Fields & Futures

PROJECT PURPOSE

This project will enhance and expand upon plans pre-established by the City of Oklahoma City to construct indoor/outdoor multi-sport complexes at C.B. Cameron Park, South Lakes Park, and Wendel Whisenhunt Park. This project?s purpose is to implement an eligible use strategy to address the pandemic-exacerbated negative mental health outcomes, loss of instructional time, and educational disparities experienced by Oklahoma children. Participation in organized youth sport has been consistently associated with positive outcomes in physical and mental health, education, and employment. Recognizing the power of sport, the United Nations have called for all States to include sport and physical activity in their recovery plans and to integrate them into strategies for sustainable development. The ARPA investment will supplement the funding needed for the indoor facilities that includes meeting spaces/classrooms, restrooms/showers, indoor sport fields/courts and outdoor features like all-weather sport fields, lighting, and playground. This infrastructure is critical to provide access to the quality facilities youth across Oklahoma City deserve to address their negative mental health outcomes, while also helping Oklahoma?s pandemic-related economic recovery efforts. Creation of these complexes and their use as youth regional tournament and league play destinations, is conservatively estimated to have a $16 million annual economic impact.

EVIDENCE

Participation in organized youth sport has been consistently associated with outcomes in health, education, and employment. Studies have identified the following benefits, compared to non-participants: lower rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide; higher rates of school attendance, graduation, psychological resilience, and well-being. Not surprisingly then, participants have also been found to earn a higher income as adults. See supplementary documents for references. Analysis by Temple University Sports Research Center shows an OKC multi-sport complex would have an estimated annual economic impact of $16,000,000. The full economic impact study is provided in the supplemental documents.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Oklahoma County?s population under 19 years is 221,909, representing 20.7% of all Oklahoma children, of which 25% live in poverty. According to the Treasury?s Final Rule Summary, while many households suffered negative economic impacts, households with low incomes were impacted in disproportionate and exceptional ways. These families not only were more likely to experience economic hardship, but without sufficient access to safe indoor/outdoor public facilities and affordable childcare programming, they also experienced higher levels of social isolation, stress, and other negative mental health outcomes. These factors have further exacerbated the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) of Oklahoma children. According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OPNA Report, see supplementary documents), for youth the pandemic has worsened mental health outcomes like moderate/high psychological distress and suicide attempts; increased risk factors like low commitment to school and family conflict; and reduced protective factors like having a trusted adult to ask for help and opportunities for prosocial involvement. Overall, 39.7% of Oklahoma students are at high risk. This project will build the public facilities needed to not only prepare and prevent these negative effects in the future, but also mitigate the mental health and economic harm already experienced.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The project?s performance can be measured by completing the project on time and within budget with the outcomes of improved equity in access to youth programs. Data to be collected will include the required programmatic data for Infrastructure Projects and Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities listed in the Compliance and Reporting Guidance for SLFRF and by monitoring the completion of construction milestones by time and budget. Fields and Futures employs Dr. Amanda Templeton, who is an expert in federal financial compliance and program evaluation and will be responsible for establishing and overseeing data collection processes and reporting.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma