Akron officials want to study how keeping kids active can lead to positive outcomes, from reduced risks of depression and chronic diseases to higher test scores and earnings. The City of Akron’s youth opportunity strategist, Denico Buckley-Knight, asked the Akron City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee to support a $175,000 contract with the Aspen Institute to conduct a Project Play study on sports access for the city’s students.

Study Goals

The study aims to report on how well children are being served in the Akron area and capture recommendations from the community on how to build an Akron youth-centered sports ecosystem. The study will involve eight to 12 months of research in several phases and will include community partners such as the City of Akron, Akron Public Schools, and the LeBron James Family Foundation.

Buckley-Knight said the Aspen Institute’s 2022 Project Play report analyzed the state of youth sports in Oakland, California, and that if Akron City Council works with the Aspen Institute, it can expect a holistic view of the issues, concerns, and solutions for the city’s youth sports ecosystem.

Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.