In Minneapolis we have good sports participation numbers for younger people, but dramatic drop-offs at middle school. Kids frequently end up in less healthy alternatives.
Boston and a working group from schools, parks and the Youth Coordinating Board brought forward a series of recommendations that should substantially improve the opportunities for middle school students to be involved in sports.
The sorts of commitments that Boston and the group seems to have elicited for the baseball-softball first phase sound promising. They require support from the Board of Education, which came at Tuesday's meeting, and the Park Board. Boston will then be charged with raising the funds to make some of the more ambitious elements happen.
If there's interest, I could post the lengthy list, but the general direction is worth public awareness and support.
Finally, in addition to Boston's working group, we should give credit for pushing the cumbersome process along to Mayor Rybak and YCB chair Peter McLaughlin and for organizational good deeds to Annie Nelson and Becky Boland of YCB.
Dennis Schapiro Linden Hills Minneapolis Board of Education
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