Youth sports and mental health will be the topic of Oregon State University – Cascades’ Science Pub on May 12.

The talk, titled “The Stolen Game,” will be given by William Massey, a kinesiologist and associate professor in OSU’s College of Health. Massey is also the director of the Psychosocial Physical Activity Laboratory, known as the 2Play Lab, and the director of youth and young adult research at OSU’s Hallie Ford Center for Children and Families.

In the presentation, Massey will share emerging research that looks at youth sport participation and mental health. He’ll explore the evolution of the youth sport system and how it has become increasingly competitive for players, and what it might take to reclaim youth sports as a healthier developmental space for children and teens.

Massey’s research focuses on youth sport systems, play equity and the social conditions that allow children and youth to thrive in sport and play environments. Through collaborations with community organizations, national sport initiatives and industry partners, his work aims to bridge research and practice to build youth-centered environments that prioritize well-being and healthy development.