Sports4Kids: Putting the Play Back In School Playgrounds
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>View discussions about this entry Country: United States
Organization: Sports4Kids
Sport: Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) 1996
YouTube Upload:
Project URL: http://www.sports4kids.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? Sports4Kids places a full-time coach at low-income schools to harness the power of play to engage children in physical activity and social development
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? Sports4Kids uses play to address two problems faced by low-income urban children – a severe lack of opportunity for physical activity and conflict-ridden school environments - by effectively meeting a critical need for principals to have qualified staff at recess. We gain entry to schools by offering a full-time, trained person to organize and lead games at recess, a service for which principals are willing to pay nearly 50% of the annual cost. Once the Sports4Kids coach is on the playground teaching the rules to games like four-square, kickball, and double-dutch, recess is transformed from chaos to safe, organized, and active play. The presence of the coach, who arrives with a hundred games in their back pocket, effectively solves principals’ recess problem and then inspires all of the children to get involved. By combining fun games with conflict-resolution skills like rock-paper-scissors, Sports4Kids creates a positive environment on the playground that ripples into the classroom.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? Children often come to school not knowing how to play. They haven’t had opportunities for unstructured play due to concerns about safety in their neighborhoods. This reality is exacerbated by a growing emphasis on standardized tests, effectively squeezing out time for physical activity. As a result, childhood obesity is on the rise, playgrounds have become a source of conflict and strife, and ultimately learning is compromised as teachers spend valuable class time resolving playground issues.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? Sports4Kids works exclusively in low-income public schools, where poor health outcomes and lagging test scores are most prevalent. At each school we place a full-time coach who implements five program components during and after the school day:
- Recess: Coaches teach games every day at recess to create a structured, safe and inclusive environment on the playground. - Class Game Time: Coaches partner with teachers to deliver a play-based physical activity curriculum based on youth development principles and focused on basic skill development. - Junior Coaches: Teachers identify students to participate in leadership development activities. These students become playground leaders during recess. - After-School Program: Coaches coordinate after-school physical activity and academic enhancement programs. - Interscholastic Leagues: Coaches facilitate interscholastic sports leagues after-school that emphasize basic sports skills, teamwork and healthy competition, and involve families. How do you plan to grow your innovation? Sports4Kids serves 50,000 students in 130 schools across the US. We are launching a 5-year growth plan that relies on two critical factors for scaling impact. First, we’ll continue to emphasize direct service by expanding to more schools in our current geographies while adding new cities. We can achieve rapid growth because principals are willing to pay nearly half the program cost. This earned income validates the value of the service and provides a solid foundation for achieving financial sustainability. Second, we’ll complement the direct service model with a technical assistance business that serves non-Sports4Kids schools. By training educators and others who work with children, Sports4Kids can exponentially increase its impact. Specifically the 5-year growth strategy calls for:
- Expand school programs from 130 to 650 schools. - Expand geographies from 4 to 27. - Increase the number of non-Sports4Kids schools receiving training for teachers and other staff to 4,000 schools. Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. Sports4Kids increases children’s physical activity, reduces playground conflict, and creates a fun, engaging recess so kids are able to learn.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? Sports4Kids has grown from 2 schools in 1996 to 130 schools in 2007. Our programs reach 50,000 children including a minimum of 45 minutes of daily physical activity for every child during recess and class game time. 80% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
- 96% of principals in their first year with Sports4Kids credit the program with decreasing the number of students standing or sitting at the side of the playground.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? Sports4Kids has responded to requests from across the globe to collaborate in the development of high-quality play-based programs for kids. Our staff have worked with the Magic Bus in Mumbai, India and EMEP in Capetown, South Africa, to provide trainings for local youth workers. Sports4Kids also coordinated an emergency-response effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sending ten teams of staff to Houston to lead games during recess at schools serving children displaced by the disaster.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? 1. Growing from 4 cities to 27 will rely heavily on attracting and training capable staff in each geographic region. We’ve already learned that local staff are critical for effective programmatic replication.
2. We must refine our technical assistance model so that we can succesfully convey our deep knowledge of the power of play to teachers and other staff in schools where we don’t have a full-time presence. How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? Sports4Kids has developed four main sources of financial support:
1. Sports4Kids collects school fees, ($22,000-23,500 per school per year). Earned income is approximately 45% of income. 2. The Corporation for National Service funds half of our coaches through AmeriCorps. 3. As Sports4Kids grows, we are increasingly focused on corporate partnerships that offer benefits to the corporations and their employees. We expect corporate support to provide 12-15% of income. 4. Foundations have long been a source of support. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided significant funding for national expansion. This strong national partnership is helping us establish local foundation relationships in each of our expansion cities. If known, provide information on your finances and organization. • Annual budget: (2007-08) $8,874,694
• Annual revenue generated: (2007-08) $8,894,224 • Number of staff: (2007-08) Full-time - 184, Part-time - 2, Volunteers - 200 What is the potential demand for your innovation? According to interviews with principals, the potential demand for Sports4Kids in urban areas is significant. At schools where Sports4Kids doesn't operate, principals overwhelmingly identified recess as the worst time in the school day and the source of fights, discipline issues and suspensions. Staffing recess is especially challenging because teachers are not typically on playground duty. For schools designated as Title I schoolwide there are funds available to improve school climate.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Sports4Kids main barrier to financial sustainability is securing enough individual and corporate support as the program grows in each city to replace the foundation dollars that are typically available for the “start-up” phase in a new community.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. As an only child, Sports4Kids’ Founder, Jill Vialet eagerly sought out playmates at Macomb Street playground near her home in Washington, D.C. She was willing to play anything – kickball, basketball, football, whatever was going on. Fortunately the recreation activities were led by a large, gregarious man named Clarence, who made sure Jill got to play, despite protests from the boys that a girl couldn’t keep up. It was Clarence’s dogged advocacy on her behalf that shaped Jill’s passion for play. This was the genesis of Sports4Kids – an organization dedicated to making sure every child has a Clarence in their lives.
Jill says: “One test of a good idea is the degree to which it solves a difficult problem. There is a deceptive simplicity to the idea that play can solve several of society’s most troubling challenges. We’re proud of the significant impact our program has in schools. Our clients, principals and teachers, are thrilled with the transformation of recess from chaos to organized fun and the ripple effect in the classroom. But this good idea is only as powerful as the number of people it reaches, either directly in schools or indirectly through training. Sports4Kids has proven it can replicate in new cities and we have a sustainable financial model. My vision is that Sports4Kids will systematically change the way schools utilize play, increasing opportunities and supporting play as critical for improving children’s cognitive, social and physical development. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. Jill Vialet, Founder/President, has focused her entrepreneurial skills on building two successful organizations. Jill launched Sports4Kids in 1996 with two schools. She believes Sports4Kids will redefine what it means to play in America. Prior, Jill founded the Museum of Children’s Art (mocha) in Oakland, CA, where she served as Executive Director for 9 years. In 2004 Jill was awarded an Ashoka Fellowship. Jill graduated from Harvard University and attended public high school in Chevy Chase, MD.
Contact Information:
Jill Vialet
Founder/President Sports4Kids (NGO) Discussions about this entry |
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RWJF_Sports4Kids_RecessReport.pdf S4K Harvard report FINAL.pdf |
Dear Ms. Vialet:
Thank you for participating in this collaborative competition. We value the time and effort you’ve put forth and we would like to offer you feedback and some thought provoking questions from our Evaluation Team. Please use this input as both potential insights into your innovations, as well as constructive ideas for how to improve or grow your organization.
The project has demonstrated itself financially sustainable and effective through an impressive track record. While not necessarily innovative, the project model is efficient, practical, and replicable. Although the program is a strong candidate for implementation in the United States (especially among low income/at-risk students), the problem that prompted the project may not be as prevalent in developing countries.
Warm regards,
The Changemakers Evaluation Team
I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this very important letter. I value the major responsibility that it requires in selecting any business venture, especially one that impacts the youth of today.
As a little league coach and proud father of two, I am fortunate enough to be passionate about the “pay it forward” or “give it back” mindset that has slowly been catching on throughout corporate America. Moreover, “A Glove of Their Own” is a children’s picture book that personifies this “paying it forward” mentality. It utilizes baseball, and an underprivileged group of boys’ childhood experience. Their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. It is a former coach, a constant passer-by to their daily game that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of so many. The coach’s ability to donate his equipment to a team who had nothing transcends generosity and teaches the young boys the importance of giving back. They continue their childhood not only capturing a few summers that are still available to them to “just be kids” but they are able to vow that they will all do the same some day for the next generation.
The book has been completed and it is currently being illustrated, the following is a quote that depicts a heartfelt message endearing to children of all ages…
“For few things in life are ever as good
As the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood
Or being with friends at that one special spot
And sharing what you have with those who have not.”
Consequently, I am a state employee nearing the end of my career at only 40; I am blessed to pursue a project that I really believe in. I have aligned myself with these two authors who share my vision and the proof is in their storytelling. Furthermore, I have not only caught the interest of Franklin Mason Press’s owner, Lisa Funari Willever, but she has decided to partner alongside of us. This book is going to be a major league success on many levels. We currently have Rawlings and Louisvill Slugger as an advocate for our campaign and the possibilities are endless with some more fortune 500 companies behind us. There are plans for the book to be marketed and distributed within fundraisers to benefit kids from all around the world. Whether it is through collecting sports equipment, advertisement through organizational sponsors or just the use of a company’s name, we will gain momentum on this project. Great organizations, such as yours, can join us in our mission to truly make a difference. I implore you at least the opportunity to speak with you about this in further detail. Finally, I am certain that you will agree childhood is formative, fleeting and the very foundation that life is centered around. Together, just maybe we can help bridge that fleeting time with lasting memories of “paying it forward”.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss "A Glove Of Their Own" further. I can be reached at 732-604-0468. Or if you prefer, please email me at this address (agloveoftheirown@aol.com) with your availability so we can schedule a conference call.
Sincerely,
Bob Salomon
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-By Graham Greene
A Glove of Their Own is for the kids who toss the bat to choose captains and pick teams, playing in a neighborhood field or an empty lot. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. But once the first pitch is thrown, you’ll find the real heart and soul of America. You’ll find baseball in its purest form. And the publisher of A Glove of Their Own wants to help all kids know this simple joy by donating a portion of the proceeds to help bring equipment to the kids who play without it. For few things in life are ever as good, as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends, at that one special spot and sharing what you have…. with those who have not.
Coming: July 2008 Published by Franklin Mason Press, Trenton, NJ For ordering information, call 609-209-9202 or visit www.franklinmasonpress.com.
I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this very important letter. I value the major responsibility that it requires in selecting any business venture, especially one that impacts the youth of today.
As a little league coach and proud father of two, I am fortunate enough to be passionate about the “pay it forward” or “give it back” mindset that has slowly been catching on throughout corporate America. Moreover, “A Glove of Their Own” is a children’s picture book that personifies this “paying it forward” mentality. It utilizes baseball, and an underprivileged group of boys’ childhood experience. Their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. It is a former coach, a constant passer-by to their daily game that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of so many. The coach’s ability to donate his equipment to a team who had nothing transcends generosity and teaches the young boys the importance of giving back. They continue their childhood not only capturing a few summers that are still available to them to “just be kids” but they are able to vow that they will all do the same some day for the next generation.
The book has been completed and it is currently being illustrated, the following is a quote that depicts a heartfelt message endearing to children of all ages…
“For few things in life are ever as good
As the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood
Or being with friends at that one special spot
And sharing what you have with those who have not.”
Consequently, I am a state employee nearing the end of my career at only 40; I am blessed to pursue a project that I really believe in. I have aligned myself with these two authors who share my vision and the proof is in their storytelling. Furthermore, I have not only caught the interest of Franklin Mason Press’s owner, Lisa Funari Willever, but she has decided to partner alongside of us. This book is going to be a major league success on many levels. We currently have Rawlings and Louisvill Slugger as an advocate for our campaign and the possibilities are endless with some more fortune 500 companies behind us. There are plans for the book to be marketed and distributed within fundraisers to benefit kids from all around the world. Whether it is through collecting sports equipment, advertisement through organizational sponsors or just the use of a company’s name, we will gain momentum on this project. Great organizations, such as yours, can join us in our mission to truly make a difference. I implore you at least the opportunity to speak with you about this in further detail. Finally, I am certain that you will agree childhood is formative, fleeting and the very foundation that life is centered around. Together, just maybe we can help bridge that fleeting time with lasting memories of “paying it forward”.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss "A Glove Of Their Own" further. I can be reached at 732-604-0468. Or if you prefer, please email me at this address (agloveoftheirown@aol.com) with your availability so we can schedule a conference call.
Sincerely,
Bob Salomon
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-By Graham Greene
A Glove of Their Own is for the kids who toss the bat to choose captains and pick teams, playing in a neighborhood field or an empty lot. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. But once the first pitch is thrown, you’ll find the real heart and soul of America. You’ll find baseball in its purest form. And the publisher of A Glove of Their Own wants to help all kids know this simple joy by donating a portion of the proceeds to help bring equipment to the kids who play without it. For few things in life are ever as good, as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends, at that one special spot and sharing what you have…. with those who have not.
Coming: July 2008 Published by Franklin Mason Press, Trenton, NJ For ordering information, call 609-209-9202 or visit www.franklinmasonpress.com.
I'm a former Sports 4 Kids site coordinator and currently am a PhD student in anthropology at the University of Virginia. S4K--unlike so many programs in low-income communities--sees kids for all of their creative potential. In my time as a S4K coach, the most moving thing to me was watching kids learn that it is okay to play...whether they win, they lose, or they don't even know where to start! Because increased high-stakes testing and low funding in low-income school districts (like those served by Sports 4 Kids) tells students and their teachers repeatedly that they CAN'T do it, Sports 4 Kids tells them that they can, while having fun in the process. There is not a day that goes by when I do not think of all that my students taught me as a coach as they wrestled with the ideas of cooperation, leadership, and effort that lay at the core of Sports 4 Kids practice. None of these things are easy, yet the difference is that Sports 4 Kids lets them try on all of these characteristics in a safe environment of play, so that they know they can try again and again and again. I couldn't speak more highly of Sports 4 Kids.
Claire Snell-Rood
I contintue to be impressed with this organization. I've worked at the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families for almost 10 years and Sports4Kids has been a great addition to the agenices we fund. Sports is without a doubt an important activity in after-school programming and I am happy to see what Sports4Kids can do to promote "play".
I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this very important letter. I value the major responsibility that it requires in selecting any business venture, especially one that impacts the youth of today.
As a little league coach and proud father of two, I am fortunate enough to be passionate about the “pay it forward” or “give it back” mindset that has slowly been catching on throughout corporate America. Moreover, “A Glove of Their Own” is a children’s picture book that personifies this “paying it forward” mentality. It utilizes baseball, and an underprivileged group of boys’ childhood experience. Their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. It is a former coach, a constant passer-by to their daily game that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of so many. The coach’s ability to donate his equipment to a team who had nothing transcends generosity and teaches the young boys the importance of giving back. They continue their childhood not only capturing a few summers that are still available to them to “just be kids” but they are able to vow that they will all do the same some day for the next generation.
The book has been completed and it is currently being illustrated, the following is a quote that depicts a heartfelt message endearing to children of all ages…
“For few things in life are ever as good
As the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood
Or being with friends at that one special spot
And sharing what you have with those who have not.”
Consequently, I am a state employee nearing the end of my career at only 40; I am blessed to pursue a project that I really believe in. I have aligned myself with these two authors who share my vision and the proof is in their storytelling. Furthermore, I have not only caught the interest of Franklin Mason Press’s owner, Lisa Funari Willever, but she has decided to partner alongside of us. This book is going to be a major league success on many levels. We currently have Rawlings and Louisvill Slugger as an advocate for our campaign and the possibilities are endless with some more fortune 500 companies behind us. There are plans for the book to be marketed and distributed within fundraisers to benefit kids from all around the world. Whether it is through collecting sports equipment, advertisement through organizational sponsors or just the use of a company’s name, we will gain momentum on this project. Great organizations, such as yours, can join us in our mission to truly make a difference. I implore you at least the opportunity to speak with you about this in further detail. Finally, I am certain that you will agree childhood is formative, fleeting and the very foundation that life is centered around. Together, just maybe we can help bridge that fleeting time with lasting memories of “paying it forward”.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss "A Glove Of Their Own" further. I can be reached at 732-604-0468. Or if you prefer, please email me at this address (agloveoftheirown@aol.com) with your availability so we can schedule a conference call.
Sincerely,
Bob Salomon
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-By Graham Greene
A Glove of Their Own is for the kids who toss the bat to choose captains and pick teams, playing in a neighborhood field or an empty lot. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. But once the first pitch is thrown, you’ll find the real heart and soul of America. You’ll find baseball in its purest form. And the publisher of A Glove of Their Own wants to help all kids know this simple joy by donating a portion of the proceeds to help bring equipment to the kids who play without it. For few things in life are ever as good, as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends, at that one special spot and sharing what you have…. with those who have not.
Coming: July 2008 Published by Franklin Mason Press, Trenton, NJ For ordering information, call 609-209-9202 or visit www.franklinmasonpress.com.
Hey Jill,
What struck me as interesting in your entry was the line about kids that come to school not having learned to play. Taken together with your emphasis on "structured play" that prevents chaos and solves saftey issues, I get the impression that you see unstructured recess time as a potential risk - or at least less valuable than guided activities. I am not sure I would agree to that. From what I hear and read, contemporary schools already place a high degree of pressure on kids to be organized and effective. Isn´t it more important than ever for kids to have a space and time in which they do not have to be responsible, functioning and group-oriented? Don´t get me wrong, I´m sure that pretty much everyone just loves an adult who is there to teach new games and have the required equipment ready during recess, and if you can make that happen for more schools, that´s great. I was just wondering about that very clear split between organized activities and unorganized play as (only) a safety issue and not (also) a valuable opportunity for kids to relax and not be disciplined, or even organizing themselves as they see fit. Maybe I´m being too romantic and/or setting my own middle class childhood as a standard here, and the situation on the recess grounds you see is a lot different than the ones I know. I´d be interested to hear about that.
All the best,
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Hey Jasper - You bring up a really good question and the issue that we spend a lot of time debating here internally. We definitely emphasize creating/providing a structure for play in schools as a necessary precondition for helping kids develop the skills they need to handle unstructured play. Ultimately, I think the way I'd characterize our program is that we come in and give kids a host of tools -- to get to know one another, to learn games, to pick teams, to resolve conflicts, to acknowledge and handle transitions -- and that the grown-up is involved in helping build this foundation. But I'd also say that we ultimately think that real success is in building a school yard where the kids are ultimately responsible for the quality of the play, and that they have the basic underlying skills to relax and enjoy more unstructured time. I'm not sure if you're being overly romantic, I just know that principals are taking recess away and school districts are outlawing tag and dodgeball because pure unstructured play is perceived as scary and unsafe. We're just trying to bolster the culture of play so that grown-ups and kids both feel safe enough and confident enough to let the power of play work its magic.
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this very important letter. I value the major responsibility that it requires in selecting any business venture, especially one that impacts the youth of today.
As a little league coach and proud father of two, I am fortunate enough to be passionate about the “pay it forward” or “give it back” mindset that has slowly been catching on throughout corporate America. Moreover, “A Glove of Their Own” is a children’s picture book that personifies this “paying it forward” mentality. It utilizes baseball, and an underprivileged group of boys’ childhood experience. Their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. It is a former coach, a constant passer-by to their daily game that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of so many. The coach’s ability to donate his equipment to a team who had nothing transcends generosity and teaches the young boys the importance of giving back. They continue their childhood not only capturing a few summers that are still available to them to “just be kids” but they are able to vow that they will all do the same some day for the next generation.
The book has been completed and it is currently being illustrated, the following is a quote that depicts a heartfelt message endearing to children of all ages…
“For few things in life are ever as good
As the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood
Or being with friends at that one special spot
And sharing what you have with those who have not.”
Consequently, I am a state employee nearing the end of my career at only 40; I am blessed to pursue a project that I really believe in. I have aligned myself with these two authors who share my vision and the proof is in their storytelling. Furthermore, I have not only caught the interest of Franklin Mason Press’s owner, Lisa Funari Willever, but she has decided to partner alongside of us. This book is going to be a major league success on many levels. We currently have Rawlings and Louisvill Slugger as an advocate for our campaign and the possibilities are endless with some more fortune 500 companies behind us. There are plans for the book to be marketed and distributed within fundraisers to benefit kids from all around the world. Whether it is through collecting sports equipment, advertisement through organizational sponsors or just the use of a company’s name, we will gain momentum on this project. Great organizations, such as yours, can join us in our mission to truly make a difference. I implore you at least the opportunity to speak with you about this in further detail. Finally, I am certain that you will agree childhood is formative, fleeting and the very foundation that life is centered around. Together, just maybe we can help bridge that fleeting time with lasting memories of “paying it forward”.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss "A Glove Of Their Own" further. I can be reached at 732-604-0468. Or if you prefer, please email me at this address (agloveoftheirown@aol.com) with your availability so we can schedule a conference call.
Sincerely,
Bob Salomon
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-By Graham Greene
A Glove of Their Own is for the kids who toss the bat to choose captains and pick teams, playing in a neighborhood field or an empty lot. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. But once the first pitch is thrown, you’ll find the real heart and soul of America. You’ll find baseball in its purest form. And the publisher of A Glove of Their Own wants to help all kids know this simple joy by donating a portion of the proceeds to help bring equipment to the kids who play without it. For few things in life are ever as good, as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends, at that one special spot and sharing what you have…. with those who have not.
Coming: July 2008 Published by Franklin Mason Press, Trenton, NJ For ordering information, call 609-209-9202 or visit www.franklinmasonpress.com.
I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this very important letter. I value the major responsibility that it requires in selecting any business venture, especially one that impacts the youth of today.
As a little league coach and proud father of two, I am fortunate enough to be passionate about the “pay it forward” or “give it back” mindset that has slowly been catching on throughout corporate America. Moreover, “A Glove of Their Own” is a children’s picture book that personifies this “paying it forward” mentality. It utilizes baseball, and an underprivileged group of boys’ childhood experience. Their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. It is a former coach, a constant passer-by to their daily game that changes their lives and ultimately the lives of so many. The coach’s ability to donate his equipment to a team who had nothing transcends generosity and teaches the young boys the importance of giving back. They continue their childhood not only capturing a few summers that are still available to them to “just be kids” but they are able to vow that they will all do the same some day for the next generation.
The book has been completed and it is currently being illustrated, the following is a quote that depicts a heartfelt message endearing to children of all ages…
“For few things in life are ever as good
As the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood
Or being with friends at that one special spot
And sharing what you have with those who have not.”
Consequently, I am a state employee nearing the end of my career at only 40; I am blessed to pursue a project that I really believe in. I have aligned myself with these two authors who share my vision and the proof is in their storytelling. Furthermore, I have not only caught the interest of Franklin Mason Press’s owner, Lisa Funari Willever, but she has decided to partner alongside of us. This book is going to be a major league success on many levels. We currently have Rawlings and Louisvill Slugger as an advocate for our campaign and the possibilities are endless with some more fortune 500 companies behind us. There are plans for the book to be marketed and distributed within fundraisers to benefit kids from all around the world. Whether it is through collecting sports equipment, advertisement through organizational sponsors or just the use of a company’s name, we will gain momentum on this project. Great organizations, such as yours, can join us in our mission to truly make a difference. I implore you at least the opportunity to speak with you about this in further detail. Finally, I am certain that you will agree childhood is formative, fleeting and the very foundation that life is centered around. Together, just maybe we can help bridge that fleeting time with lasting memories of “paying it forward”.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss "A Glove Of Their Own" further. I can be reached at 732-604-0468. Or if you prefer, please email me at this address (agloveoftheirown@aol.com) with your availability so we can schedule a conference call.
Sincerely,
Bob Salomon
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-By Graham Greene
A Glove of Their Own is for the kids who toss the bat to choose captains and pick teams, playing in a neighborhood field or an empty lot. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. But once the first pitch is thrown, you’ll find the real heart and soul of America. You’ll find baseball in its purest form. And the publisher of A Glove of Their Own wants to help all kids know this simple joy by donating a portion of the proceeds to help bring equipment to the kids who play without it. For few things in life are ever as good, as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends, at that one special spot and sharing what you have…. with those who have not.
Coming: July 2008 Published by Franklin Mason Press, Trenton, NJ For ordering information, call 609-209-9202 or visit www.franklinmasonpress.com.
Dear Jill,
Thanks for your entry – we really enjoyed reading about your program.
It provides one of the most critical resources to school – capacity through additional staff. We completely agree with your concept of increasing the time to “play.” Unfortunately, recently, recess and physical education time is being cut in most American schools. How do you plan to address this issue and has it impacted your plans for growth? In addition, we’d be interested in how you partner with local, state, and national organizations, such as AAHPERD. In addition, has your research found any difference between schools with Sport4Kids staff and regular PE teachers? In other words, we were not clear if your program does anything to differentiate itself from schools already with PE teachers in terms of outcomes. Finally, giving more thought to what benefits corporations obtain from supporting you would be valuable.
If you are interested, we just recently posted a general piece on the contest criteria – innovation, scale, and impact – that might be helpful to you. (see http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/729#comment-2686.) If you have specific questions on this posting, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Paul Bloom
Senior Research Scholar of Social Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship
Duke University – Fuqua School of Business
Suzanne Steffens
CASE Scholar
MBA Student, Class of 2008
Duke University – Fuqua School of Business
While there does seem to be a trend towards reducing/elminating recess, so far our experience has been that schools and districts are very enthusiastic about our approach and it feels like the market for expansion is considerable. I think our program is different in that we aren't coming in to a school and telling people how to be better at something they feel is a core competency. We're not physical education, we're providing a cost effective solution to group management issues at lunchtime and recess. We use this as a springboard to do all sorts of other amazing, important things, but as a business, we're clear that this our core business. Our experience is that school staff would prefer not to reduce or eliminate recess -- they do so because of pressures on instructional minutes and an understandable feeling of overwhelm. When we come in and make recess a positive time that contributes to the learning environment, we build in incentives to maintain recess -- even adding minutes.
Again, we don't provide physical education or see ourselves as an alternative to it. We provide play-based physical activity that is largely introduced during unstructured time. So when we're looking at outcomes, we're focused more on increases in pro-social behaviours and reductions in suspensions and discipline problems. We're looking at kids reporting feeling safer and teachers reporting that kids feel more engaged.
Lastly, for corporate partnerships we have developed a menu of opportunities that range from employee engagement (we run a mean corporate kickball tournament!) to league and event sponsorship opportunities to shared promotional opportunities like our partnership with Cartoon Network providing training for volunteers in their Rescuing Recess campaign. We have a lot to learn in this realm and would love help if anyone at Fuqua wants to adopt us! Thanks, Jill Vialet Founder/President Sports4Kids
Sports4kids makes a difference! As principal of a rapidly improving, but as yet woefully underperforming elementary school in East San Jose, I have seen first hand the power of play in improving a school. Our Sports4kids coach arrived on campus in August of 2006 and immediatly had an impact. Each component of the program - organizing recess activities, classroom game time, junior coaches, the afterschool program, and the organized sports teams, have be significant in helping us develop a school climate that is conducive to high achievement. It is amazing what a difference one well-trained individual can make on a school of 400. Our Sports4kids coach has quickly become a vital part of our team at Goss Elementary School. She is loved by the students and greatly respected by a veteran staff of teachers who have learned much from her about the power of play and organized physical activity.
Through Sports4kids we have begun to make the 40 minutes or so that our students spend at recess each day a time that contributes to their wellness and has a positive impact on their academic achievement and self-esteem.
I am a huge fan of this program!
I loved that this program institutes what is so obvious yet our educational system fails to do. Some of us are interested in the details included in your video. We would love to hear about how the video can be used in your efforts to expand your program.
Also, this program resonates in the US in light of the No Child Left Behind act, but you also mention that you worked with programs in other countries, what does your international expansion look like potentially?
Thanks for your response!
Best,
Tyler Ahn
Changemakers Team
So I've been traveling a lot of late and haven't had a chance to keep up with the discussion as much as I would have liked, so I'm going to respond to a couple of different streams at once... first off, in response to Lindsey's thoughts about whether or not it's OK for "expats" to be running programs in communities that aren't their own... I think the issue is complicated. Sports4Kids definitely tries to have a staff that reflects the kids we serve, but we also value diversity and it feels inappropriate and small-minded to define our communities exclusively by the things that make us different. OK, so you didn't grow up in East Oakland, but you are an American... Taken to an extreme, the danger of the argument that you can't serve in some of the schools we work in is that it contributes to our already crumbling social contract.
I agree with Ziba that there can also be value in expat exchanges, but I do ultimately think that the ultimate goal is systems change and that means that people within the community have to have the tools and resources to do things differently. I'm afraid that's what I mean when I say it's complicated-- I think we need both -- opportunities for play to bring people fro different backgrounds together and for play to be delivered by a community to its own members -- it's just hard to do them at the same time.
Tyler, not sure which video you were referring to when you asked about how we might use it to expand our efforts, but we are trying to pull together a project in which we send a few Sports4Kids staff to South Africa to work with a program called EMEP. The idea is that we would train 24-32 South Africans in our approach to working with kids on school playgrounds and that while they were being trained, they'd simultaneously be making a video of the training for other South Africans, essentially showing our training through their own lens. Ziba has connected us with a participatory video group based in France -- the idea's still nascent, but I think it gets to the very heart of what I was saying above -- a way for us to be inter-connected while still emphasizing solutions that give people the opportunity to make changes in their own communities.
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
I really, really *love* this idea! The power of playing simply can not be underestimated. It serves children, and our society present and future, in innumerable ways. This reminds me of a speech by Sir Ken Robinson given at TED. I think you will love it. The link is: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66.
I am writing because I would like to learn more about the measures you are taking to ensure that you are finding quality coaches as your demand for them grows.
I know that, in the case of many such volunteer opportunities for young adults which have expanded broadly and quickly, the time and resources invested in each individual volunteer is often lost. Without proper preparedness, the volunteers' effectiveness is limited, and an organization that once served a profound purpose becomes questionably effective.
As a graduating college senior, I've looked at many such opportunities, but have never given them much thought because of the stories I have heard from volunteers past of their lack of preparedness and guidance as they sought to serve in such positions. Too often I have heard the worst-case scenario: experiences that seemed to the volunteer a waste of everyone's time and money, simply because the volunteers did not feel prepared with the skillset or resources necessary to get much done. I know that there are staunch advocates for these same programs, but I haven't found one of those outside of recruiting fairs, somehow. The idea remains great, but over time the effectiveness of the program eroded... I can only think that this was a byproduct of expansion; expansion diluted the investment in properly preparing volunteers. In many ways, I know that these other organizations are very different from yours, but the challenge, I think, is the same.
I am very encouraged by the fact that you seek local volunteers to serve as coaches; I am only wondering what measures will be taken, beyond this, to assure that volunteers are prepared and otherwise well taken care of? How do they get all those games in their back pocket? How do they learn all they need to know about leadership and children? It seems this position is conferred a great deal of influence in these children's lives, and also that it requires a great deal of investment on the part of coaches, so I look forward to hearing more about how you will ensure that through this rapid expansion you will continue to provide great coaches.
And, once more, I really love your project. Recess has always been my favorite subject.
Lindsey Witmer
Student Ambassador
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Lindsey -- First off, we're hiring for next year, so if you're interested, check out http://www.sports4kids.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=71
And I'll definitely check out Sir Ken.
I think you're absolutely right that there is a tendency in the field to send people out to work with kids without adequately preparing them for the task at hand. At Sports4Kids we have a mandatory two week pre-service training, and we have trainings throughout the school year, along with supervision and support that enables our staff to deal with the myriad of issues that arise. As we have grown, the training and the consistency of the support we offer staff in the field has been the object of fierce focus and I'd argue that we have gotten better at it as we have grown -- more consistent, more concrete and explicit in setting goals and expectations and supporting people when things aren't going well.
One last note: one of the key insights, and maybe the thing that is most truly innovative about our approach, is that we offered our staff a full-time paid job. I am convinced that it is because we are creating an opportunity for staff to fully focus -- not having to piece together a few other jobs, providing health insurance, etc. -- that we create the necessary conditions for the staff to really apply themselves as changemakers in the schools where they operate. I think the implications are really interesting for other countries as well. I think Ziba mentioned in an earlier email that she thought the video approach was good in serving the international community because it represented a possible departure from volunteer expats coming in to offer sports programming. I know that some of the other groups are resistant to this for reasons that go beyond just the basic economics -- that volunteering ensures an intrisic motivation that is essential to program quality -- but I would be interested in al arger debate on this issue -- ultimately, to employ sport as a tool for socail change, do we need to make sure that we are employing people in the communities where they live to deliver high quality services?
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
I'll second Lindsey's recommendation of the Sir Ted videocast on Ted.com - its awesome. He's hilarious!
About the volunteering issue - check out Emily's response from the Carolina for Kibera proeject regarding this topic - just to continue the debate! I am personally supportive of the expat exchange model from the perspective of building connections and linkages and education - I think this might be essential as a strategy for building a global network of athletes (especially those connected to a social development movement) and the broader benefit of this network might be a different type of fund raising. I am somewhat sceptical of the value of using volunteers to staff programs when they are not from the local community and unless the expats are coming with solid technical expertise not found locally, then I have concerns that we are displacing opportunities for local provision of these services. But, the video transfer is a really interesting idea, especially if its a wiki type model where local communities are given the power to adapt it and in the process demonstrate the cultural differences back to the members of the sports4Kids program!
And I agree with Jill that for many communities - the jobs are an essential part of the social impact.
Thanks so much for your response, Jill. I am very encouraged by the fact that you are paying your coaches a full-time salary (and especially providing health benefits!). I do agree that that goes a long way in ensuring commitment to the cause, and it isn't as if the salary is high enough that someone who didn't have an intrinsic desire to serve would necessarily be attracted. Besides, if you did not pay, you would probably eliminate a lot of great coaches even having the possibility to work for you -- such time-intensive volunteering is expensive... thus, not paying probably attracts more rich kids than good-hearted ones, I think.
The question of local coaches versus "imported" coaches is a good one. As much as *I* would benefit from the experience of working in a racially diverse urban neighborhood, my experience growing up in suburban Ohio would likely make me less effective in reaching the local children, thus, I probably wouldn't hire me. In this situation, I would be distracted by acclimation to the environment for awhile, and then I would face the challenge of gaining the respect of the students. I could do this eventually, I'm sure, but a local person wouldn't have to try so hard, and could thus be of more use to the kids from the beginning.
Taking this a bit further, I (and I am speaking for all of my white-skinned, middle-class, mid-western cohorts) would love to work in any environment more diverse than that from which I come -- and we are especially attracted to opportunities abroad -- but is that the kind of person you are looking for? The one seeking adventure, or the one seeking to serve (and the most able to effectively do so)?
Young people have a hard time, I think, honestly separating those motivations.
I have faced this question in both of the organizations in which I am active at University right now, and I have always come to think that the world would be better off if I sent whatever money I raised to support the local people doing something great in their neighborhood, rather than through using that money, and a great deal of natural resources, to send my white body there. I mean, really, what do *I* know? This is why I'm working in a micro lab right now, so I'll know something useful someday (thus, I do think that in many cases people *do* have a value-added even if they aren't from that environment, and perhaps because of that fact), and that may be difficult to sort out. But in terms of working with inner-city kids, I'd say the likelihood of a priviledged coach having more of a value-added than a local coach is pretty slim -- and the local coach is going to have more of a vested interest, as well.
In general, however, I think I'd like to put my vote in the "no expats" pile. Only if your motivation is to add value to the coach, primarily, should that vote go "pro expats" (by "expats" I mean anyone sufficiently foreign, e.g. a Minnesotian in the Bronx). Of course, I'll acknowledge that there are probably more than a few people who are exceptions to this argument (highly adaptable people could do fine, especially if they have an overdose of energy and passion).
I'm actually looking for a job; I should probably stop shooting myself in the foot...
:)
Lindsey Witmer
Student Ambassador
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Lindsey,
I love your self awareness! It would be an interesting question to put to some of the organizations originating from some of the countries you are interested in. I think this is a REALLY important discussion.
I would say that the major benefit that foreign volunteers bring is their connections. For some reason, there does seem to be a trend that suggests that having a network of Muzungu (as my friend refers to us) as an "ambassador" can open doors that are sometimes not accessible to community based organizations either because they lack the connections or due to prejudice on the donor side or whatever. This is why we have to do more to provide opportunities for all organizations to gain visibility to donors in an open, transparent way.
Cheers,
Ziba
Hello Jill,
Thank you for sharing your program. How does you program address and respond to the dominant norms and values in US sports culture that so deeply impact and influence the status quo of youth sports in and out of school throughout the country? Do you see your program as an approach to changing the paradigm of youth sports, and to desconstructing these broader norms and values?
Thank you again, and look forward to your reply.
All the very best,
Eli
Eli A. Wolff
Manager, Research & Advocacy
Center for the Study of Sport in Society
Northeastern University
e.wolff@neu.edu
Hey Eli - That's a great question. I really do see our emphasis on play as the key to ensuring that sport realizes its full potential as a tool of positive social change. So our program really tries to tackle the dominant norms head on -- for example, when our kids play Four Square, you can't yell "You're Out!" -- you have to say "Nice Try!" and if you say "You're Out!" you're out! We've had staff initially resist, complaining that we're making kids say things that they don't really mean (it's possible to say "Nice Try" in a host of ways that convey you don't really mean it) but they almost always come around to an understanding of the practice that is closer to the Buddhist understanding of intentionality. If we ask the kids to practice kindness in the thick of competition and create structures that compel them to go through the motions, there is a great likelihood that it will become true. I grew up playing anything and everything, and I'm ridiculously competitive, but I also have a profound understanding that unless I have someone to play with, someone to play against even, there is no game.
So for us, it's all about making it fun and playful -- reminding the kids and adults who are involved that the best thing about sport is getting to play -- with all the myriad human connections that that entails. We work with staff to be aware of language, we mix in competitive and non-competitive games, we make animal noises, everything possible to keep it silly and playful and fun and inclusive.
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
Wycliffe - I'd love to try and figure out ways to work more with groups in other countries. I mentioned in our submission that we have partnered with groups in Mumbai and Cape Town, and we're trying to figure out how to send some staff back to Cape Town this Spring for a more extended visit in which we would work with local practitioners to develop a program supported by the Ministry of Sport. Perhaps if we had staff visiting in Africa, we could arrange for an excursion to Kenya.
But we'd also like to figure out how to work with people without having to physically send staff -- we have experimented with training videos http://www.cartoonrecessweek.com/volunteer.html#video
But these are aimed at volunteers in US elementary schools and I worry that while I believe our larger approach has great relevance internationally, this particular approach might not convey that. I guess my question back to you would be, if you could have us do anything at all to help you make your program stronger while also enabling us to learn from your experiences and approach, what would you have us do?
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
Jill,
I actually think your idea of the videos is a really interesting one. It seems to me that this could be a worthwhile type of collaboration that could go in both directions, i.e. in the form of cultural knowledge by having the videos adapted by local groups with local context and cultural relevance. It is also a great way of getting around the really expensive expat volunteer model that currently dominates. There are a few other organizations in the competition that have video based elements. In addition, we have been working with a group called insight (www.insightshare.org) who has been training groups in participatory video, this could be an interesting project for them. Chris lunch is the contact there: clunch@insightshare.org
http://www.cartoonrecessweek.com/volunteer.html#video
Best,
Ziba
Hi Ziba - I checked out insight -- totally cool and looks like it would work really well with our model. I'll email Chris -- I'm always looking for a great excuse to go to France! It'd be good to connect them with Arnaud and the Ashoka UK folks too.
Hope you're well, Jill
Jill Vialet
President/Founder Sports4Kids
www.sports4kids.org
Wycliffe Mboya Ngoya
CEO and the Director
Sacrena Sporting Organization
P.O.Box 138-40123
Kisumu-Kenya
Tel:+254 724 799 727
email:sacrenakenya@yahoo.com
email:wycliffemboya@yahoo.com
skype name:sacrenakenya
Wycliffe Mboya Ngoya
CEO and the Director
Sacrena Sporting Organization
P.O.Box 138-40123
Kisumu-Kenya
Tel:+254 724 799 727
email:sacrenakenya@yahoo.com
email:wycliffemboya@yahoo.com
skype name:sacrenakenya