Press release
81KB
february 01, 2023 - International Olympic Committee
PlayLA: 90,000 children get active in 2022 as LA28 looks to build on youth sports programme’s success
Children across #losangeles enjoyed more opportunities to play #sport at little to no cost in 2022 thanks to the Olympic and Paralympic Games #losangeles 2028. Last year, 90,000 kids enrolled in PlayLA, the youth sports programme developed by the local Organising Committee (LA28) and delivered by the City of #losangeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
The initiative, made possible by the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee and the IOC, is making #sport more accessible to children and young #people between the ages of 5 and 17 ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. The investment is the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California.
Earlier this week, LA28 provided a summary of the programme’s success since its launch in November 2021. So far, PlayLA has:
- Invested USD 30 million in youth sports
- Expanded its programming to cover 35 Olympic and adaptive sports
- Reached 90,000 children, one third of whom are between the ages of 7 and 10
- Pledged to impact more than one million kids by 2028
Speaking about the programme, LA28 CEO Kathy Carter said: “PlayLA is our major commitment to the kids of #losangeles: to reduce barriers of entry for kids who might not otherwise have a chance to continue to play. It’s about providing them with an opportunity.”
A lasting legacy
Although the Games are still five-and-a-half years away, PlayLA is already making an impact on the next generation, teaching them values and skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Manny, 12, found his passion for judo through PlayLA and has since won a medal at a junior-level #competition. Manny’s parents and sensei said his involvement with PlayLA’s judo programme taught him to be more focused and disciplined, and instilled a sense of confidence that carries over to other aspects of his life.
For the 2022-23 school year, PlayLA has expanded its programming to include adaptive sports such as Para swimming, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, visually impaired and blind football, Para equestrian, sitting volleyball, adaptive skateboarding and Para surfing.
LA28 also recently approved funding to extend hours for more classes, and to cover the cost of transport and National Governing Body (NGB) membership fees for PlayLA participants so that they can compete in NGB-sanctioned competitions and events.
“We're expanding the programme this year, and we'll have an impact on more kids,” adds Carter. “By the time we get to 2028, we're hoping somebody will be walking into the Opening Ceremony who started in PlayLA.”
Further information in the press release to download
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