skating, fencing, rock climbing, figure skating, gymnastics, skateboarding, and parkour also ranked high. • Playing with friends is the No. 1 reason to play sports. Youth told us that friendships with peers and having fun are the main reasons they play. Winning games ranked seventh and chasing college athletic scholarships was 12th. • Physical education in Oakland lacks funding and accountability. PE is the top location where youth told us they play sports. Yet only half (51%) of elementary school principals at Oakland Unified School District reported having a credentialed PE teacher on staff. Our recommendations for improving the local state of play – located in the Game Changer section starting on page 35 – are based on the unique characteristics of Oakland and informed by feedback from key stakeholders in the community. One of the strengths of Oakland is its close proximity to so many unique sports and physical activities within the Bay Area beyond just basketball and football, which are very popular but don’t serve the needs of all children. In our analysis, the most promising opportunity is to diversify Oakland’s sports offerings through partnerships by leveraging the community school model since children spend so much time at school.
The community school model integrates academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. Oakland could use its schools as hubs to align systems, services, and providers and create more sustainable exposure for kids to access different sports. Oakland could apply these four strategies: • Strengthen physical education, especially at elementary schools • Align systems and providers to expand sports after school and in the summer • Maintain directories of youth sports providers to help families and schools • Use the power of the permit for sharing arrangements between schools and rec centers Creating more diverse sports offerings through schools won’t be easy. We recognize schools are overburdened with requirements in providing a quality education to students. Given Oakland’s commitment to the community school model, we have found there is a shared understanding of the benefits of sports and physical activity in support of student-level and community-level outcomes. Progress will be achievable through collaboration. All parties need to come to the table with the goal of working together, so more children can enjoy the physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits research shows can come from participating in sports.
State of Play Oakland is Project Play's 11th community report. The Aspen Institute has produced county reports on Seattle-King County, Washington, and Mobile County, Alabama; a state report on Hawai’i; regional reports on Southeast Michigan, Western New York, Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, and Central Ohio; and local reports on Baltimore, Harlem, New York, and Camden, New Jersey. Stakeholders in those communities have taken actions based on the recommendations and are seeing results.
STATE OF PLAY OAKLAND
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