Families score winning opportunities at CLC spring sports signup event

January 24, 2025

More Lincoln Public Schools students will be hitting home runs in life through their involvement with youth sports activities.
 
Lincoln Community Learning Centers (CLC) and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) have teamed up to increase awareness of youth sports opportunities. They co-hosted a spring sports signup event in January that attracted many families from across the city. They are planning to offer future signup sessions throughout the year.
 
Lincoln CLC Curriculum Specialist Kristi Chambers said the chance to work with LLCHD on the youth sports initiative has been a win-win for everyone involved. The two agencies have shared resources and data about youth sports in the city – helping Lincoln CLC eliminate potential participation roadblocks for families.
 
“Our work with sports equity really revolves around reaching out to the sports community and making connections to try to find ways to reduce the barriers for kids to participate,” Chambers said. “The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has helped us expand those partnerships. They have a broad reach and expertise in health promotion, so they have been able to expand the groups that we are working with and help us find new ways to partner.”
 
LLCHD Public Health Education Supervisor Angelina Stovall-Amos said she was also excited about the cooperative effort to highlight youth sports. LLCHD has included affordable youth sports in its community health improvement plan (CHIP). The agency has set a goal of lowering chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease through these types of community activities.

LPS has also identified student wellbeing as one of the pillars of its 2024-29 strategic plan. The LPS Athletics and Activities Department has launched a Get Involved! campaign that promotes student participation in extracurricular activities.
 
“Our community partners are already doing amazing work to increase access to youth sports, but many efforts are happening in silos,” Stovall-Amos said. “This initiative brings partners together to maximize impact and create greater awareness.”
 
Lincoln parent Pamila Manon was excited to bring her children to the spring sports signup. Her daughter attends kindergarten classes at Belmont Elementary School and her son is enrolled in courses at Goodrich Middle School. Both were happy when Manon learned about the event that morning.
 
“I saw the paper, so I take it and I showed it to my kids and said, ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’” Manon said. “What fun for them!”
 
Manon and her children visited tables that featured many CLC, city and club sports organizations. Families could sign up for multiple activities such as track and field, soccer, wrestling, swimming, baseball and softball. Language interpreters were also available to assist parents and students.
 
Chambers said the partnership with LLCHD helped the spring sports signup flourish throughout the night. A total of 28 families and 56 students came to Culler Middle School to learn about each activity. Many people heard about the event through print media, social media and other informational avenues.
 
“The promotion of our work, and especially with this spring sports signup event, has been immensely enhanced by accessing their already-developed network and connections,” Chambers said. “Additionally, the data that they have around kids’ health and the work they did to create a community health improvement plan lends credibility to the project as a whole.”
 
Lincoln CLC is diving headfirst into helping students learn life lessons through youth sports. More than 70 fourth and fifth graders from Arnold, Belmont, Huntington, Lakeview, Norwood Park and Riley began playing in a CLC basketball league last year. Dozens of students also enjoyed running up and down soccer fields in 2023-24.
 
Chambers said it has been encouraging to watch the CLC basketball and soccer leagues enjoy successful launches. The organization has expanded both sports to all 20 CLC elementary schools this year.
 
Additional youth sports are on the CLC horizon. Lincoln CLC is preparing to pilot a volleyball league beginning Jan. 27. Students at Arnold, Campbell, Clinton, Everett, Holmes, Huntington, McPhee and West Lincoln will dig up volleyball experiences through March 5. CLC leaders are hoping to set up volleyball opportunities at more elementary schools in 2025-26.
 
Lincoln CLC is exploring the possibility of starting youth flag football leagues for both girls and boys. Chambers said the organization is also studying how to connect CLC students with baseball and softball opportunities this summer.
 
“We are always looking for ways we can expand what we are doing while maintaining a high-quality experience for kids,” Chambers said. “We would welcome folks who have ideas and would like to work with us on this mission to reach out!”
 
Families who were unable to attend the spring sports signup can still include their children in CLC activities. Manon said she is glad the local partnership is creating winning results for Lincoln CLC families.
 
“Thank you for this event,” Manon said.
 
Visit clc.lps.org to find your school’s Lincoln Community Learning Centers site coordinator for more signup dates or learn about the many educational opportunities our CLCs provide students.
 
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