Why do you play?

It was a question I never considered as a youngster. Play seemed natural, play was the thing that I wanted to do.

I’m reconciling with the fact that I’m older now and play may not come as naturally to me or to youth today. Regardless of that, play really helps me to feel better. It helps me feel better about myself, my body, my ability to do hard things, my ability to smile and laugh and my ability to feel at home — that I have a place in the world.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were many negative outcomes, certainly including loss of life. And, for many, COVID changed our ability to play. Sports teams and leagues were postponed or outright canceled. Gyms were closed. Spaces to recreate either adopted new practices to keep people healthy and safe or closed.

Children and youth may have felt these consequences more than any other population during this time and there was widespread fear that limiting those opportunities for play would have serious consequences on the physical and mental health of young people.

Project Play is a national nonprofit organization, designed to bring awareness, establish best practices and convene important voices from across the country for youth sports. They produce a State of Play report annually and their most recent report highlighted the effects of COVID-19 on youth participation in sports in the United States.

Their research included some fascinating findings.

When compared to before the pandemic, youth participation in team sports declined by 6%. However, regular team participation stayed flat when it came to total participation. In other words, kids are trying sports as much as they did before the pandemic, but not playing as frequently. This could be attributed to a variety of factors.

The report also found that children, now more than ever before, see youth sports participation as a way to improve their own mental health, particularly when their participation is a good experience. Children surveyed in the Tacoma, Washington, area found that sports helped combat feelings of anxiety, depression and even those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

This is great news that youth are recognizing the many intrinsic benefits of participation in play and sports. It’s also especially timely given that 42% of high school students say that they have experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, an increase from 28% a decade ago.

It’s not just mental health that could improve through activity and sport participation—it’s physical health too. The recommended daily dose of physical activity for youth is 60 minutes, but research finds few kids nationwide hit or surpass that goal.

It was interesting to read that sports participation is increasing for girls and declining for boys. While boys still play sports at a higher rate than girls (40% for boys, 35% for girls in 2022), the two genders are trending in opposite directions over the past decade.

The report found that efforts to provide low or no-cost sport programs are very beneficial to participation. Research shows that kids from high-income homes (those earning over $100,000) are significantly more likely to participate in sports. Thus, efforts by organizations locally like Seaside Kids Inc., Pacific Basketball League, Lower Columbia Youth Soccer Association and others to provide accessible programs are extremely important.

While those programs and nonprofits provide that important opportunity, one thing emerged as a theme from their research and echoes loudly here: the need for improved physical space for those activities to occur. This includes turf fields, well-lit outdoor spaces and indoor facilities.

Play is crucial to our development, our health and helps us foster a sense of community. My hope is that we recognize and prioritize the health of the youth in our community and continue to give them opportunities to play.

For more information on Project Play, please visit their website at projectplay.org.