{"id":27360,"date":"2025-04-10T13:16:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T17:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/?post_type=press-releases&p=27360"},"modified":"2025-04-10T13:16:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T17:16:44","slug":"sens-ossoff-young-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-boost-youth-sports-opportunities-for-georgia-kids-2","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/sens-ossoff-young-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-boost-youth-sports-opportunities-for-georgia-kids-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Sens. Ossoff, Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Youth Sports Opportunities for Georgia Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bipartisan legislation would expand youth sports facilities & support student mental health<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington D.C.<\/strong> \u2014 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing bipartisan legislation to build more sports facilities for Georgia kids and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, Sens. Ossoff and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em> to help build and upgrade sports facilities across Georgia, giving kids and families safe spaces to play while also supporting student mental health and boosting economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan legislation would make youth sports facilities eligible for grants through the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s Economic Development Administration (EDA), giving educational agencies, local governments, and nonprofits more funding opportunities to create and upgrade sports facilities while growing local economies at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan bill would also give preference to rural communities and projects that aim to create new sports facilities in low-income and underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeorgia families deserve modern and safe sports facilities where their kids can play, grow, and thrive,\u201d Sen. Ossoff said.<\/strong> \u201cThis bipartisan bill will help Georgia communities expand youth sports facilities, strengthen local economies, and foster mental and physical health for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYouth sports play a vital role in promoting healthy lifestyles from an early age while teaching essential life skills like teamwork and discipline. This bill would empower communities to use existing grant resources to improve youth sports facilities for children living in areas of need, encouraging greater youth sports participation across the nation,\u201dsaid Senator Young.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The companion bill is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02) and Marc Veasey (D-TX-33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em> is a bipartisan solution designed to bring communities together, create economic opportunity, and improve the physical and mental well-being of students across the nation,\u201d said<\/strong> Congressman Bill Huizenga.<\/strong> \u201cFor too long, an area code has determined whether students could have access to facilities or resources necessary to participate and compete. I am proud to champion the Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em> because it opens the doors for communities across Michigan and around the country to create new opportunities for children to develop critical skills, enhance local tourism, and foster small business growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYouth development is about more than academics\u2014it\u2019s about access to safe spaces where kids can play, grow, and thrive,\u201d said Rep. Veasey, Co-chair of the Youth Sports Caucus.<\/strong>\u201cThis bill empowers states like Texas to invest in the sports and recreation facilities our communities need. By unlocking EDA funding, the Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em> gives underserved areas the tools to build healthier futures and stronger local economies. I\u2019m proud to work with my colleagues to make this long-overdue investment in our kids and neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan bill is endorsed by the YMCA of the USA, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), and Pop Warner Little Scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs the leading nonprofit provider of youth sports programs, YMCA of the USA supports the Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em>. Youth sports facilities often lead to growth in local economies as families attend sporting events, support local business, hotels and restaurants. Youth sports programs create a space for families and the community to belong, improve health outcomes and strengthen the fabric of the economy and the community,\u201d said Jeffrey Britt, Chief Government Affairs Officer, YMCA of the USA.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToo many children are sidelined by limited access to sports and fitness facilities\u2014denying them the physical, mental, and social benefits that come with playing sports and living healthy, active lifestyles,\u201d said Todd Smith, President & CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). <\/strong>\u201cWith the United States set to host a historic decade of global sporting events, we must prioritize youth participation in sports and fitness and ensure all children have the opportunity to play, grow, and thrive. SFIA thanks Senator Ossoff, Senator Young, Congressmen Huizenga, and Congressman Veasey for reintroducing this bill and proudly endorses the Youth Sports Facilities Act<\/em> as a crucial investment in our communities – one that leverages existing federal resources, without increasing spending, to help cultivate the next generation of healthy, active, socially connected youth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause we see firsthand the role sports can play in shaping young people and growingcommunities, Pop Warner fully supports the re-introduction of the Youth Sports Facilities<\/em>Act<\/em>. By expanding the Economic Development Assistance grant program to includeinvestments in youth sports facilities, this bill will ensure every community has the resources it needs to create safe and accessible sports environments. We urge you to pass this bill, investing in our children\u2019s futures and in the well-being of our communities,\u201d said Steve Strawbridge, President & CEO, Pop Warner Little Scholars.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Ossoff continues working to support the health of Georgia\u2019s children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last November, Sen. Ossoff delivered<\/a> over 1.7 million through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act<\/em> to help hire and train more mental health counselors for students in Georgia schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last September, Sen. Ossoff introduced<\/a> the Fresh Food Act of 2024 <\/em>to address food insecurity across Georgia by helping attract more grocery stores to Georgia communities with limited access to fresh foods, and to help support Georgia farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Sen. Ossoff delivered <\/a>$1,205,656 in Federal funding through the Children\u2019s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program to help Egleston Children\u2019s Hospital at Emory University train and retain more pediatric physicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> to read the Youth Sports Facilities Act.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

# # #<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bipartisan legislation would expand youth sports facilities & support student mental health Washington D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing bipartisan legislation to build more sports facilities for Georgia kids and families. This week, Sens. Ossoff and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Youth Sports Facilities Act to help build and upgrade sports facilities across Georgia, giving […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27360","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27362,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27360\/revisions\/27362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}