URBAN YOUTH SPORTS

1997

BOSTON, MA -- On November 15,1997, Sport in Society's Urban Youth Sports and the City of Boston held the first Boston Youth Sports Congress. The Congress brought together a diverse group of over 500 activists from the Boston community and beyond to discuss the barriers restricting the sports participation of our urban youth.

Leaders from the worlds of politics, business, sports, and academics gathered at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College to format a plan for improving the current situation plaguing youth sports. Financial support was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Sport in Society founder and Director Richard Lapchick, and Boston School Committee member and community leader Alfreda Harris, opened the event with stimulating remarks to motivate the crowd.

The attendees then dispersed into nine breakout groups to discuss specific issues. After the luncheon, the attendees broke up again into groups - this time by sport - to cultivate possible solutions to the problems raised.

"We are going to bring together public and private partnerships like you wouldn't believe," (now former) Urban Youth Sports Co-Director Art Taylor said. "By the time we're done, (other cities) are going to come here from all over the country to look at (Boston's) youth sports programs."

Mayor Menino emphasized his determination to raise future fiscal support for the Congress. "I'd like to see every kid in the city of Boston participating. We'll find the money for this. We always do."