Mayor Wu Announces Investments in Youth Sports

Mayor Michelle Wu today signed onto the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports at a convening of the city’s youth sports providers at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, formalizing the City’s commitment to providing high quality sports programming for Boston youth. In adopting it, the Mayor affirms that the City’s approach to youth sports will center the needs of youth, invest in play and qualified coaches, and commit to safe, healthy sports environments for all youth. In conjunction with this commitment, the City announced the award of $300,000 in grant funding to volunteer-led youth sports organizations that provide high-quality, engaging athletics programming for Boston youth ages 8-18. The goal of the Let’s Play Boston grant is to increase the variety of youth sports programming in the City and to provide a positive outlet for youth when they’re not in school. This initiative is aligned with the Mayor’s Connect, Learn, Explore program, her commitment to Boston’s youth by ensuring every child is empowered to explore and find their passions. 

“A huge part of keeping Boston’s families healthy and happy is ensuring that every kid has access to youth sports in their communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The investments we’re celebrating today will shape the future of so many young Boston residents, and I’m so grateful to our partners for making these opportunities available.”

The Bill of Rights in Sports is a policy statement drafted by the Aspen Institute through its Project Play Initiative. It outlines eight principles that convey, in broad terms, the key parts of high-quality sports programming, such as safe and healthy environments and qualified program leaders. Boston now joins over 200 national sport organizations, community recreation groups, grant makers, and municipalities. Boston is the fifth city to commit to the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports and the third 2026 World Cup host city to sign on. 

“It’s exciting to be here with Mayor Wu and our partners to affirm our commitment to high quality sports for all Boston youth,” said Chief of Human Services José F. Massó. “I grew up playing basketball and participating in the swim team at my BCYF community center. I know youth sports are part of what made me the leader I am today.”

The cohort of Let’s Play grantees includes 55 community-based athletics programs from across the City. The grants offer direct support to youth sports programs and can be used to reduce participation fees, purchase new equipment and uniforms, and/or reduce overhead related to securing fields or facilities. Among the grantees are programs that offer opportunities to participate in over twenty different sports disciplines, ranging from basketball, baseball, football and cheer to fencing, cricket, circus arts, and frisbee. 

“For 33 years, No Books No Ball has been dedicated to shaping not only skilled athletes but well-rounded individuals prepared for life’s challenges. Thanks to the support from the Let’s Play Boston Community Sports grant, we can continue to provide access and resources that reinforce the value of education, sportsmanship, and resilience,” said Tony Richards, Sr., Founder of No Books No Ball, a Let’s Play Boston community sports grantee. “We are honored to serve over 1,000 youth and families each year, guiding our young scholars from Boston’s neighborhoods toward brighter futures on and off the court.”  

Today’s event offered an opportunity for the City to highlight other work underway, including an interactive map of Boston’s youth sports facilities that is now publicly available on the Let’s Play Boston website. The Boston Sports Facilities Map is the first such inventory of youth athletic facilities in the City. It can be used by planners and developers to identify areas of the city where more facilities are needed as well as for sports leagues to find spaces that can host league or tournament play. The City also previewed a no-cost coach training initiative that will kick off in 2025, aimed at boosting coach skills.

Creating easier access to athletic opportunities is a part of Connect, Learn, Explore, Mayor Wu’s initiative to ensure Boston’s youth are empowered to find and pursue their passions. In May, the Mayor announced the launch of the Boston Youth Sports Hub, a one-stop website that offers a directory of Boston’s neighborhood sports leagues for families, links to city-run programs, and stories of athletic achievements by Boston youth sports teams. In addition to providing grant support to youth sports providers, the Youth Sports Initiative aims to increase participation of youth who have been historically underrepresented in youth sports, improve the quality of coaching in the city, and enhance the variety and quality of sports offered by city departments. 

ABOUT THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET

The Human Services cabinet oversees six departments that provide direct services to Boston residents: Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Library, Age Strong Commission, Office of Youth Engagement & Advancement, Office of Returning Citizens and the Office of Veterans’ Services.  The mission of the Human Services cabinet is to provide equitable access to high quality services, resources, and opportunities so that every Boston resident - especially those with the greatest needs - has what they need to thrive. In pursuit of this mission, the departments in the Human Services Cabinet meet residents where they are - in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities - to break down barriers to critical resources.