The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on so many aspects of life. With the recent relaxation of restrictions on sport and physical activity, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to influence how we engage young people in sport and physical activity.
Jackie Robinson, Marika Warner, and Bryan Heal delve into the statistics before the pandemic and what we can do to change the downward trend of sports participation and keep youth engaged in sport and physical activity long term.
Sports participation before the pandemic was flawed, with increased dropout rates, particularly among girls and young women, youth from low-income households, and teenagers. This problem, unfortunately, continues to persist.
Jackie Robinson, Marika Warner, and Bryan Heal explain that a multi-pronged approach is needed to reverse the downward trend in participation. “One of those components is to address long-term engagement by emphasizing opportunities that intentionally build physical literacy.”
Consider their approach to mitigating some of the consequences of COVID-19 on sports participation and how we can get kids and individuals back on track with physical activity and leading a healthier lifestyle.
