The Epidemic of Play Deprivation
Dr. Julie McCleery, director of research-practice partnerships and a research associate and lecturer in the Center for Leadership in Athletics (CLA), was quoted in an article featured in the July 2021 issue of ParentMap magazine. In "The Epidemic of Play Deprivation," Dr. McCleery spoke about the connection between physical activity and developmental growth in children. She also shares findings from State of Play: Seattle-King County, a 2019 report co-produced by the CLA and the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program that shows that fewer than 19 percent of King County's kids were getting the CDC-recommended amount of physical activity before the pandemic. Dr. McCleery estimates that during the last year and a half that number has likely been close to 10 percent. Coming out of the pandemic, she argues, kids will need the opportunity for free play and physical activity to heal from the trauma they experienced and to propel their physical and mental resilience.