Go Bears, Go Play 

Access to safe, inclusive, positive play, physical activity, and sports yield positive outcomes and benefits for youth. However, barriers exist and persist across socioeconomic status, gender, ability, and geography. 

For many young people, exposure to sports, and physical activity happens within the school and expanded learning environment. However, inequities persist as recess is often underresourced. Additionally, there are too few relatable and reflective athletic role models for students to see themselves in. 

The LA84 Play Equity Report outlines these barriers, inequities, and possibilities for play equity through a study of California. Key findings include: 

• Nearly ⅔ of youth in California are meeting CDC guidelines for physical activity (defined as engaging in active play or movement 5+ days/week) 

• Gender and racial inequities exist, with Black and Latina females the least active surveyed (playing less than 3 x week)

• Nearly ⅓ youth stopped playing sports in the last two years, citing time, cost, loss of interest, and decline in fun as top reasons.

That’s why Cal Athletics is invested in supporting positive play and sports exposure as a pillar of our community engagement strategy. This includes building the capacity of our student-athletes to support positive play at recess, bring sports exposure to PE, and host flagship events here on campus to invite our community to gain exposure to sports, college, and our student-athlete community. 

Why Recess? With the passage of Senate Bill 291, known as “Recess for All,” which requires elementary schools to provide 30 minutes of reces  it is a critical time to invest in supporting positive recess experiences for all students. Beyond the physical benefits of movement and play, recess provides an opportunity for unstructured  

LA84 Play Equity Report