Youth Sports for All

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

The Play Like a Champion Youth Sports course will aim to introduce students to the challenges facing underprivileged and low income youth from accessing youth sports due to systemic structures including racism and sexism. Structured around the 2023 Conference, “Sports for All: Stronger Together, which is run by Play Like a Champion Today, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equity and excellence in youth sports, the course will consider, in tandem with the conference, how communities might come together to transform sports programs for children from marginalized urban neighborhoods. The course will focus on building understandings of equity, equality, diversity, access, inclusion, and belonging in order to then provide guidance on how to coach youth who encounter structural barriers when trying to access youth sports and other opportunities. Coaching and mentoring youth requires building relationships based on trust that are rooted in compassion and understanding. Most importantly, coaches will learn from their athletes and athletes will learn from their coaches; it is a two-way street. Coaches serve in crucial roles as mentors to youth because they have the ability to demonstrate ethical leadership skills and in turn train and mentor youth to be compassionate leaders and effective communicators in their communities. To help our youth Play Like Champions we must first understand the ways in which we can support these future champions as they navigate potential experiences of trauma, gun violence, and discrimination due to enduring cycles of poverty and discriminatory structures of power. The Class will begin with an introductory seminar class on June 12th and conclude with a seminar class on June 19th.