N.E. youth jump into spring in 10th annual Double Dutch Tournament
(4-25-06) BOSTON, Mass. � The Center for the Study of Sport in Society is proud to announce for the 10th consecutive year more than 300 young girls and boys from across New England will compete for first place in the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation Double Dutch Tournament on April 29th from 9:30 AM � 3:00 PM in the Solomon Court at Northeastern University in Boston.
�I think what�s most exciting about the tournament is that everyone has the chance to showcase their talents,� said Tracey Britton project coordinator for Urban Youth Sports at Northeastern University. �It is a culmination of all of the jumpers hard work over the year.�
Urban Youth Sports� Double Dutch League of Massachusetts (DDLM) has more than 400 participants. Teams are organized by age and range from the third grade to seniors in high school. Through this program, children who are involved in Double Dutch are given the opportunity to attend a demonstration, participate in a mini-camp, and compete in two tournaments every year. The success of the DDLM has grown exponentially in 2005, 18 teams qualified for the World Championship, while only five teams qualified in 2004.
�We address an important need, because city youth tend to be less active,� said Shannon Spriggs, Urban Youth Sports program director. �Double Dutch is hard work. It�s not expensive, and it doesn�t exclude anyone. If the girls don�t have the physical capacity to jump, they can turn; even the turning is great exercise.�
Urban Youth Sports in proud to partner with Partners HealthCare, BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, RB Dain Rauscher, and Boston Medical Center's NFL Clinic.
About the Center for the Study of Sport in Society
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is one of the world�s leading social justice organizations that use sport to create social change both nationally and internationally. The flagship organization located in the heart of Boston, Mass. was founded in 1984 by Dr. Richard Lapchick and touts branches in Baltimore, Md. and Phoenix, Ariz. Through research, education, and advocacy the center promotes physical activity, health, violence prevention, and diversity among young people and college and professional athletes. Sport in Society�s innovative programs are all staffed by former college or professional athletes and have been awarded America�s most successful violence prevention program by Lou Harris, the Peter F. Ducker Award as the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector, and have been cited as the National Crime Prevention Council�s 50 Best Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crimes. For more information please visit http://www.sportinsociety.org.
