Creating Opportunities for Youth to Thrive Through Sport [Podcast Series]

• [:56] Dr. Bantham introduces her guest, Shellie Pfohl

  • Shellie Pfohl is a Special Advisor to the Sport Integrity Global Alliance.  

  • She also served as the Executive Director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in the Obama Administration.

• [1:16] COVID-related school closures and childhood obesity

  • “I'm first and foremost, quite honestly concerned about how kids are getting fed, how families are being supported in terms of food insecurity. And then, in addition to that, from a movement standpoint, from a physical activity standpoint, from a social and emotional standpoint, we know that the ability of kids to interact at school, whether it's on a playground, or in the hallway, or in a gymnasium, that those things now are not taking place.”

• [3:43] Learning conflict resolution and leadership skills through sports and recess

  • “All the things we know that we learned on the playground at recess or in after school programs. Conflict resolution, right?  Just, you know, how do we interact with people, leadership skills. All those things that we learn by participating with each other, whether it's just a game, a made up game at recess, or if it's, you know, formalized after school sports. That is a huge void right now.”

• [5:53] Playworks and PeacePlayers teaching conflict resolution and leadership skills

  • “I got to travel around to inner cities and see Playworks programs, and to rural communities and see how organizations came together to support the most vulnerable within their communities. And organizations like PeacePlayers as well, who are working in cities to do just that, that are teaching skills, conflict resolution skills, leadership skills, community building skills.  And creating those opportunities for young people to thrive.”

• [7:58] Long-term solutions to enhance health and well-being

  • “But if you listen and you empower them, and inspire them, and encourage them and break down a few barriers where you can, and let them come up with the solutions that will last, you know, that are long term solutions for their families, for their communities, for their schools, for you know, you name it, that is the best and most lasting legacy, if you will, that anyone or any organization can do to enhance the health and well being of Americans.”

• [10:49] Building successful partnerships to address physical inactivity

  • “You don't want homogenous people or organizations necessarily. I think it's very healthy to have organizations that come together that maybe don't agree on everything, that, you know, maybe have this like-minded principles and values, and maybe their ultimate outcome is compatible. But how you get there, that journey together and being able to, again, listen to each other and the constituents within those organizations is what creates true impact.”

• [12:58] FitnessGram and win-win public-private partnerships

  • “And if our ultimate goal is to enhance the health and well-being of young people throughout our country, then what is the best path forward? And that best path forward was truly to combine forces, to have one assessment, and then to figure out how to get those resources out to schools across the country.”

• [16:20] Link between movement and joy and learning

  • “I think the hope was that there was a reawakening to really how the brain works and how important movement is to learning. And, as you said, really helping, I'll say teach, but really just offer the opportunity for kids to experience the love and the joy of movement.”  

• [18:15] U.S. Center for SafeSport

  • “It has dedicated people that truly are working to uphold all that is good about sport, and making sure that we're rooting out the bad players, if you will, within the sport. Whether that's coaches or other athletes or physicians or trainers or what have you. They come in all walks of life. But that we're truly, again, creating a culture where respect is key. And then if we truly integrate respect and champion respect in sport, that abuse will have no place.”

• [22:27] Post-COVID youth sport activities

  • “As we come out the other side and kids are allowed to engage again with each other and be on the field of play together, I think there's going to be a huge demand for youth sport activities. And the question is, who will be there to fill that demand?”

• [26:51] Youth development through sport

  • “It's about developing young people, it's about developing those leadership skills and those conflict resolution and how kids can and will and are truly becoming the leaders in our communities. They have a voice, they will continue to have a voice. And if we can create those opportunities for young people to come together, give them a few resources, and use some evidence-based programming along the way, in order to do that. That's how we change culture, right?  So I truly see myself at my core, it's about youth development, and creating those opportunities for young people to thrive.”