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- Town of Chapel Hill Endorses Children's Bill of Rights in Sports
Town of Chapel Hill Endorses Children's Bill of Rights in Sports
W|W DL 61
Number 61
Town of Chapel Hill Endorses Children's Bill of Rights in Sports
Featured Focus:
Youth Development, Access / Inclusion / Equality, Governance & Ethics
Scope of Impact: Local
The Town of Chapel Hill is stepping up for young athletes, endorsing the Aspen Institute’s Children's Bill of Rights in Sports, which was developed in 2021. This move signals a commitment to ensuring youth sports prioritize well-being alongside competition. Here’s the breakdown:
The Initiative: After her daughter suffered a major swimming injury from muscle overuse, a local parent advocated for the Town of Chapel Hill to adopt the Aspen Institute's framework, which is designed to foster positive, safe, and developmentally-sound sports environments that prioritize wellbeing over winning.
Core Principles: The Bill outlines eight fundamental rights, including the right to play, safe environments, qualified leaders, age-appropriate activities, having a voice, equal growth opportunities, dignity, and enjoyment. It's about treating kids as kids first, athletes second.
Local Action: The Town's Parks and Recreation department is integrating these rights into coach training, parent resources, programming, and facility signage, aiming to shift the local sports culture towards a more child-centered approach.
Chapel Hill's endorsement of the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports is a major step toward rebalancing the hyper-competitive nature of youth sports in our culture. But what makes this even more significant is that it’s happening at the doorstep of two NCAA powerhouses: Duke and UNC.
We admire the tenacity of Chapel Hill’s Town Council, and their Parks and Recreation Leadership, to stand up for what they believe that all local youth athletes deserve: the right to safety, dignity, and age-appropriate experiences. It’s a great example of the link between sports and fundamental human rights, which is something we often see echoed in international forums like the Olympics, but much less frequently at the local youth level.
YOUR NEXT PLAY:
The eight core principles outlined in the bill aren’t just about access to participation — they’re about the quality of that participation, too. Where can you find opportunities to infuse these principles into your own programs or initiatives, whether with your fans, your audiences, or even your internal team?
Official website for the city’s sports and recreation leagues, facilities, and staff. | The Aspen Institute’s Project Play created the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports in 2021. | The cycling nonprofit, which helps more kids safely ride bikes, also recently adopted the bill. |
An academic article exploring how human rights conversations and integration in youth sports can lead to greater overall understanding and empathy. | Both the Aspen Institute’s framework, and Norway’s Bill of Rights, which was drafted in 1987, take a child-centered approach. | A comprehensive list of the organizations, grantmakers, policymakers, local governments, leagues, and more who support the framework. |
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