LA84 Foundation Releases First of Its Kind Youth Sports Survey
“The LA84 Foundation Youth Sports Survey: Los Angeles County, 2016”
Provides an Overview of Youth Sports Participation in the LA Area
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#LA84–The LA84
Foundation releases the results of a new survey of youth sports
participation in Los Angeles County. The survey found that the LA youth
sports participation rate was higher than the national average in 16 of
the 20 sports analyzed and more than 80 percent of youth between the
ages of 6-17 in the Los Angeles area are active in sports.
“The LA84 Foundation Youth Sports Survey: Los Angeles County, 2016”
conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, reveals that outdoor soccer
is played by more kids in Los Angeles County than any other sport.
Skateboarding was found to have the highest “play frequency,” with an
average of 90 times played per year.
Despite these impressive participation results, issues emerge from the
report that point to inequities. For example, African American and
Latino children are most likely to be inactive and girls are less likely
than boys to play a sport. Consistent with previous national studies,
the survey also found that households with the lowest incomes have the
lowest sports participation rates.
“LA84 is committed to leveling and elevating the playing field in youth
sports so that all children have access to the transformative nature of
sports,” said Renata Simril, President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation.
“We commissioned this survey to identify areas of need in our home
county. Now that we have these baseline results, we have a roadmap that
will assist the LA84 Foundation and our many constituencies to set
priorities for the year ahead.”
The survey, which is the first of its kind to analyze youth sports on a
local level in LA County, will be released in full by Simril on October
27 at the LA84
Foundation’s 5th Annual Youth Sports Summit. The summit
will focus on the theme, #PLAYINGFORWARD and topics include the youth
sports dropout problem, girls in sport, resource equity, and the impact
of the Olympics and other major sports events on youth sports.
Headlining the list of Summit speakers and panelists are Casey
Wasserman, Chairman, LA2024 Bid Committee, Chairman & CEO, Wasserman
Media; Luc Robitaille, President, Business Operations and Alternative
Governor, LA Kings; and Laura Gentile, Vice President, espnW.
Sage Steele, host of NBA Countdown, will emcee the summit.
“The LA84 Foundation Youth Sports Survey: Los Angeles County, 2016” will
be published in full on the LA84 website the morning of the summit.
To learn more about the LA84 Foundation and for more information about
the LA84 Foundation Summit, please visit LA84Summit.org.
Sponsors for the summit include: The Los Angeles Times, Fox Sports West,
the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, County of Los Angeles District 2 and
the Los Angeles Football Club. The LA84 Foundation Summit will be held
at the JW Marriott Los Angeles on October 27, 2016.
For all press and media inquiries, please contact Jessica Hofmann at
Stanton & Company at Jessica@stanton-company.com.
About the LA84 Foundation
As a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games, the LA84 Foundation continues to
be a nationally recognized leader in support of youth sport programs and
elevating the importance of sports in positive youth development. LA84
seeks to provide an opportunity for every child to participate in sports
and experience the wide range of positive outcomes associated with youth
sport participation. Since its launch in 1985, LA84 has invested
millions in the communities that supported the Games, reaching more than
3 million youth throughout Southern California, from Santa Barbara to
San Diego County. The LA84 Foundation continues to promote the spirit of
the 1984 Olympic Games by convening and engaging local, national and
international audiences about the role of sport in society, and the
impact of the Olympic Games on host cities, especially as we look ahead
to the 2024 Games. LA84’s headquarters is located in the historic Britt
House near downtown Los Angeles, where it houses meeting facilities and
the world’s premier sports library. For more information, please visit www.la84.org.
Contacts
Stanton & Company
Jessica Hofmann
Jessica@stanton-company.com
