American teenagers are most likely to participate in sports through their schools, but innovation among school-based programs has largely stagnated.
State of play: The Aspen Institute spent two years compiling its "Reimagining School Sports" report with the aim of improving that experience.
What they're saying: They boiled their research down to eight strategies that schools can use to improve the experience for the 40% of students who participate and capture some of the 60% who don't. A few examples:
- Align sports with school mission: Winning isn't everything. If athletics aimed to achieve similar goals as the school itself, it would create more well-rounded student-athletes.
- Understand your student population: Survey students, find out what they want and make an effort to provide it.
- Create personal activity plans: Counselors help students map out their academic goals. Why not do something similar with athletics?
- Bolster coaching education: Continually train and re-certify coaches to ensure they understand their importance beyond X's and O's.
- Prioritize health and safety: 31% of public high schools lack access to an athletic trainer. This should be table stakes.
The backdrop: Youth sports participation has been declining for years. But COVID has created an opportunity: 30% of students said their interest in sports grew during the pandemic; just 16% said it decreased.