Inner City Youth Sports: An Avenue to Hope

Abstract

Sports can be meaningful and fulfilling activities without strict organization and structure. However, sports take on a new significance when they are offered to impressionable children in conjunction with academic programs. In inner city areas across the United States, the pairing of sports and academics can have a far-reaching and lasting impact on the lives of young people, on the city communities, and on the larger socioeconomic structure of society. With the proper organization and direction, sports have the unique ability to educate children without them even noticing and to motivate them to look beyond the impoverished cycle that ensnares their communities. [From Conclusion]