The goal of the Youth Engagement in Sports initiative is to increase physical activity for youth in Kansas City, especially those most marginalized. This project is a partnership among researchers at UMKC and Children’s Mercy Hospital, and practitioners at Truman Medical Centers, KCMO Parks and Recreation, KC Public Schools, Youth Ambassadors, and others.

Empirical evidence suggests that participation in sports is associated with increased physical activity (Wickel, & Eisenmann, 2007). However, participation varies by race and socio-economic status. School with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students compared to schools with majority White students have lower participation rates in sports.  Racial/ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged youth attend schools who have lower ratesof participation (Johnston, Delva & O’Malley, 2007; Edwards, Kanters, Bocarro, 2012).  Youth sport participation by gender mirrors discrepancies seen in physical activity levels; 50.7% of girls did not play on a sports team compared to only 40.3% of boys not participating on a sports team (YRBSS, 2017). 

Intramural sports are a traditional opportunity for physical activity like varsity or interscholastic sports, but are more ideal for broad participation and to increase PA because they are inclusive to all, but are often not available to many youths. Furthermore, a third of schools require fees for participation in interscholastic sports, with an average fee of $93, but as high as $150 (Lee, Burgeson, Fulton, & Spain, 2007), which may be a barrier for low-income or racial/ethnic minority populations. While intramural sports may be an ideal alternative, only 48% of school provide more inclusive intramural sports or physical activity clubs (Lee, Burgeson, Fulton, & Spain, 2007). 

Our long-term goal is to increase physical activity and improve nutrition behavior for marginalized adolescents, and specifically adolescent girls, including girls of color and low-socioeconomic status, in Kansas City in the next two years. We will achieve the goal by implementing the following two objectives of this study: 1. directly increase initiation and maintenance of physical activity via sport and to increase consumption of fresh fruit, dark green, red, and orange vegetables, and reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by providing an after school program at two middle schools in Kansas city for the next two years, and 2. increase organizational capacity to continue delivery of future physical activity and nutrition interventions to this population.