Sports Facilities Management (SFM) Announces New Access Program at Aspen Institute Project Play 2020 Spring Meeting

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- While in attendance at the Project Play 2020 spring meeting, the industry leading outsourced sports tourism and community recreation management firm, the Sports Facilities Management (SFM) founder and CEO Jason Clement and Dev Pathik announced the pilot of a new initiative, the SFM Access Program. The program, co-created by Clement and Pathik is a model for improving access to sports for underserved communities.

"This program is a direct response to the disparity that exists in sports today. Far too many kids are left out of sports due to lack of facilities, cost of programming, and/or lack of transportation," says Clement. "This program is based on strategic partnerships with local youth serving organizations.  Through the program, we are creating an inventory of field, court, and other time to support local youth-serving non-profit organizations and the families they serve. This is aligned to our work with the Aspen Institute Project Play 2020."

Aspen Institute Project Play 2020 is a multiyear effort, created by the Aspen Institute, joined by leading organizations including SFA and SFM, Johns Hopkins Center for Global Obesity Prevention, Dick's Sporting Goods, Amazon, ESPN, Nike, the NBA, MLB, NHL and more. This philanthropic collective is coordinating the effort to make sports accessible to all kids, regardless of zip code or athletic ability. According to a Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2013 report, fewer than half the children ages 6 to 11 meet the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendation for engaging in at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. From this statistic, it's not surprising that there's been a significant decline in sports participation in that age group. Again according to the SFIA, 2.6 million fewer children were playing basketball, soccer, track & field, baseball, football, or softball in the past 5 years alone.

"This represents a health crisis for our children," says Pathik. "Our firms are committed to addressing the health and social disparities that are so clearly linked to sports participation and activity levels.  Through our involvement in Project Play 2020, we have gained a deeper understanding of the negative social and health impacts that plague kids who do not play sports."

The SFM Access program will be piloted in the SFA-planned and now SFM-managed Rocky Mount Events Center, located in Rocky Mount, NC. The program will donate facility time and programming suggestions to partnering organizations. SFM plans to roll out the program to more of the facilities in their national network over the next 2-3 years.

"We expect this effort to catalyze others to address these opportunities within our communities. Our kids and families deserve better, and we hope this brings visibility to these issues," says Clement.

About The Sports Facilities Advisory | The Sports Facilities Management

Sports Facilities Advisory, LLC (SFA) and Sports Facilities Management, LLC (SFM) are both headquartered in Clearwater, FL. Founded in 2003, SFA has served more than 1,500 communities, produced more than $8 billion in institutional-grade financial forecasts, and provided funding strategies and solutions for more than 120 youth and amateur sports and recreation complexes worldwide. SFM provides industry-leading, results-driven management solutions for sports, fitness, recreation, and event venues nationwide. Since 2014, SFM-managed venues have hosted more than 50 million visitors and generated millions of dollars in economic impact. For more information, visit: www.sportadvisory.com.

Media Contact: Ashley Whittaker, The Sports Facilities Management, 7274743845, [email protected]

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE The Sports Facilities Management