Maintain directories of youth sport providers to help families and schools
Training school staff in youth development sports curriculum “is the future of Oakland,” said Colin Schmidt, America SCORES Bay Area executive director, noting his organization’s training platform. “Anything else is too risky. Volunteers can’t be relied upon for scheduling. Creating more stability would allow sports agencies a more predictable, less stressful environment. We could plan the right curriculum and price point a little better.”
Many families and schools don’t know where to find sports for youth to try, and whether the community sports provider offering it is reputable. Children from Fruitvale, Jingletown, Chinatown, East Lake and San Antonio are twice as likely to not play sports because they lack program information than those in Montclair, Dimond and Laurel, according to our youth survey. A directory connecting the dots between schools and community partners has strong interest from local sports leaders. The closest OUSD has to a directory is a work-in-progress database for any type of community partnership and it’s vetted by one district employee. CITY-LEVEL AGENCIES Provide annual listing on offered sports by school OUSD can start by publicly listing all sports teams and programming available at each elementary, middle and high school. This would provide a head start for data in a directory, allowing families, youth and community partners to identify diverse sports opportunities they may want to try or partner on with schools. This basic knowledge was key to a New York City settlement that will create 200 new high school sports teams by spring 2024. 55 The New York City Fair Play Coalition inspired the city council to pass a resolution requiring the collection and public release of sports programs offered by school. Data showed Black and Latino/a students attend schools with about 10 fewer teams on average compared to students of other races and ethnicities, driving grassroots-driven community engagement to change the problem. A lawsuit argued the athletic team disparities violated the city’s human rights law, and a settlement was reached.
What makes a good community sports partner Tips from Oakland schools on what they want
1. O ffer flexible hours for adult volunteers or utilize college students with more flexible schedules.
2. Adjust to the school’s programming needs and time frames.
3. Provide transportation if programming is off campus. 4. C reate inclusive spaces. Either use a trusted messenger within your community or show the willingness to adapt and meet the needs of communities different than your own. 5. S tay focused on the task at hand and what you do best. Too many outside partners try
to tackle more than they’re capable of without the right skill sets or staffing needs.
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PROJECT PLAY — AN INITIATIVE OF THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
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