Youth sports

WHEREAS, The Washington state sports community is celebrating 1
prominence on the world stage as a site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup; 2
and 3
WHEREAS, More than half of youth in Washington state participate 4
in organized athletics; and 5
WHEREAS, Organized youth sports and physical activity can provide 6
essential infrastructure for youth well-being with lifelong benefits; 7
and 8
WHEREAS, High quality youth sports support academic engagement 9
and school attendance, promote resiliency and physical health, and 10
protect against anxiety and depression; and 11
WHEREAS, Only 24 percent of youth statewide meet the recommended 12
60 minutes of daily physical activity, with participation rates 13
declining as children age; and 14
WHEREAS, Washington state ranks 38th in youth well-being, 15
according to Mental Health America; and 16
WHEREAS, Disparities exist in access to organized sports, 17
especially for girls, youth of color, children with disabilities, 18
immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth, and children from low-income families, with 19
youth who don't speak English at home nearly three times more likely 20
to never participate in sports; and 21
WHEREAS, Young people thrive when their coaches are trained in 22
youth development principles and when they have access to trained 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8664
By Senators Nobles, Riccelli, Shewmake, Valdez, Wellman, Hasegawa, and Wagoner
p. 1 8664
professionals who can assess injuries common to young athletes 1
like concussion, heat stroke, stress fractures, knee injuries, 2
and ankle sprains; and 3
WHEREAS, Despite significant progress in concussion 4
education through the Zackery Lystedt Law, there is a critical 5
need for broader awareness and systemic training in order to 6
prevent abuse and injuries; and 7
WHEREAS, Early specialization in youth athletics has been 8
found to cause overuse injuries and burnout; and 9
WHEREAS, Only approximately half of coaches have reported 10
feeling prepared to support athletes with mental health 11
concerns; and 12
WHEREAS, Many communities lack sufficient fields and 13
facilities to accommodate sports programming and public and 14
private investment is needed to ensure more young people have 15
access to spaces to play; and 16
WHEREAS, Less traditional emerging sports such as ultimate 17
frisbee, pickleball, flag football, roller derby, mountain 18
biking, parkour, lacrosse, and martial arts provide valuable 19
opportunities for youth development and should be promoted 20
alongside mainstream sports; and 21
WHEREAS, Adaptive sports are an opportunity for youth with 22
disabilities to participate in and experience sports; and23
WHEREAS, All youth should be able to enjoy sports as a 24
joyful and social experience; 25
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the state of Washington 26
recognizes the transformative benefits of youth sports 27
opportunities; and 28
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the state promotes inclusive, 29
affordable, and high quality sports programs and seeks to 30
address disparities in access to organized sports, particularly 31
for marginalized youth, to ensure widespread participation 32
statewide; and 33
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the state recognizes the value 34
of trained coaches and athletic staff to ensure all young 35
athletes are safe and feel welcomed and supported and supports 36
injury prevention and safety education for adults involved in 37
youth athletics; and 38
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the state promotes 1
nontraditional emerging sports as opportunities for more youth 2
to be involved in athletics; and 3
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington state Senate 4
celebrate youth sports initiatives as a means of supporting the 5
well-being of youth in Washington state. 6
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 7
do hereby certify that this is a true and 8
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8664, 9
adopted by the Senate 10
January 26, 2026 11
SARAH BANNISTER 12
Secretary of the Senate 13
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