At Project Play SEMI, we encourage free play! Play is important not only for the social and emotional development of our children, but also in the promotion of lifelong sport participation. Project Play WNY developed the Free Play deck of cards to bring back some of the great street and backyard games of the 1970s and 1980s. Feel free to use these cards to encourage free play!
Archives: Resources
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Free Play
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Playworks Play At Home Program
Play is more important than ever right now. That’s why Playworks, the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children’s social and emotional health, wants to share their expertise to help keep kids engaged during this time. With their Play At Home program, families and teachers can find resources, game ideas, and more.
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Parent Checklist
Special thanks to Target, a Project Play 2020 member, for supporting development of the Project Play Parent Checklists.
These concepts largely come from the Aspen Institute’s seminal report, Sport for All, Play for Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game, which developed its framework from 300+ thought leaders. Additional experts and resources were consulted in developing the checklists: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, USA Hockey, U.S. Lacrosse, University of Minnesota, Playworks, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, SHAPE America and Whole Child Sports.
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Good Sports
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How to Coach Kids
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SportPort – Equipment Sharing for All
SportPort – is a new equipment sharing pilot program that will provide kids with free and accessible sports equipment.
Trained coaches offer games, activities and healthy snacks to children between the ages of 5-13 in neighborhoods, parks, churches, and schools. Not enough children are given the chance to participate in sports. Our goal is to make sure every child – regardless of location, income, or ability – has the opportunity to get in the game.
There are a number of reasons for your child to sample a variety of sports. They can discover the joy of playing a new sport or learn to play a variety of sports, which will help them develop new athletic skills and, overtime, can help prevent injuries and the burnout that can come from playing just a single sport continuously.
SportPort Lending Locations
We currently have 15 community partners across southeast Michigan that allow youth, families, parents, guardians and caregivers to borrow sports equipment, like just as easy as borrowing a book from the library.
Your family and children can access this equipment at the following locations:
Washtenaw County
Community Family Life Centers
1375 S. Harris Road
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198
Willie Powell, Founder & Executive Director
(734) 961-7058
[email protected]Washtenaw County
5 Healthy Towns Foundation
14800 E Old US 12
Chelsea, Michigan 48118
Matt Pegouski, Project Manager
(734) 433-4599
[email protected]Oakland County
Pontiac Public Library
60 East Pike Street
Pontiac, Michigan 48342
Josh Campeau, Teen Services Librarian
(248) 758-3942
[email protected]
Oakland County
City of Ferndale Parks & Recreation Department
1201 Livernois Street
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
Lisa Bryant, Deputy Director
(248) 544-6767 ext. 518
[email protected]Oakland County
City of Hazel Park Recreation Department
620 W. Woodward Heights
Hazel Park, Michigan 48030
Sareen Papakhian, Director of Recreation
(248) 547-5535
[email protected]Livingston County
Pinckney Community Public Library
125 Putnam Street
Pinckney, Michigan 48169
Hope Siasoco, Library Director
(734) 878-3888
[email protected]
Livingston County
Hartland’s Cromaine Library
3688 N. Hartland Road
Hartland, Michigan 48353
Marta-Kate Jackson, Youth & Teen Services Manager
(810) 632-5200 ext. 114
[email protected]St. Clair County
City of Port Huron Parks & Recreation
2829 Armour St. Port Huron, Michigan 48060
Emily May, Recreation Coordinator
(810) 984-9712
[email protected]St. Clair County
Marysville Community Center
867 E. Huron Blvd.
Marysville, Michigan 48040
Stefanie Schneider, Recreation Coordinator
(810) 455-1302
[email protected]
Macomb County
Greater Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church – 87 Robertson, Mt. Clemens, Michigan 48043
Tommy Barnes, Program Director, SportPort Mt. Clemens
Karl Haye, Program Director, SportPort Mt. Clemens
(586) 738-0055
[email protected]Monroe County
Monroe County Opportunity Program
1140 S. Telegraph Road
Monroe, Michigan 48161
Stefanie Zorn Kasprzak, Executive Director
(734) 241-2775 ext. 206
[email protected]Wayne County
Northend Christian Community Development Corporation
Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
9227 Goodwin, Detroit, Michigan 48211
Natosha Tallman, Program Director
(248) 607-8381
[email protected]
Wayne County
Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan
Fauver-Martin Club
24 Ferris Street, Highland Park, Michigan 48203
Carrie Young, Club Director
(313) 868-8450
[email protected]Wayne County
Brightmoor Alliance
17421 Telegraph Road
Detroit, Michigan 48219
Larry Simmons, Executive Director
(313) 766-6041
[email protected]Wayne County
City of Wyandotte
3200 Biddle Avenue
Wyandotte, Michigan 48192
Justin Lanagan, Superintendent of Recreation
(734) 324-7100
[email protected]Ready to change the lives of our youth for the better?
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The Healthy Sport Index
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Active For Life
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Classroom Champions
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Nick