Among all the devastating effects of the pandemic, count among them the impact on youth sports. Already, participation rates were falling, and COVID-19 has made a bad situation worse. Parents, rightfully so, are worried and kids are opting out. The potential fallout from kids not playing is alarming. And for youth of color, who were already disproportionally excluded, it's even greater.
To drive conversations and highlight the impact the global pandemic already has and will continue to have on youth sports, The Aspen Institute's Project Play will host the Project Play Summit 2020 Oct. 13 - 16. The virtual Summit also will feature sports industry leaders and stakeholders.
As part of the Summit, ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro will be joined by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Chiney & Golic Jr. host Chiney Ogwumike and ESPN's newest NBA analyst Vince Carter in a discussion about the state of youth sports. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. ET and also will explore what ESPN, the NBA and professional athletes can do to keep kids in the game. Since 2015, ESPN has enabled over 1.7 million people access to sports, and is committed to continue working to ensure that all kids, and particularly those that have the least access, can play.
The panel is a free event, and attendees must register in order to tune in to the discussion.