As Ohio’s flagship public university and one of the world’s premier research institutions, The Ohio State University does a lot of things across hundreds of fields. Since 2009, its university-wide LiFEsports Initiative has been making a difference in the lives of youth all around the state, and it has been serving youth in Dublin since 2022. 

LiFEsports’ mission is to prepare youth for life and leadership through sports. Since 2009, it has served over 12,000 youth in central Ohio through its various programs, most notably through the LiFEsports summer camp. In addition, its Coach Beyond program has trained over 36,000 coaches in positive youth development practices since 2023.

The LiFEsports summer camp is the modern version of the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP), a 1960s-era federally funded program that historically operated on Ohio State’s campus. Ohio State’s NYSP was renamed LiFEsports, Learning in Fitness and Education Through Sport, in 2008. Today, the LiFEsports Initiative is a nationally recognized model for sport-based positive youth development or “PYD”. 

In Dublin and elsewhere, LiFEsports strives to increase access to sports and to help youth develop social skills. Over 120 Dublin youth between the ages of 9 and 13 attend a school-based site in our community, funded by Dublin City Schools and other local partners. Nearly 60 percent of youth attending the camp are living in poverty and 65 percent represent minority populations. 

LiFEsports provides free transportation from elementary school bus stops. Breakfast and lunch are also included. Each camp features 15 hours of play-based social skill instruction, exposure to nine sports, and 15 hours of healthy lifestyles instruction. 

Campers enjoy instruction in basketball, dance, diamond sports, football, lacrosse, running, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Following camp, participants are invited to participate in 9 to 12 sports clinics during the academic year. The LiFEsports experience is clearly popular, as 68 percent of the participants are returning campers from previous years. 

LiFEsports relies on funding from Ohio State and a host of corporate and public sponsors. The organization also raises money at the LiFEsports Classic hosted by The Country Club at Muirfield Village. This year’s event, the 5th annual, took place on June 23. 

To learn more about LiFEsports and discover how to support the organization’s programs, visit lifesports.osu.edu or follow osulifesports on Facebook.