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Dear Friends,
As the former director of Montgomery County’s Recreation Department, I have witnessed first-hand the rich sports tradition in Montgomery County and recognize the significant role sports play in enhancing quality of life for our youth.
That’s why I was thrilled to introduce Bill 6-22, which will establish a 23-member Montgomery County Sports Commission, staffed by the Department of Recreation, to study sports participation and opportunities in the County, make recommendations to the County Executive and the Council and recognize local outstanding teams and athletes in the County.
This bill emerged after an Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) analysis of youth sports participation in Montgomery County found wide discrepancies in sports participation, particularly related to socioeconomic factors. It also confirmed that, collectively, sports participation is the largest extracurricular activity participated by children and youth.
Despite our residents’ high levels of participation in sports, there is no entity in the County that conducts sports-related research, advocates for enhanced sports opportunities, or identifies and addresses discrepancies in youth sports.
The creation of a Montgomery County Sports Commission will allow us to create and sustain sports programs that are of interest to our youth and families and ensure that these programs are reaching residents in every corner of the County, regardless of race, gender, age or background.
 This week, Councilmember Hans Riemer and I also introduced a special appropriation to expand sports leagues for girls and young women in our County. The $100,000 special appropriation comes in response to a recent OLO report that assessed gender equity in sports programs in the County. The report found that the Recreation Department’s youth and adult sports leagues serve more boys and men than girls and women, among other related findings.
This funding will help make certain we are providing myriad opportunities to girls and young women who love sports and want to partake in sports programs and activities.
The Council will continue to make an active effort to put forth legislation and funding to advance equity in sports at the local level and expand access to sports and recreational activities for girls, women, LGBTQ+ individuals and residents of diverse backgrounds from across the County.
Sincerely,
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