KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s the universal language for kids: playtime. Unfortunately, not enough children are fluent in it.
“The recommendation from the federal government is that kids should get 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity,” Robin Shook, PhD, said.
Shook is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, who coordinated a study with the Aspen Institute about the State of Play study in Kansas City.
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“When we asked kids in Kansas City how much activity they got, they reported only about 20% of kids met that threshold,” Shook observed.
The analysis involved 4,000 children and their daily physical activity.
“Boys are more likely than girls to meet the recommendations,” Shook explained.
“Kids in Kansas are more likely than kids in Missouri to meet the recommendations, and you even start to see differences in income level.”
Families with a higher income level are more likely to meet the recommendations. This usually meant they had access to resources not offered in the urban areas.
The infrastructure of Kansas City plays a part in who gets the necessary physical activity. Not all areas are walkable; not having a car or access to transportation is another barrier.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many open spaces and parks for children. That’s where places like the Boys and Girls Club come into play.
“We are centrally located in areas that allow easier access for a lot of the kids in the community to walk to us,” Waymond King said.
He grew up going to the Boys and Girls Club and is now the Senior Director of Healthy Lifestyles at the nonprofit.
There are 10 facilities located across Kansas City that provide a safe, supportive space and an alternative option for children when schools may not offer physical education classes or organized sports.
“That’s the concern,” King said.
“It helps the behaviors of children to burn off some of that steam and get involved. When those programs get cut, it leaves a void; it positions us perfectly to fill that void through the programs we offer.”
Shook said organized sports have grown away from their original intention.
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“If you can’t make the team as a sophomore or junior, you’re likely to drop out of that sport altogether,” Shook said.
“So, in public school, athletics is a big part of it. We need low-cost or free recreation-type leagues in town for those kids who can’t join a varsity athletic team.”
The benefits go beyond the court and the playing field, too.
“These kids are learning how to work together, develop collaborative skills and perseverance,” King said.
“Those are the kind of things we stress.”
“In Kansas City, if you can say anything, we are a sports town,” Shook added.
“We love the Chiefs and more. If there’s anything our community we can get behind, it’s youth sports.”
Kansas City as a whole ranked near the bottom among the largest U.S. Cities in the 2023 fitness index, coming in at 91st among 100.
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