Sports-based youth development (or, SBYD) is a methodology of working with young people that leverages the sports setting to draw out the interests, skills, and talents of young people and measurably advance their social, emotional, ethical, cognitive, and physical development. Unlike traditional youth sports programs which emphasize competition and athletic performance, SBYD programs focus on helping young people develop their social and emotional skills including build positive relationships with peers and adults and lead safe, healthy, and productive lives.

Social and emotional skills form the foundation of mental well-being and success in life. Skills such as understanding and managing emotions and behaviors, solving personal and interpersonal problems, building healthy coping strategies, and developing self-esteem and confidence, help children cope with difficulties and build positive relationships, increasing their resilience so that they are better able to deal with life’s challenges. The literature is replete with the long-term benefits of Social and Emotional Learning (or SEL as it’s commonly referred to) on young people – and sports programs, particularly those that incorporate a positive youth development framework, have been proven by research to be vehicles for SEL:

• Young people participating in SEL programs showed improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others, and school (Journal of Child Development);
• SEL programming has a positive impact up to 18 years later on academics, conduct problems, emotional distress, and drug use (CASEL);
• The average return on investment for SEL programs is $11 to $1, meaning for every dollar invested there is an $11 return to our nation’s economy (Columbia University);
• SEL competencies are critically important for the long-term success of all youth in today’s economy and can help reduce poverty and improve economic mobility (American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution);
• SEL decreased the likelihood of living in or being on a waiting list for public housing, receiving public assistance, having any involvement with police before adulthood, and ever spending time in a detention facility (American Journal of Public Health).

The intentional development of youth through sports serves as a solution to the most pressing challenges youth face today.  Unfortunately, youth sports are becoming less accessible to low-income youth because of a variety of factors that include, but are not limited to, pay-to-play structures within organized leagues and school budget cuts that limit participation in scholastic sports.

We are trying to reverse that trend and make sure every young person in the Washington, DC metropolitan area has access to a quality SBYD program. To help us achieve this, we created the Fight For Children Youth Development Institute with the idea that community-wide impact and greater access for youth is more likely to happen when nonprofits coordinate their efforts.