From a School Gym to Capitol Hill and Back Again

December 30, 2025
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Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to testify before Congress about the state of youth sports in America. It was an honor, and it came with a real sense of responsibility. Sitting in that room, I was acutely aware that I was carrying far more than my own perspective. I was there to represent not only the 2-4-1 team, but also the many practitioners, educators, and organizations doing this work every day in schools and communities, along with Kerry, whose fingerprints were all over the testimony.

The hearing, “Benched: The Crisis in American Youth Sports and Its Cost to Our Future,” was convened by a House subcommittee chaired by the office of Rep. Kevin Kiley. I was grateful to be part of a thoughtful panel alongside Tom Farrey, John O’Sullivan, and Katherine Van Dyck, each of whom brought important and complementary perspectives to the conversation.

The opportunity to be in that room, and to ensure that voices from the field were represented clearly and responsibly, was supported by partners who understand how policy, practice, and relationships intersect. I am grateful to The Dionne Company for their guidance in navigating the process leading up to the hearing and helping elevate practitioner voices within a national conversation.

National conversations matter. Policy matters. Funding matters. And it matters deeply that decision-makers hear directly from those closest to the work. Youth sports do not exist in a vacuum, and neither do the challenges facing kids today.

The very next day after the hearing, I was back where I am most comfortable and spend much of my time. In a school gym. Sneakers squeaking, kids laughing, and real learning happening through movement and play. The contrast between those two days stayed with me, not because they felt disconnected, but because they reinforced how essential it is that top-down leadership and bottom-up practice stay aligned.

That alignment is where real change happens.

Watching the full hearing

You can watch the full congressional hearing here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/2poF95Rcth8

If you would like to jump directly to my testimony and exchanges, you can use the links below:

Hearing the full conversation is important. Across party lines, there was shared recognition that youth sports are under strain, not because kids lack interest, but because access has narrowed and too many systems have become adult-centered rather than child-centered.

Carrying local voices into a national conversation

Going into the hearing, I felt a strong responsibility to lift up what is working in real places. The coaches opening school buildings before the bell. The educators and mentors showing up after dismissal. The programs using sport not just to teach skills, but to help kids regulate emotions, build confidence, and feel connected.

Those experiences do not always make their way into policy discussions, but they should. One of the most encouraging parts of the day was the genuine interest from members of Congress and staff in understanding what practitioners are seeing and how national leadership might better support local solutions.

Coverage and written testimony

USA Today published a piece by Steve Borelli that captures the broader context of the hearing and the urgency of the moment:
Link to USA Today article

You can also read my full written testimony here:
Link to written testimony

The written testimony reflects what I shared in Washington, but it is also shaped by what we see every day. When kids have consistent access to play-based sports in familiar settings, especially before and after the school day, the impact goes far beyond physical activity. Sports become a place where kids practice managing frustration, navigating conflict, and moving from how they feel to how they want to feel.

Washington one day, boots on the ground the next

After the hearing, I shared a brief reflection on LinkedIn about moving from Washington one day to a school gym the next. That rhythm is not accidental. It is the reality of this work.

National conversations are only meaningful if they stay connected to real places and real people. And local work is stronger when it is informed by broader systems thinking. One without the other falls short.

As we move into a new year, I am optimistic. Not because the challenges are small, but because there is growing alignment around what kids actually need. More access. More play. More opportunities for sports to be designed around children rather than pipelines.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out, watched the hearing, shared the coverage, or continues to show up for kids every day. This work is collective, and it only moves forward when leadership at every level stays connected to the people and places where it matters most.

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About Steve Boyle

Steve Boyle is a connector, collaborator, and tireless advocate for making youth sports more playful, inclusive, and developmentally sound. As Executive Director of 2-4-1 CARE, Inc. and Co-Founder of 2-4-1 Sports, Steve has helped lead a growing movement to reshape the youth sports experience—one that puts the joy of play and the whole child at the center. Grounded in his background as a school counselor and coach, Steve co-created the award-winning TOP Self™ platform, which uses sport as a vehicle for social-emotional learning. Under his collaborative leadership, 2-4-1 has grown from a single program in West Hartford, Connecticut to a global nonprofit impacting communities across North America and Africa. Steve’s influence extends beyond his own organization. He served as Advisory Board Chair for the National Association of Physical Literacy and as Global Lead for Athletics and Physical Literacy at Whittle School & Studios, shaping programming in Washington, D.C. and Shenzhen. Whether working with local partners or global networks, Steve brings humility, heart, and a belief in the power of teamwork to everything he does.

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