USTA tackles youth sports inactivity in Kansas City

Just 20% of children living in the Kansas City area are engaged in the recommended amount of physical activity each day, far lower than the national standard. Barriers to entry that keep kids from participating in sports and physical activities include program availability/affordability and transportation, and few programs are free or offer scholarships to families in need.

USTA Heart of America’s dedication to fostering inclusive tennis programming for young players that meets them where they are has never been stronger. As such, USTA Heart of America and USTA Missouri Valley staff attended the Project Play Kansas City Aspen Institute Conference in mid-August in an effort to better understand the issues facing children and physical activity.

During the conference, the ‘State of Play Kansas City’ plan was dissected and studied by local sports collectives and organizations, including the USTA. There were several thought-provoking discussions on how to break through the silos that keep kids from playing sports in Kansas City, with girls’ participation numbers particularly low.

“The Kansas City Community Conversations on Youth Sports brought together coaches, nonprofit leaders and administrators,” said Marissa Moment Brown, USTA Missouri Valley managing director, play and competition. “As we are focused on reaching new audiences to introduce to tennis, these conversations are important to help us increase play opportunities.

“We want to continue these discussions to ensure that we are not only meeting the current needs of our playing population, but also anticipating future needs and adapting our programs accordingly.”

Also on hand at the conference was Manon Eilts, USTA Missouri Valley managing director, marketing, communications and membership.

“The conference helped to solidify for us the differentiating point for tennis as the World's Healthiest Sport,” Eilts said. “We will continue to tie that messaging into our communications and support the belief that every child deserves the right to play.”

Rebecca Falkner Axelrod, USTA Heart of America executive director, attended the event as well and already has an idea in mind for how the district can better engage young players.

“It was extremely informative, and I’m thinking of new ways to introduce tennis to the community,” Falkner Axelrod said. She noted Red Ball Tennis could be “a phenomenal option.”

To learn more about junior tennis programming in USTA Heart of America, click here. For more information on Project Play, click here.