Youth Sports is a sports program especially for young people. Usually the kids are under the age of 18 but there are also some programs which says that teenagers and young adults until the age of 23 are allowed to participate in youth. By doing sports at a young age the kids will start to learn how to work in a team who will help them the rest of their lives.
| Table of content |
| Why youth sports? |
| History of youth sports |
| Stats |
| Programs |
| Gender |
| References |
Why Youth Sports?
Originally youth sport’s started to be more popular to energise and transform the youth and their bodies as well as make them more athletic. Another very good side effect is that the youth has something to do after school or work so they did not start to get criminal. The first sports games which got offered where basketball and volleyball. This is also probably the reason why basket is the biggest sport in the U.S.
History of youth sports
Sports and youth groups have a long history in Chicago. Some formed by young people who aimed for to play together and selected particular sports. Some were established by educational institutions, neighbourhood associations, ethnic groups, and even political parties. By giving chances and activities, these groups tried to assist children and young adults now and in the future.
Stats
In 2022, 61.1% of children ages 6-17 were a part of a sports team at least once a week but “only” 37.4% were a part of a sports team on a regular basis. In general there are more Male than Female in a sports team. Therefore the most popular sport in the U.S. for the youth is Basketball. Around 14% of the youth between the ages of 6 to 12 like to play basketball and around 16% of the youth between the ages of 13 to 17 likes to basketball.
Programs which offer sports after school
Kids off the block: The Program will provide parents with the ability to educate their children, while at the same time enlightening them with extracurricular activities geared more towards their children’s talents, skills, and ambitions. Through sponsorships, memberships, and endorsements, “KOTB” will be fortunate enough to put 50-100 kids per session through a program that will enhance their life skills in many areas such as education, technology, music, film and especially Sports.
Off The Streets: Against the backdrop of West Garfield Park, where crime, gangs and drugs are a daily threat, we offer hope. Off The Street Club is a place where kids living in this neighborhood have a safe place to learn, laugh and play without worry. Beginning with a safe place to play, the kids depend on the programs they offer, including Sports and athletic activities.
Hot Shot Sports: Unlike other youth sports companies, Hot Shots Sports can do it all. Whether it's traditional sports such as Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball, or new age sports like Lacrosse, Futsal and Yoga, Hot Shots Sports has a class for everyone. The Coaches will ensure that every child not only learns from their class, but has fun doing so. With the comprehensive training program and specialized Coaches, the staff learn how to challenge players to think for themselves, all while instilling a fundamental love and knowledge of sports.
https://rss.com/podcasts/fight-crime-with-sports-in-the-streets-of-chicago This podcast mentioned the after school programs work in Germany.
Gender and Sports
There is the I9 sports organisation in Chicago which offers multiple different sports like Flag football, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Athlete development, Tennis, Baseball, Lacrosse, Cheerleading and multi sports. All these different Sports are for boys AND girls at the age of 3. Often boys and girls are playing together in one team which is a good to learn respect and fairness. Of course, later on you often have to split the boys and the girls because at a certain age boys a physical stronger than girls.
References
https://projectplay.org/youth-sports/facts
https://www.i9sports.com/chicago-youth-sports-leagues
https://www.offthestreetclub.com/
