access nationwide
- Only 55% of children ages 6-17 participated in organized sports in 2023, well below the federal government’s 63% target for 2030
- The partnership produced a five-pathway framework drawing from evaluation of 25+ youth sports projects across communities nationwide
- Park and recreation agencies reach over 40 million youth annually with 92% providing sports opportunities, positioning them as the nation’s largest youth sports provider
- The joint initiative targets supporting 150+ agencies and training 45,000 coaches by 2029 to expand access in under-resourced communities
Partnership Addresses National Priority
The National Recreation and Park Association and Musco Lighting released a comprehensive Youth Sports Framework on February 11, 2025, designed to help local agencies address a significant participation gap. The collaboration responds to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ first nationwide youth sports participation goal, established through the Healthy People 2030 program: increase participation to 63% by 2030.
According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, only 55% of children and adolescents ages 6-17 participated in organized sports in 2023, leaving the nation significantly short of this target. NRPA and Musco Lighting are working together to close this gap through systems-level approaches that reduce barriers and expand access.
The framework represents a collaborative effort between the two organizations, drawing from NRPA’s evaluation of more than 25 youth sports projects in communities nationwide, combined with input from park and recreation professionals and national youth sports experts. The result is a practical guide for agencies managing sports programs that serve millions of children annually.
Five Pathways to Increased Access
Working together, NRPA and Musco Lighting identified five pathways for park and recreation agencies to implement systems change approaches that reduce barriers, increase participation, and improve program quality.
Changing Policies and Practices focuses on eliminating structural barriers through equity assessments, revised permitting processes, and modified fee structures. The framework recommends that agencies assess how facilities are distributed across communities, who receives permits during prime hours, and whether fee structures create access barriers. Currently, more than one-third of park and recreation agencies do not offer reduced fees for lower-income residents, and only 10% use sliding scale fees based on household income.
Cost barriers remain significant: 25% of children from households earning under $25,000 play sports regularly, compared to 44% from households earning over $100,000, according to Project Play’s State of Play 2024.
Coach Recruitment and Training addresses a critical retention factor. Coaches remain one of the top reasons children stop playing sports. The framework outlines strategies for building coaching pipelines, establishing minimum training requirements, and providing no-cost training focused on youth development principles alongside safety and injury prevention.
Engaging Youth Voice emphasizes including young people in decision-making processes through youth advisory councils, ambassador programs, and workforce development opportunities in officiating, coaching, and league management. The framework identifies “adultism,” or bias against youth based on belief that adults know better, as a barrier to creating environments where youth can contribute meaningfully.
Amplifying Communications and Advocacy guides agencies in developing messaging strategies that reach families facing barriers to participation and influence decision-makers who control funding and policy. The framework notes that different audiences respond to different priorities: families value fun, health benefits, and long-term impact, while policymakers may focus on economic value and healthcare cost savings.
Building Partnerships recognizes that collaboration between park and recreation agencies and community organizations can expand resources and programming exponentially. The framework identifies potential partners ranging from schools and nonprofits to local businesses, funders, professional sports teams, and neighborhood associations.
Collaborative Framework Development
The NRPA-Musco Lighting partnership enabled comprehensive research, community project evaluations, and expert consultations necessary to develop the framework. The collaboration allowed NRPA to analyze implementation strategies across diverse communities and distill findings into actionable guidance for the more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals in NRPA’s network.
The framework includes case studies from cities including Pasco, Washington; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Garner, North Carolina; and Tampa, Florida. Each demonstrates different pathway implementations, providing agencies with tested models for addressing specific access barriers in their communities. The Imperial Beach, California case study specifically highlights how improved lighting systems increased access to sports facilities, a direct area of Musco Lighting’s expertise.
Musco Lighting brings extensive experience in sports lighting solutions and youth sports infrastructure improvements to the partnership. The company’s focus on increasing access to sports facilities through improved lighting and field availability, particularly in under-resourced communities where extended playing hours can significantly expand participation opportunities, aligns with NRPA’s mission to ensure all kids have the opportunity for sports and play.
Implementation Targets Through Partnership
Through their collaboration, NRPA and Musco Lighting established three specific objectives tied to the framework’s rollout. By 2029, the partnership aims to achieve a 10% increase in key youth sports strategies that reduce obstacles and expand program reach. The organizations plan to provide direct support through funding and training to more than 150 agencies and train 45,000 coaches, with priority given to under-resourced communities.
The partnership also set a national target: increase the percentage of youth participating in and benefiting from organized youth sports opportunities in parks and recreation by 10% by 2029. This would move participation rates closer to the federal government’s 63% goal for 2030.
Park and recreation agencies are well-positioned to drive this change with support from the NRPA-Musco Lighting collaboration. As the largest provider of youth sports facilities and programs in the nation, these agencies reach more than 40 million youth annually. The majority of agencies (92%) already provide youth sports opportunities, offering affordable, multisport options that research shows improve physical health, mental health, academic performance, and long-term career success for participants.
Strategic Implications for Operators
The framework provides actionable steps for agencies at different stages of youth sports program development. For operators managing facilities and permits, the guidance on equitable permitting practices offers a template for ensuring community access during prime hours while meeting safety and training requirements for third-party users.
For agencies working to expand participation in under-resourced areas, the framework’s recommendations on fee structures, equipment libraries, and community-driven facility investments provide tested approaches. The emphasis on facilities assessment overlapping with income, race, ethnicity, disability, and education data gives agencies a methodology for identifying where gaps exist.
The coach training pathway addresses a practical challenge many agencies face: recruiting and retaining qualified coaches who understand youth development principles beyond athletic skill building. The framework’s focus on creating pathways into coaching, particularly for young people and community members who reflect the populations served, responds to consistent feedback about workforce development in youth sports programming.
The NRPA-Musco Lighting partnership demonstrates how collaboration between nonprofit organizations and industry partners can produce comprehensive resources that benefit the entire youth sports ecosystem. By combining NRPA’s reach and research capabilities with Musco Lighting’s infrastructure expertise, the framework addresses both programmatic and facility-based barriers to youth sports participation.
via: NRPA
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