US President Donald Trump is promoting an initiative to reverse a trend of fewer children participating in sports and make youth sports more accessible to economically disadvantaged students.
The White House is promoting the goals of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, and yesterday was to hold a field day with the president on the South Lawn. Trump was expected to join athletes at stations that include flag football, baseball, volleyball, golf, soccer and track and field.
Trump in February issued an executive order refocusing the council on youth sports as opposed to former US president Barack Obama’s emphasis on fitness and healthy eating.
Trump has sought to work with groups in the public and private sectors to address declining participation in youth sports.
Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, said that the Aspen Institute found that 37 percent of children played team sports on a regular basis in 2016, down from nearly 45 percent in 2008.
Participation lags disproportionately among young girls and children who live in economically distressed areas, she told reporters in a conference call ahead of the event.
Many high schools have “pay to play” policies requiring students to pay a fee to join a school sports team, making it difficult for families to afford after-school sports, she added.
“We must break down barriers to youth sports participation and empower each child to reach his or her full potential through sport and play,” Ivanka Trump said, adding that by the time girls reach age 14, they drop out of athletics at two times the rate of boys.
Participants at the event were to include actor Lou Ferrigno, who befriended Trump on Celebrity Apprentice; former New York Yankees players Johnny Damon and Mariano Rivera; former football star Herschel Walker; beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor; and professional golfer Natalie Gulbis.
The council was established in 1956 by then-US president Dwight Eisenhower to promote youth fitness and sports. Each president has often placed his own stamp on the council and its priorities.
Trump’s administration plans to create a national strategy to promote youth participation in sports and set the stage for a series of events that are to culminate around the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Trump has bragged about his athletic abilities, telling the Wall Street Journal in a January interview: “I was always the best athlete. People don’t know that.”
His White House doctor said earlier this year that Trump acknowledged he would be healthier if he lost some weight by exercising more and eating better.
Ronny Jackson, who has since left that post, told reporters that he would arrange for a dietitian to consult with the White House chef and recommend a low-impact, aerobic exercise program for Trump.
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