Celebrating the Transformative Power of Youth Sports 

All kids deserve a fun, safe place to play where they feel like they belong. Yet the average child drops out of youth sports by age 11, often because the sport doesn’t feel fun anymore — or because the options are too expensive for their family. As a result, these kids miss out on the lifelong benefits of sports. 

Research shows that when children play sports, they increase their chances to grow healthy, feel good about themselves, build friendships, develop skills like teamwork, kindness, and respect, and are more likely to succeed in school and their future careers. When parents enroll their children in park and recreation-sponsored youth sports, we set them up for success.

At the Park District of Highland Park, we want ALL children — no matter their ability, age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, family income, or interests — to feel welcome in our programs. That’s why we offer affordable, FUN options for sports and play that help our community’s children thrive. The Park District believes everyone in Highwood and Highland Park should have access to Park District programs regardless of their family’s situation. The Park District, in partnership with the Parks Foundation of Highland Park, offers a variety of scholarship opportunities.

• While we teach kids how to play sports like baseball and gymnastics, we ensure they have fun while learning and playing.
• Because our programs are in our community, families save time and money since they don’t have to travel far for their child’s sports!
• Our coaches are invested in our kids’ success because they are caring adults from our community who are passionate about sports and coaching.

Imagine your child’s joyful laugh while making a basket, splashing in the pool, or twirling on the ice. When we enroll our children in park and recreation programs, we ALL win.