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Piedmont recreation report finds rising participation but a widening girls’ participation gap under AB 2404
Summary
The Recreation Department reported total participation in youth sports up about 41% since 2021 but said the share of girls declined from roughly 37% to about 34%; staff pledged a new Girls in Sports survey, more girls‑only options and partnerships with local leagues to close the gap and improve compliance with AB 2404 (Fair Play and Community Sports Act).
During a detailed presentation on AB 2404 — California's Fair Play and Community Sports Act — Director Shelley and Recreation Supervisor Liam Kelly told the commission that the department treats the law as mandatory, counts programs run by PRD, PMS and third‑party leagues that use city facilities toward participation totals, and has been tracking participation data since 2021. "Girls' participation numbers increase each year, and that total participation has increased about 41% since 2021," Shelley said, "However, the girls' share has remained below the 48% target and in fact has declined from 37 to about 34%."
Staff outlined the department's next steps to address the shortfall: launch a second Girls in Sports survey at the end of October, expand girls‑only programming where feasible, pursue middle‑school options such as futsal, recruit and support more women coaches, and work with third‑party partners (for example, Piedmont Baseball and Softball Foundation and Skyline) to encourage clinics and try‑it‑out days. On enforcement, staff said AB 2404 compliance is complaint‑based; the department plans to use facility agreements and publicizing participation numbers to encourage better third‑party practices rather than immediate punitive measures.
