The Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys provide many incredible opportunities for children to recreate. But access to these activities is not always equitable. Only 15% of Latino youth surveyed in the region receive 60 minutes of physical activity daily, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That’s nearly half the percentage of white children (27%). White youth are six times more likely to participate in alpine skiing than Latino youth. Large participation gaps also exist in rock climbing, mountain biking, paddleboarding, archery, horseback riding and hiking, according to the Aspen Institute’s recently published “ State of Play Colorado: Aspen to Parachute” report .
Cost, transportation, equipment, communication barriers and family priorities are reasons for the major differences. There isn’t one simple solution to help more Latino children enjoy the physical, social, emotional and academic benefits that come from sports and exercise. It’s a challenge nationally as well.
Between 2017 and 2022, organized sports participation for Latino kids in the U.S. dropped from 50% to 42%, the largest decrease among racial and ethnic groups.
Still, the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys could tap into a powerful tool to address the issue — soccer. About 4 in 10 Latino children surveyed locally said they regularly play soccer, far more than other sports and more frequently than white youth (19%). What if local community leaders used soccer .
