By Sara Heath

September 20, 2019 - The Department of Health & Human Services has launched the National Youth Sports Strategy, a first-of-its kind program aimed at improving youth participation in sports, ultimately as a part of an effort to address the social determinants of health and promote patient wellness.

Physical activity is key to good patient health, HHS officials and Ivanka Trump, advisor to the President and one of the program’s designers, explained during the announcement.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans states that individuals should experience 60 minutes of physical activity every day in order to maintain good health and wellness, and participation in sports is a good way to help children reach that benchmark.

“We know that when youth are engaged in sports, their life outcomes are more positive and bright: They have increased graduation rates, higher wages, greater self-confidence and are better at working with others,” Ivanka Trump said during the announcement at Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

“Yet, over the past decade youth participation in sports has declined. The Trump Administration is committed to reversing that trend and has implemented the first-ever national strategy. The work of the President’s Council is critical to increasing youth sports participation, regardless of age, gender, ZIP code or financial status.”

Currently, the nation sees considerable disparities in youth participation in sports. Children from low-income families, children with disabilities, and girls are less likely to participate in sports than their peers, HHS said. The Strategy, developed in response to an executive order from President Trump, aims to combat this by investing in sports in underserved areas.

Specifically, the National Youth Sports Strategy will offer $6.7 million in Youth Engagement in Sports (YES) grant funding to 18 communities across the country to boost the number of kids participating in sports. Grants will help communities bolster sports enrollment rates; establish community health partnerships between sports teams and other experts who can help address youth activity and nutrition; and bolster a stronger adult volunteer group to organize sports and activities for kids.

This program, while specifically addressing the number of kids participating in sports, is ultimately a statement about patient and youth wellness, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. Supporting childhood sports participation among children will help get more kids moving and ideally help empower children to take care of their bodies.

What’s more, this program aims to deliver these benefits among traditionally underserved groups, like those living in low-income neighborhoods, racial or ethnic minorities, and girls, who disproportionately do not have access to sports programming.

“With this first-ever federal strategy to promote access to youth sports, President Trump is demonstrating his commitment to strengthening our communities and helping all Americans achieve better physical and mental health,” said Azar. “The National Youth Sports Strategy and the new YES grants will help expand sports opportunities for all youth, especially those less likely to have access to youth sports today, including girls, racial and ethnic minorities, kids from low-income neighborhoods, and kids with disabilities.”

Youth participation in sports is a top prerogative for healthcare organizations. As noted above, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans report, published by the CDC, advocates for 60 minutes of physical activity for kids.

Most of that physical activity should be aerobic, CDC recommends, although children should also participate in activities or sports that help them build and develop muscles and improve their bone strength.

In addition to improving the physical health and wellness in kids, sports and physical activities can help them developmentally, CDC notes.

“Physical activity also has brain health benefits for school-aged children, including improved cognition (e.g., academic performance, memory) and reduced symptoms of depression. Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence can also be important for promoting lifelong health and well-being and preventing risk factors for various health conditions like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes,” the agency says.