It’s Play #1 in the Project Play framework: Ask Kids What They Want. The following youth profiles come from the Aspen Institute’s State of Play Baton Rouge report. The report assesses the opportunities and barriers for more children to access sports and physical activity in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Daniel Watson, 14

Daniel couldn’t understand why East Baton Rouge Public Schools had no middle school baseball like other school districts. Sure, Daniel played travel baseball, but his friends did not, and he wanted to play with them.

So as a seventh grader at CSAL Charter Middle School in November 2022, Daniel sent an email to EBR Schools board members requesting they add baseball in middle schools.

“Several of my friends across the district have told me of their interest in playing,” Daniel wrote. “Neighboring school districts (private and public) have middle school baseball, but when I asked why this wasn’t true for EBR Schools, I was informed that there wasn’t enough interest in baseball for the district to implement at the middle school level. I honestly don’t believe this is true. This past summer, BREC offered 10U, 12U and 14U summer baseball. … The parks were filled every game night with players and their families.”

Nothing changed. Daniel wrote again in February 2023 after new school board members were elected.

“Having the option to play for their school would allow for students to play the game without the burden of paying hundreds of dollars,” he wrote. “Playing travel baseball with a team in a neighboring city has been fun but I would love to have the experience of playing baseball with my friends at my school and those in EBR.”

Still nothing. With his middle school years almost over, Daniel tried with greater urgency one last time in November 2023.

“Last school year I reached out to board members requesting middle school baseball. That request wasn’t granted, and I will be honest, I was a little upset and gave up trying,” Daniel wrote. “Even though this is my last year of middle school, I still believe that our district would benefit from having middle school baseball. So once again on behalf of my peers and myself, please allow middle school baseball for the Spring of 2024.”

This email struck a chord and went viral on social media. A school board member asked the superintendent at a meeting if he would commit to add baseball. He agreed.

Christina Anderson, then the athletic director at EBR Schools, met with Daniel to plan the season on short notice. Daniel came with a one-page plan on how to organize it. Anderson had to push schools to add a new sport, which was a challenge because of their limited staffing capacity. The goal was simply to find a way to do it, generate momentum and grow the expectations later.

Ten EBR middle schools played an abbreviated three-week baseball season in spring 2024 that included playoffs. At Daniel’s school, cuts were made because so many students tried out. Skill levels ran the spectrum. But middle school baseball is here to stay, even as Daniel moved to high school at Madison Prep Academy.

“It’s nothing short of amazing what that kid did,” said Kirk Pelichet, Daniel’s middle school coach. “That kid was determined.”

Jeremy Mitchell, 16

It’s so often repeated inaccurately that it’s taken as gospel: If a child wants to play sports at a high level, they must focus on one sport, clock in 10,000 hours of practice and join club leagues. But Jeremy, a junior at Episcopal High School, seems to live on a different frequency — one where the noise of these youth sports dictums barely reaches him. He seems unbothered by the notion that his success depends on following a rigid blueprint.

Instead, Jeremy floats across seasons, playing football, basketball and track — learning skills from one sport that make him better at the others. He also harbors a love for science and architecture. He wants to play college basketball but would be as delighted blending his passions into a future in construction engineering.

Tall and quick, Jeremy only started playing football in spring 2024, and while others might feel pressure to catch up, he’s realistic. “I’m second string,” he said. “I’m fine with it. I’m having fun.”

Joy — that’s what drives him. Jeremy loves to move, whether it’s jumping and running on the football field or playing piano.

His father, Harry Mitchell, was the first to teach him basketball. A former high school player himself, Harry didn’t have the same support growing up, and he made sure to be there for his son so he felt supported.

When he was younger, Jeremy practiced on a small court across the street from the family’s house, putting in time by himself nearly every day. He dreamed of becoming a shooting guard, the same position he now plays for Episcopal. He was fortunate to have a court close by. Not every child in Baton Rouge has access to parks within walking distance.

Unlike many of his peers, Jeremy never joined a club team. There wasn’t time. He has always played multiple sports, such as track and field, which became part of his routine in eighth grade. At 6 foot 1, Jeremy discovered he had a knack for the high jump. Now he is branching out to new sports.

Episcopal’s football coaches encouraged him to give it a try, and though he didn’t expect to start right away, he’s now playing his first full season as a wide receiver.

Basketball remains his main focus, but it hasn’t always been easy. Jeremy said his freshman-year coach criticized the players and their skills, and Jeremy’s confidence took a hit. The coach was replaced.

“I lost faith in myself,” Jeremy said, reflecting on that time. “But sophomore year, the new coach was way more encouraging. That made me work harder, made me unafraid to take shots. Now, I’m playing varsity.”

Jeremy hopes more kids get a chance to play sports. He believes many children are too afraid to try, thinking they’re not good enough. He also thinks schools could do a better job of showing kids the opportunities available to them.

“Some kids might need something else first — something to build their confidence — before they feel ready to play sports,” he said.

Faye Buco, 14

Faye held up her fingers to show their wear and tear. They’re her craft — critical body parts that determine if her afternoon as a soccer goalie with the Baton Rouge Soccer Club is successful. She has broken her pinky too many times to count and expects to feel the residual effects when she gets older.

“My fingers are just done,” Faye said, laughing. “My pinky gets the worst of it. I already know I’m going to have bad arthritis. I crack my fingers a lot, too.”

She started soccer at age 3 when coached by her dad. Later, she also participated in softball and dance before deciding to focus on competitive soccer.

Soccer can be stressful, especially the buildup to games the day before. “Not to the point that I can’t do it, but it just puts me on edge,” she said. “I don’t want to screw up. I’m the keeper.”

Winning is important to Faye. If her team loses, she feels sad and doesn’t like people talking to her for the rest of the day. But on-field success isn’t the main reason she plays. She’s not aiming to play in college after she’s done at University Laboratory School, because she doesn’t want the stress of juggling sports and everything else in college life.

Faye likes being active. She enjoys hanging out with friends from her team. That’s in part why she joined a new club soccer team in 2024 — more of her friends play on the team. Faye said she is grateful to have supportive parents. If she has a bad game, they tell her it’s OK and at least she tried.

“Last year we had games with some parents who were very vocal to the children on the sideline. It was rowdy,” Faye said. “Sometimes it would be the other teams’ parents, and we would laugh a little. When it was our parents, we’re like, ‘Eh, OK, you can quiet down. We don’t really need this right now.’”

Faye’s coach once suggested the team should play a weekend tournament in which no parents are allowed. “I think there would be value,” Faye said.

In Faye’s mind, the best coaches are very engaged with their athletes — they challenge players appropriately, instruct them on how to improve, and become invested in their success. “A bad coach can’t get a word across and can’t have a message understood,” she said. “I had a coach once who decided we should decide what we’re doing wrong in games, but he never really spoke, so when we were getting beaten badly, he wouldn’t say what we need to improve.”

Improving skills is important to Faye, who basically lives soccer almost every day. Goalie practices are twice a week for one hour, followed by the team practice for 90 minutes. Fridays are often travel days and weekends are games.

“My only free day is Tuesday,” she said, “and I don’t want to do anything on Tuesday.”

Jon Solomon is Community Impact Director of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative. Jon can be reached at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.