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Challenge: Rising costs and commitment The Play: Revitalize In-Town Leagues
From the Sport for All, Play for Life report: Provide community-based, low-cost leagues and programs that are accessible to all kids – not just youth with the resources and ambition to participate on travel teams.
FIVE KEY FINDINGS IN OAKLAND Oakland lacks quality recreational sports league opportunities. Michael is an Oakland parent who pays $5,000 to $10,000 per year for two sons to play travel basketball and baseball. Andres, another local parent, spends $500 on each travel soccer tournament for his son. “If you want to be competitive, you have to travel and play against higher teams because there’s nothing else here,” Andres said. Added Michael: “I would love there to be a more local option that’s affordable.
But usually if you want your child to be on a team that’s competitive and has really good coaches, travel is where you end up.” These examples underscore the decline of recreational programming in a city that was once considered one of the largest youth sports providers in the country. Today, about 1 in 4 youth said they have played sports on a recreation center team. Even fewer (15%) have played sports without being on a team at one of the city’s 24 rec centers. Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development (OPRYD) reported serving 2,000 youth on sports teams in 2019 through basketball and flag football, while allocating $120,000 for this programming. 24 OPRYD’s new, ambitious goal is 10,000 children, or about 10% of the city’s youth. Parents say they want to see more quality programming from the city. The department’s main initiative for kids is Town Camp, a summer experience that includes theater, urban nature, sports and science. Youth of color and girls are the least likely to play sports at rec centers. According to our youth survey, White children are three times more likely than Latino/a youth and two times more likely than Black and Asian kids to play on a rec center team. In the Montclair, Dimond and Laurel neighborhoods, 41% of youth have played sports on a rec center team. The story is dramatically different in Deep East Oakland, where that figure is just 13%.
STATE OF PLAY OAKLAND
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