The Play Ball! Foundation
Growth, Impact and Expansion
!
Table of Contents
Pages
-  The Unmet Need
-  The Playing Field Is Not Level
3–6
7 – 11
•  Boston Versus the Suburbs
-  Play Ball! Gets in the Game
12 – 20
•  Boston Public Middle School Program Data
–  The Pilot Research Study
–  The Expansion Opportunity
21 – 22
23 – 28
•  Boston and Lawrence
–  In Their Own Words
29 – 31
•  Play Ball! Athletes, Coaches, Principals and Parents
2
The Unmet Need
!
3
Background
In the fall of 2009, the only team sports offered by the Boston Public Schools
to its approximately 11,300 middle school students were basketball and track.
These limited offerings stood in stark contrast to the wide variety of
opportunities offered by suburban school systems, which had thriving after
school leagues in multiple sports. Pay-to-play fees were also not an option,
with approximately 78% of Boston Public School students eligible for free or
reduced price lunch.
Michael Harney, Chairman of the Play Ball! Foundation and a graduate of
Georgetown University where he played Division I lacrosse, founded Play
Ball! to provide Boston’s middle school aged youth the chance to receive the
same opportunity and benefit that athletics provided him as a child. “Play
Ball! began with the simple goal of getting more feet on the field year in and
year out.”
4
Why Youth Sports Matter
•  There have been numerous research studies published on the positive
impact of sports and physical activity on youth.
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
Student athletes are 4X more likely to attend college*
Physically active kids have 40% higher test scores**
Student Athletes are 50% less absent than non-athletes***
Student athletes have an 11% higher graduation rate than non-athletes***
Kids who play sports also are more likely to be physically healthy, have stronger
self-esteem, make smart choices and avoid risky behaviors, learn to work as a team
and develop conflict resolution skills, reducing violent behavior***
•  Sports programs are one of the most cost-effective activities that
promote positive youth development, comprising just 1 to 3 percent of
school budgets while engaging 60 – 70% of students***
*U.S. Department of Education
**The Aspen Institute Project Play
***Up2Us Sports
5
Youth Sports Programs Are at Risk
•  $3.5 Billion was cut from school sports budgets from 2009-2011*
•  An estimated 27% of U.S. public high schools will not have ANY sports by 2020*
•  Low income families are 4X more likely to decrease participation in sports due to
costs*
•  In Massachusetts’ 10 poorest communities, participation is 43% below the state average**
•  In Massachusetts’ 10 wealthiest communities, participation is 32% above the state average**
•  The average sports participation in Boston Public High Schools is 20% versus a 103%
participation rate in the state’s 10 wealthiest communities**
•  50% of children stop playing sports by the time they reach adolescence***
•  Pay-to-play fees are now common in over 40% of school districts*
•  There are growing inequities as participation decreases amongst underserved urban
populations in general and particularly for girls*
•  Parents in the poorest communities don’t have the money or time for sports.**
*Up2Us Sports
**Fall 2015 CommonWealth Magazine; Average sports participation statewide for 376 schools was 78%
***Institute for the Study of Youth Sports
6
The Playing Field Is Not Level
!
7
Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch*
To qualify for free or reduced price lunch, a family of four must have an annual
household income of $21,710 or less.
Boston
% of Students
Qualifying for Free/
Reduced Price Lunch
Waltham
Lexington
0%
50%
100%
* This 2009 data provides directional perspective on the household income of the BPS student population versus their
suburban counterparts. In 2013 the Boston Public Schools made the decision to make free lunch available for all BPS
students, regardless of household income, as 78% of students are low income.
8
A Sample of Play Ball! School Demographics*
February 2014
% African American
% Hispanic
Edison K-8
27.6
45.9
Edwards Middle School
16.9
59.9
Higginson/Lewis K-8
52.6
42.1
McCormack Middle School
36.3
41.1
Murphy K-8
24.7
19.6
Ohrenberger Middle School
25.3
51.8
Orchard Gardens K-8
39.7
55.5
*Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
22
9
Comparison to Suburban* Counterparts
BPMS Before
Play Ball!
With Play Ball!
Boys and Girls Basketball
Boys and Girls Track
Baseball
Boys and Girls Basketball
Double Dutch
Football
Boys and Girls Ice Hockey
Boys and Girls Soccer
Boys and Girls Track
Girls Volleyball
Local Suburban School
System*
Baseball
Football
Field Hockey (2 Levels)
Boys Soccer (2 Levels)
Girls Soccer (1 Level)
Boys & Girls Cross Country
Boys and Girls Basketball
Boys and Girls Tennis
Boys and Girls Track
Softball
*Lexington, MA
6
10
Sample of Pay to Play Fees
Consistent with national trends, many communities in the Greater Boston area have cut
funding for sports and started charging fees.
School District
Middle School
High School
Cap Per Family
Framingham
$225
$225
$900
Lexington
$150 Varsity
$125 Jr. Varsity
$75 Intramural
$325
$825 High School/
Middle School
$650 High School
Only
Natick
$225
$225
$400 for hockey
$675
$850 for hockey
Newton
$160
$300 per sport
$400 for hockey/football
$480 for MS
$900 for HS
Quincy
$30
$100
$750
Wellesley
$150
$250
$1,500
11
Play Ball! Gets in the Game
!
12
Mission and Model
Mission
The mission of the Play Ball! Foundation is to create and expand team sports opportunities
for middle school age urban youth in Boston and the greater Boston metro area who are at a
pivotal time of physical and emotional development. Through the experience of team sports,
Play Ball! seeks to inspire young athletes to succeed in school, become engaged in their
school communities and develop life skills that will make them better prepared to enter high
school.
Model
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
The Play Ball! Foundation partners with public school districts to fund team sports
opportunities for underserved populations.
Play Ball!’s privately raised funds go directly into a 501c(3) to secure fields and gyms,
hire and train coaches, and provide transportation, officials, uniforms and equipment.
Play Ball! athletes must maintain a C average, attend practices and games, and meet
behavior standards.
The primary coach for every Play Ball! team is a Boston Public Middle School teacher
or staff member
The unique private/public partnership model is designed for scale, with a goal of
meeting demand in the school community it serves.
13
The Unique Private/Public Partnership
In August 2013, Boston Public Schools
renewed a Memo of Understanding to Play
Ball!, stating they are “on the team” and can
support the Play Ball! League expansion.
14
Growth and Impact
In SY 2014-2015 Play Ball! funded sports opportunities for 1,171
athletes in 22 Boston public middle schools with 57 teams.
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015
# of Play Ball! Student Athletes
15
Play Ball! Schools
Schools
Curley
Edison
Edwards
Eliot
Hernandez
Higginson/Lewis
Irving
Jackson Mann
Lee
Lilla G. Frederick
McCormack
Mildred Ave
Murphy
Ohrenberger
Orchard Gardens
Rogers
Roosevelt
Sara Greenwood
Timilty
Umana
Warren-Prescott
Young Achievers
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Neighborhoods
Allston-Brighton
Charlestown
Dorchester
East Boston
Hyde Park
Jamaica Plain
Mattapan
Roslindale
Roxbury
West Roxbury
*SY 2014-2015
9
16
Breakdown by Sports
PLAY BALL! SCHOOLS Curley
Edison
Edwards
Eliot
Hernandez
Higginson-Lewis
Irving
Jackson Mann
Lee
Lilla G. Frederick
McCormack
Mildred Ave
Murphy
Ohrenberger
Orchard Gardens
Rogers
Roosevelt
Sara Greenwood
Timilty
Umana
Warren-Prescott
Young Achievers
*SY 2014-2015
FOOTBALL BASEBALL VOLLEYBALL DOUBLE DUTCH SOCCER ICE HOCKEY X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Breakdown by League*
FOOTBALL LEAGUE
11 Schools
412 Boys
9 Girls
VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE
10 Schools
152 Girls
BASEBALL LEAGUE
DOUBLE DUTCH LEAGUE
10 Schools
9 Schools
187 Boys
156 Girls
2 Girls
3 Boys
*SY 2014-2015 League Participation
SOCCER LEAGUE
7 Schools
67 Boys
88 Girls
20
ICE HOCKEY
LEAGUE**
6 Schools
49 Boys
29 Girls
** Pilot
Pl
18
Successful Fundraising
Play Ball! has successfully raised philanthropic support to create and
expand sports opportunities for Boston’s middle school age youth.
Fundraising
$800,000
$700,000
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$2009
2010
2011
2012
A $300,000 major gift was received in 2013
8
2013
2014
19
Strategic Initiatives, Press, and Awards 2013-2015
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Launched soccer and ice hockey for boys and girls
Completed a quantitative and qualitative pilot research study in three BPMS
Launched a new website at www.playballfoundation.org.
Developed a Play Ball! “Play Book” of league rules
Created an enrichment event model featuring Chris Herren and Troy Brown
Honored at the Principal Partners event
Featured in the WBUR weeklong segment “Budgets and Box Scores: Funding
Sports in Boston Public Schools”
Featured on Chronicle and the Today Show
Mike Harney was selected as one of the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce’s ten outstanding young leaders in 2013.
Became an affiliated charity of the Rodman Ride for Kids.
A golf event, the SSRun, and a friend-raiser for our Friday Night Lights football
championship games at Harvard Stadium raised money, built positive
awareness, and received great press.
20
The Pilot Research Study
!
21
Summary of Quantitative and Qualitative Findings
BACKGROUND
• 
• 
• 
3 Schools – Orchard Gardens, Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Timilty Middle School
260 Total students in the quantitative study (40 Play Ball Participants)
20 Total students interviewed for the qualitative study
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1)  Does Play Ball! participation improve grades, attendance and discipline for students?
2)  Does Play Ball! participation help students to grow and learn—both physically and
emotionally?
CONCLUSIONS
• 
Significant improvement on students’ academic performance
–  Play Ball! participants had a significantly improved GPA from 7th to 8th grade
–  Students who did not participate in Play Ball! showed a significant decline in GPA from 7th to 8th grade
• 
Positive self-reports about physical and emotional growth
–  Play Ball! participants describe how PB! Programs help them to stay focused in school, keep physically fit,
build and maintain peer relationships, improve connections with family members, see coaches as positive role
models, develop more self-confidence and leadership skills, increase desire to play high school sports, and
avoid negative behaviors.
22
The Expansion Opportunity
!
23
Boston
Despite its success, Play Ball! serves only 11% of the 11,300 Boston Public
Middle School Students.*
Boston Public
Schools
Total
Play Ball!
Play Ball!
Penetration
All Students
57,000
Middle School
Students
11,030
1,171
11%
43
22
47%
Number of Middle
Schools
*School Year 2014-2015 as of 3/20/15
24
By Boston Public Middle School League
Demand for Play Ball! far exceeds funding, and waiting lists are long to add teams and
sports to both new and existing Play Ball! Schools.
School Year
2014-2015
No. of Teams*
Tried Out
Made a
Team
Cut
Football
7 out of 10
343
260
83
Baseball
7 out of 10
264
132
132
Volleyball
8 out of 10
234
137
97
Soccer Girls**
4 out of 6
91
64
31
Soccer Boys
3 out of 4
72
53
24
Double Dutch
3 out of 10
53
50
3
*Try out data is currently only available in a limited number of Play Ball!
schools. **Some teams gained students after try-outs.
25
Lawrence
•  Lawrence is the ideal community to partner with Play Ball! as our first
expansion city.
–  Superintendent Jeff Riley is a proven administrator who was instrumental in
launching Play Ball as Asst. Superintendent of Boston Public Schools
•  Six of Lawrence’s public schools have received a Level One ranking and student’s ELA and math
scores have shown significant improvement during Jeff Riley’s tenure
–  Middle school population is large enough for a competitive league
•  4,826 students
•  7 middle schools, 2 K-8
–  Demographic statistics are consistent with Play Ball!’s target audience of the most
underserved urban public middle schools
• 
• 
• 
• 
91.3% Total low income
88.9% Qualify for free lunch
70% English first language
91% Hispanic
–  Lawrence currently has sports offerings
•  Play Ball!’s support would be budget relieving while allowing for expansion to meet demand
–  Lawrence’s existing competent infrastructure would let Play Ball! test a true “we
fund it, you run it” program
26
The Play Ball! Expansion Plan for Boston and Lawrence
SY 2015/2016*
SY 2016/2017**
SY 2017/2018**
Total Program Cost*
$270,000
$297,000
$326,700
Total Athletes*
1,200
1,440
1,728
Cost Per Athlete*
$225
$206
$189
Total Program Cost
$200,000
$200,000
$200,000
Total Athletes
1000
1000
1000
Cost Per Athlete
$200
$200
$200
Total Program Cost
$470,000
$497,000
$526,700
Total Athletes
2,200
2,440
2,728
Cost Per Athlete
$213.63
$203.68
$193.07
Boston
Lawrence Pilot***
Boston and Lawrence Pilot
• 
• 
*Assumes level funding same number of athletes and teams as SY 2014/2015
** Represents 20% projected growth in athletes and teams//10% in program costs per year in Boston but may be applied to
Lawrence or split evenly. Additionally, assumes no piloting of new sports leagues in Boston.
27
•  *** Proposed pilot budget - number of athletes and teams in Lawrence TBD pending funds raised
SY 2015/2016 Sponsorship Opportunities by BPMS Leagues*
Football
Baseball
Volleyball
Double
Dutch
Soccer
Ice
Hockey**
Number of
Athletes
421
189
152
159
155
78
Number of
Teams
10
10
10
9
10
N/A***
Cost Per
Athlete
$240
$249
$200
$148
$194
$472
Cost Per
Team
$9,020
$4,711
$3,041
$2,618
$2,999
N/A
Cost Per
League****
$90,200
$47,117
$30,418
$23,567
$29,993
$36,824
*Level funding versus SY 2014/2015
**Ice hockey pilot
***Five schools
****Program costs only
28
In Their Own Words
!
29
Play Ball!’s Student Athletes*
Grades: “If I didn’t play football I don’t think my grades would be as good as they are because I
wanted to play and knew I had to keep my grades up.”
Physical Fitness: “Since I began to play football, I’ve started getting more fit and healthy. . .it
makes me feel good because I’m actually putting in the work.”
Peer Relationships: One player said his best experience with Play Ball! was “feeling like the
team was a family, just going in everyday and seeing all the boys. . . Supporting each other as a
team.”
Coaches Influence: “I grew up without a father, and having a dude there that’s strong and
uplifting was good for me.”
Confidence: “I feel like when I play volleyball I’m a different person, it’s the thing I know how
to do best.”
Staying on the Right Path: “If you play sports – it kinda takes you away from the bad things, you
gotta be focused in sports.”
Leadership: Most students claimed that Play Ball! participation, “helped me understand how to
be a leader.”
* More student responses can be found in the pilot research report summary of qualitative findings.
30
Play Ball!’s Adult Fans
Principals
“Our football players attended school at higher rates, acted more appropriately in class (for fear of
having to sit out a game), and worked to achieve …academic standards.”
- Principal Alexander Mathews, Sarah Greenwood Middle School
Teacher Coaches
“Being on the baseball team was an amazing learning experience for the kids. For most of my students
this was the first time they ever played organized baseball.”
- Lionel Flores Jr., coach and teacher, Frederick Middle School
Parents
“(Being on the team) changed his attitude, his behavior — no suspensions this year at all. He loves to
wear his tie on game day. It changed him a lot — just ask his principal. ”
- Play Ball! football parent
Alumni
“My whole take on things has become more positive since I started playing football. . .I used to look at
school work as annoying and kind of a drag. Now I want to get my work done and see the reaction on
my teacher’s face when I do a good job.”
- Tomell Kelly, Orchard Gardens Alumni and Current High School Student
11
31