Ashburn, VA, March 24, 2025 (Globe Newswire) – The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the country’s main defender for parks and leisure, catalyzes the power of parks and leisure to guarantee that more young people have access to quality sports experiences. Throughout the country, the park and leisure agencies offer sports programs for young people who offer large-scale advantages beyond physical activity. These programs promote physical and mental health, strengthen confidence and promote significant ties. Thanks to the youth sports initiative in parks and leisure activities and partnerships with industry leaders, such as ESPN, Musco Lighting, Nike and The Susan Crown Exchange, the NRPA extends high quality sports opportunities for all.
The opportunities to participate in sports for young people are not always equal and access can be limited for many. As one of the largest program suppliers excluding schooling, serving more than 40 million young people per year, parks and leisure are well placed to expand sports opportunities.
To support this effort, the NRPA recently awarded subsidies totaling nearly $ 1 million to 68 agencies in 33 states to help transform the sports landscape of young people. These subsidies will provide funding and training to agencies to implement strategies for the new sports framework for young people from the NRPA, which describes the key routes of increasing access to sports for all.
Find out more about sports for young people in parks and leisure subsidies awarded to the agencies of each of the links below:
Propelled by Musco Lighting, NRPA provides funding to six local park and leisure agencies to increase physical activity opportunities that are inclusive and welcoming for all, especially for young people underrepresented in sports. The agencies receive $ 20,000 to implement systems change strategies, plus a donation in kind of the musco lighting infrastructure, such as lighting or a mini-pitch worth $ 100,000. Learn more about the prices here.
Developed by the Susan Crown Exchange, the million Coaches Challenge provides a non -cost training for young people in parks and leisure, so that staff and volunteers have the skills necessary to support the positive development of young people. The coaches trained in the development of young people have proven to improve the sports experience, resulting in increased participation. Training partners include the Center for Healing and Justice through sport, Nike in partnership with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, positive Coaching Alliance and United States Soccer Foundation. ESPN has also helped to increase the impact of this subsidy program thanks to their sports initiative for young people, resume sport. Thanks to Susan Crown Exchange and ESPN’s investment, NRPA supports 52 agencies. Learn more about the prices here.
Propelled by Nike, NRPA supports 10 organizations to test and manage activities that increase access to sports for girls. Participant organizations receive $ 20,000 to implement system change strategies and participate in a community of practice led by the NRPA, which offers education and networking opportunities focused on sporting access to sport, especially for girls. In addition to increasing the participation of girls in programs, the practice community will also collectively progress strategies to increase the representation of women’s coaches. Learn more about the prices here.
In January 2025, the NRPA launched a new strategic plan, which will guide the work over the next five years until 2029. These subsidies increase the objectives of the plan and the main sporting objectives for young people from the NRPA:
- By 2029, develop, disseminate and advance Sports framework for young people from NRPA To make a 10% increase in the main sports strategies for young people To reduce obstacles and extend the scope and impact of sports programs for young people in parks and leisure.
- By 2029, Provide direct support thanks to financing and training to 150 agencies and to train 45,000 coaches Improve results in subressource communities thanks to the power of sports.
- By 2029, increase the percentage of Young people participating and benefiting from sports possibilities for young people organized in parks and leisure by 10% nationally.
For more information on the NRPA Sports Youth initiative, Click here.
For more information on NRPA, visit nrpa.org.
For more strategic information, Click here.
About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the main non -profit organization dedicated to the construction of strong, dynamic and resilient communities through the power of parks and leisure. With more than 60,000 members, the NRPA increases this mission by investing and defending the work of professionals and defenders of parks and leisure – the catalysts of a positive change in service of equity, climate reading and health and global well -being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to the flagship publication of the NRPA, Parks and leisurevisit PARKSANDERCREATION.org.
