Gerald Asante’s Post

Stack Sports has joined nearly 20 partner organizations for The Aspen Institute’s new #63X30 Vision, aimed at getting 63% of youth playing sports by 2030. As of today it is estimated only 54% of children ages 6-17 in the U.S. played on a team or took lessons in 2022. As one of the partner organizations, Stack Sports joins the other partnering organizations in committing to taking actions that can get and keep more children playing sports, from creating affordable programs in underserved neighborhoods to promoting multi-sport sampling to developing more coaches to serve children’s needs. Read more about the new initiative→ https://lnkd.in/gbq5Wz4k

Inclusive Communities in Motion: Adaptive Sports in Schools and Parks Adaptive sports are revolutionizing inclusivity in our communities, from school gyms to public parks. By embracing these programs, we ensure that individuals with unique abilities can fully participate in athletics alongside their peers. Here's why this matters: • Creates equal opportunities in both educational and recreational settings • Adapts popular sports and introduces specialized activities for all ability levels • Strengthens community bonds and promotes understanding • Develops lifelong fitness habits and physical literacy • Builds confidence and social skills through teamwork and friendly competition Investing in adaptive sports programs and equipment in our schools and parks isn't just about athletics—it's about fostering truly inclusive communities where everyone can thrive. How can we support adaptive sports in our local schools and parks? What success stories have you witnessed in your area? #AdaptiveSports #InclusiveCommunities

🏅 Why Youth Sports and Education Matter – A Personal Mission with GameRun 🏅 At GameRun, we are deeply committed to education and creating opportunities for kids beyond the classroom. My passion for youth sports goes hand in hand with my commitment to education. I co-founded a school for young children with a belief: every child, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to dream, achieve, and thrive. Sports play a crucial role in that vision. 🌟 🔹 Bridging Sports and Education: Through GameRun, we’re not just managing sports academies—we’re building a community where young athletes can learn, grow, and excel, both on the field and in life. Our mission is to provide support and resources to sports clubs, making it easier for kids to access the benefits of organized sports. 🔹 Leveraging Tech Expertise: With GameRun, we’ve created a platform that simplifies the complexities of running a sports academy, allowing coaches to focus on mentoring and inspiring the next generation of leaders. 🔹 Creating Opportunities for All Kids: Whether in a classroom or on the field, every child deserves the chance to discover their potential. GameRun connects clubs with sponsors and partners to ensure that resources aren’t a barrier to participation. Together, we’re helping kids build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging. 🔹 A Personal Promise: Education and sports are two sides of the same coin—they both prepare our children for the future. As a father, an advocate, and a leader, my goal is to give back and help shape a world where every child has the tools to succeed. We’re just getting started on this journey, and I’m grateful for the support of our team. Let’s continue to build brighter futures, one game and one classroom at a time. 🚀 If you’re ready to join us in this mission or learn more about how GameRun can support your academy, feel free to reach out at info@gamerun.ai. https://www.gamerun.ai #YouthSports #EducationForAll #GameRunJourney #BuildingFutureLeaders #SportsAndEducation #EmpowerKids #InspireYouth #CommunityImpact #SportsAcademySupport

While trophies and championships are thrilling, the actual value of youth sports extends far beyond the scoreboard. Youth sports play a crucial role in character development, teaching valuable life lessons such as sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance. Participation in youth sports also provides a positive outlet for competition, fostering resilience and goal-setting skills. Being part of a team builds camaraderie and a sense of belonging, which is essential for personal growth and community cohesion. This aligns seamlessly with the mission of Parks and Recreation departments. Investing in CivicPlus Recreation Management Software can enhance youth sports programs' management and ensure they run smoothly and efficiently. Empower your team to deliver exceptional experiences that enrich young athletes' lives and contribute to your community's overall well-being. Explore how CivicPlus can support your mission today. Learn more about how CivicPlus can support your Parks and Rec department here. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gPAhHvTv #LocalGovernment #ParkAndRecreation #CommunityEngagement #WeLoveOurParks #Parks #SummerFun https://lnkd.in/gRhM_d6M

It's Project Play Summit week! IN BALTIMORE, where nearly 700 leaders will gather in the city where #ProjectPlay first made that turn from talk ... to action. From playbook ... to playmakers. The year was 2017. After two years of roundtables with 300 leaders, we had published Sport for All, Play for Life -- our seminal report, 8 shared strategies for the 8 sectors that touch the lives of children. The nation's first shared framework on how to build healthy children and communities through sports. But where to start? Our friends at Under Armour raised their hands and said, come here, to Baltimore. Can you, Aspen Institute Sports & Society, landscape the state of play in our hometown and create a resource that could identify opportunities to help the good people of our city? Not gonna lie. I knew what folks were up against and it was daunting. A few years earlier, I had written about Baltimore in my book Game On ... dedicated an entire chapter to a city that once had 150 rec centers across the city, two-thirds of which had been shuttered by the turn of the century. A city destabilized by the loss of safe places to go for children afterschool and on weekends. Tax revenue was down, crime was up, relations between residents and police strained by the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. Could local stakeholders REALLY mobilize around sports as a tool of community uplift, with all else going on? Would national organizations have the incentive and courage to invest in this, the nation's 29th largest city, just small enough to be forgotten? I'm happy to report that, 7 years later, even with the disruption of COVID, we now know the answer to this question is YES. Today's report in the Baltimore Sun highlights some of the progress made by an array of groups that dug in. If you wonder why I do what I do, just read this piece. It's inspiring. We are capable of doing hard things, if we focus and work together.

Don't say I didn't tell you Please read‼️‼️‼️‼️ I conducted a survey at the end of last term, where I asked parents what they wanted their child's school to improve on in the coming term. One of the common responses was that they wanted their child's school to engage and include parents in the activities of their children. This response proved that the school is a community that consists of parents, teachers, and management, and you need to involve all of them in an engaging and interesting way to strengthen the bond that you all share. This is one way to build your school community. Community building is essential for creating a positive and supportive learning environment for your students, staff, and parents. It also helps you to promote your school's vision, values, and goals. Now, this is the time when we normally have sporting activities, such as inter-house sports, sports festivals, sports fairs, trade fairs, and family funfairs. As you plan these programs, do not make your parents spectators. Make them part of it. Divide them into houses, make customized t-shirts for them, just like you do for your students. Create activities for them also in these programs, so they are not only coming to watch their children, but also to participate. This will help you to build stronger communities, foster collaboration between your parents and school, and enhance unity. It will also help your parents to gain health and fitness through sports. Or, if you are doing trade fairs, you are also helping them to grow their businesses while growing yours. This will make you build a special kind of school where everyone is involved, happy, and thriving. Till I write to you again, Your cheer-leader, Dr. Grace Phillips. P.S. Please know that you can also send me a message to book a strategy session with me.

In a guest article for #ProjectPlay, Linda Flanagan explores governments in three communities that are making sports more accessible. Plus, download a new resource with five ways cities and counties can better organize and support youth sports.

REPORT: Raising the Bar for Athletic Facilities -- Some of the toughest competition in sports today is happening in the area of athletic facilities. Teams at all levels are competing against streaming services for fans’ time and attention; they are competing for the best athletes and the most talented coaches. And they are demanding state-of-the-art facilities to pull it off. What’s happening at the highest tier of professional sports arenas, locker rooms, and training facilities is not being lost on college and university planners, where the stakes may be even higher. At play in collegiate athletic facilities are mandates to boost the school’s brand, attract students, increase donor support, and develop new sources of revenue. https://lnkd.in/eZa6FGZZ #HigherEducation #EducationSports #SportsFacility #TrainingRoom

U.S. Youth Sports & GamePlay-What We Achieved in 5 Years Gameplay was started by 3 U.S. sports league coaches because we felt the supervised, low play/high practice experience that we were providing was not that fun-plus supervised play comes at a high cost due to field rentals, insurance and parent time. GamePlay has created tools to increase play (vs practice) by providing free information to parents, coaches, leagues, cities and school districts about the teams available to play locally and facilities in California (and soon in the entire U.S.) available for rent in their city---plus an easy to use tool to rent facilities. Also, we provide tools that allow parents and kids to find other kids in their neighborhoods to play sports --which will significantly increase unsupervised play which is better from a child development standpoint and if some our kids want to become elite players by playing a lot - our tools provide a low cost "play a lot" alternative just outside their front door in their neighborhoods. Our next five years goal is the same as the last five years----to create more sports play in your city so that our kids grow into happier and healthier adults.