Form 1 NYSS Champion Program Application

Become a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) invites organizations supporting youth
sports to become National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) Champions. Please complete this form to
provide information about your organization and how it supports the NYSS vision: one day, all youth
will have the opportunity, motivation, and access to play sports.
NYSS Champions Process:
1. Provide the information requested in the form below and return it to sports@hhs.gov.
2. If your organization meets the criteria for becoming an NYSS Champion, ODPHP will set up a call
with you to discuss the NYSS Champion partnership initiative and provide information on the
Partnership and Trademark Agreement.
3. Approved organizations will be listed on the NYSS Champions website acknowledging their
alignment with the NYSS vision.
4. Approved organizations will receive a promotional package, which includes a digital graphic that
can be displayed on your organization's website and social media tools.
NYSS Champion Applicant Information:
Please provide a brief (2-3 sentences) description of how your organization supports or plans to support
the NYSS vision.

1. Point of Contact Information:
a. Name:
b. Email:
2. Organization Information:
a. Name:
b. Address:
c. Website:
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d.

Brief organization description to be listed under your organization’s name on the webpage
(250 characters max including spaces). The full organization name will already be written out,

so you may use an abbreviation in the 250-character description to save space.

3. Please carefully review Tables A-C below (pg. 4-5).
These tables describe various opportunities and action items that correspond to the three outer levels of
the NYSS framework. After reviewing the tables, please assess your organization as it relates to these
tables to answer questions 3a and 3b.
a. Identify one level of the framework that best represents your organization and its goals/actions
(please select only one).
Organizational
Community
Public Policy
b. Identify the 3 opportunities/action items your organization will start or continue to focus on as an
NYSS Champion (list the number only, ex: “B.4”).
1.
2.
3.
4. The NYSS highlights specific populations with lower levels of physical activity and youth sports
participation. Does your organization focus on (through direct programming or funding) a specific
population? If yes, select all that apply. If no, leave blank.
Girls
Racial and ethnic minorities
Youth from households of low socioeconomic status
Youth living in rural areas
Youth with disabilities
Other:
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ODPHP is aware that due to the effects of COVID-19, your current situation may not be representative of
your organization’s typical activities. However, please provide your best estimate for each of the following
for the period from January 2021 through December 2021. We will be in touch to update these metrics
periodically.
5. Please describe any additional ways your organization is supporting the NYSS vision (if any).

Please note that the NYSS Champions partnership initiative is meant to include organizations working to support
youth sports on a variety of levels. Therefore, some organizations, such as academic institutions or policy-focused
organizations may answer 0 to all of the following; this does not impact your ability to become an NYSS Champion.

a. Number of youth directly served by your organization:
b. Total amount of money provided for charitable support (please include both cash and in-kind
donations, such as equipment or space):
Note: Question 5b is for businesses and foundations that support youth sports financially. Example: A
donation to purchase sporting equipment for a local team or providing a grant to support youth sports
serving groups. Organizations who support youth sports through programming should not answer with their
operating budget.

c. Number of volunteer hours provided by your organization to support youth sports-related
activities:
d. Other:

6. In which U.S. states, territories, or jurisdictions do you typically provide programming (e.g., CA, MD,
Guam)? Please include all areas that you have served, even if programming has been altered during the

COVID-19 pandemic. If you operate in all 50 states plus territories/jurisdictions, please select both "50 States"
and all territories/jurisdictions.

50 States

Colorado

Louisiana

New Hampshire

South Carolina

D.C.

Connecticut

Maine

New Jersey

South Dakota

American Samoa

Delaware

Maryland

New Mexico

Tennessee

Guam

Florida

Massachusetts

New York

Texas

N. Mariana Islands

Georgia

Michigan

North Carolina

Utah

Puerto Rico

Hawaii

Minnesota

North Dakota

Vermont

U.S. Virgin Islands

Idaho

Mississippi

Ohio

Virginia

Alabama

Illinois

Missouri

Oklahoma

Washington

Alaska

Indiana

Montana

Oregon

West Virginia

Arizona

Iowa

Nebraska

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

Arkansas

Kansas

Nevada

Rhode Island

Wyoming

California

Kentucky
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Table A. Opportunities and Action Items for the Organizational Level
#
A.1
A.2
A.3
A.4
A.5

A.6
A.7
A.8
A.9
A.10
A.11
A.12
A.13
A.14
A.15
A.16
A.17
A.18

Organizations can:
Make having fun a primary focus of sports programs.
Embrace a sports-for-all mentality and offer programs that are safe, fun, inclusive,
developmentally appropriate, and accessible to all youth.
Promote the benefits of and access to sports opportunities to youth and their families.
Recruit coaches who reflect the demographics of the community.
Facilitate and support individuals who wish to become a coach, official, or volunteer, such as
by using an online platform to recruit, register, train, and schedule shifts as well as to provide
incentives.
Require and provide background checks for coaches, officials, and volunteers.
Require and provide access to training or certification programs for coaches, officials, and
volunteers.
Provide adequate equipment, training, and other necessary resources to adapt or modify
sports activities to meet the needs of youth of all abilities.
Develop partnerships across a variety of sectors, including business, community recreation,
education, faith-based, government, health care, media, public health, sports, and technology.
Partner with academic institutions or public health organizations to evaluate programs.
Include information about sports programs in hospital community needs assessments.
Implement the principles of the American Development Model within youth sports programs.
Incorporate elements of positive youth development in youth sports programs.
Promote physical literacy (the ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life) as
a foundation for sports programs.
Encourage sport sampling (playing more than one sport throughout the year).
Structure practices and games to provide all participants with more time engaged in
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to meet the Physical Activity Guidelines.
Establish and enforce appropriate safety practices and protocols to reduce the risk of injury,
and ensure that appropriate safety equipment is accessible and used correctly.
Consider the location of sports programs and transportation options to ensure safe and
inclusive access.

Return to question 3

Table B. Opportunities and Action Items for the Community Level
#
B.1

Communities can:
Ensure that safe play spaces are easily accessible for all youth.

B.2

Promote the benefits of and access to sports opportunities to youth and their families.

B.3

Promote and encourage partnerships across a variety of sectors, including business,
community recreation, education, faith-based, government, health care, media, public
health, sports, and technology.
Collaborate with academic institutions or public health organizations to evaluate programs.

B.4
B.5

Partner with national or local volunteer organizations (such as the Corporation for National
and Community Service) to recruit coaches, officials, and volunteers to support youth
sports programs.

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B.6
B.7

Develop shared use agreements to increase access to sports facilities at schools and within
the community.
Locate sports facilities in areas that are safe and accessible via multiple transportation
options, including walking, biking, and public transportation.

Return to question 3

Table C. Opportunities and Action Items for the Public Policy Level
#
C.1
C.2
C.3
C.4
C.5
C.6
C.7

Public agencies can:
Support an entity with the responsibility to organize and coordinate efforts within and
across sectors to foster and expand youth sports participation.
Support policies that facilitate access to youth sports and facilities (e.g., shared use
agreements, Complete Streets, master development plans, Safe Routes to School).
Seek out and support public- and private-sector partnerships.
Promote collaboration across all levels, including neighborhoods, communities, tribal
areas, cities, and states, to increase and expand youth sports participation.
Disseminate messaging, through a variety of platforms, about the benefits of youth
sports and availability of opportunities to play sports.
Coordinate data collection by standardizing questions so that data can be compared
across Federal, state, and/or local levels.
Identify and provide grants, funding opportunities, and other resources to support
youth sports programs.

Return to question 3

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