The Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program has announced an ambitious new goal for its Project Play initiative: to increase youth sports participation in the United States to 63% by 2030. This target aligns with the Healthy People 2030 national public health goal set by government agencies.
Key Highlights:
- Current youth sports participation rate: 54% (ages 6-17)
- Target participation rate: 63% by 2030
- Potential impact: 1.8 million Quality Years of Life and $80 billion in societal benefits
The 63X30 Initiative: The Aspen Institute has formed a roundtable of leading sports, health, and philanthropy organizations called 63X30. This group includes major players such as The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, ESPN, Nike, Major League Baseball, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Goals of 63X30:
- Create affordable programs in underserved neighborhoods
- Promote multi-sport sampling
- Develop more coaches to serve children’s needs
- Leverage upcoming major sporting events (2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, 2028 Olympics and Paralympics)
Tom Farrey, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program executive director, emphasized the critical need for youth sports: “Kids need sports more than ever given the challenges facing them and our society.”
Previous Successes: The 63X30 initiative builds on the achievements of Project Play 2020 and Project Play 2024, which include:
- How to Coach Kids coach development platform
- Don’t Retire Kid awareness campaign
- Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports
The announcement coincides with a panel at the Aspen Ideas Festival and follows last month’s Project Play Summit in Baltimore, where 640 cross-sector leaders gathered to discuss building healthy children through sports.
via: Project Play
