ADVOCATE

The Facts:      

• Physical activity promotes many aspects of child and adolescent development. From encouraging healthy growth and development of muscle to improving motor and cognitive development, the benefits of an active lifestyle are significant. 
• Sport is particularly important for children, as in addition to the health benefits, it also gives them the opportunity to make friends and feel connected. Physical activity including sport can also benefit children’s mental health, improving mood, and boosting cognitive function.
• Children face barriers to participate in sports including, fees, equipment, and opportunities.  Transportation issues also greatly affect a child’s ability to participate in sports.
• In 2024, the average U.S. family spent $1,016 on their child’s primary sport, a 46% increase since 2019*(Aspen Institute). That rising cost is pricing more kids out of sports than ever. 
• Students not involved in extracurricular activities are 57% more likely to drop out and 27% more likely to use drugs or get arrested.
• Only 5% of youth ages 5-18 reported meeting the federally recommended amount of exercise of 60 minutes per day.
• 70% of youth stop playing sports by 13 years old (girls are twice as likely as boys to drop out of youth sports by the age of 14).
• Access to opportunities for physical activity and sports, and therefore potential benefits of participation, are distributed inequitably. 
• Household wealth is a primary driver of kid’s athletic participation. Compared to their peers whose families make more than $100,000, youth ages 6-12 whose family income is under $25,000 are nearly three times as likely to be inactive. 
• Almost two thirds of the students in Guilford County schools currently live in poverty.  Growing up under the stress of poverty affects a child’s ability to concentrate and to manage negative emotions, which affects their behavior and achievement in school. 
• Guilford County has identified 80 Title I public schools and Forsyth County has identified 53 Title 1 public schools for the 2024-2025 school year. At least 60% of the families in each of these schools are identified as low income with some schools at a much higher rate.
• School sports and programing are on the decline due to limited budgets and support by the school system and the increased cost of gear needed to outfit a team.
• Middle Schools in GCS are allocated $9,000 by the County to operate their athletic programs. That covers equipment, transportation and officiating fees for 13 teams. Many schools made due with dated or little equipment to stretch their budget as far as possible. Schools with Booster Clubs have significant advantages in raising additional funds and resources for their athletic programs.
• Girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys have. Lack of physical education in schools and limited opportunities to play sports in both high school and college mean girls have to look elsewhere for sports –which may not exist or may cost more money. Often there is an additional lack of access to adequate playing facilities near their homes that makes it more difficult for girls to engage in sports. *Women’s Sports Foundation
• Women in Sport has found that more than one million teenage girls (43%) who once considered themselves ‘sporty’, disengage from sport following primary school. A fear of feeling judged by others (68%), lack of confidence (61%), pressures of schoolwork (47%) and not feeling safe outside (43%) were some of the reasons given for not wanting to participate for this group of girls.