Youth sports and its connection to academic success

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Running, jumping, and playing is not just a good way for kids to build social skills and ward off obesity, but it also enhances academic performance. LA84, a foundation the serves youth through sports, held their annual summit on athletics and its link to academic success Thursday morning. Their keynote speaker, Scott Blackman, the CEO of the United States Olympic Committee, spoke from personal experience on how sports helped him focus in school. But not everyone agrees. Amanda Ripley is the author of "The Smartest Kids in the World--And How They Got That Way." In an article earlier this month that Ripley wrote for The Atlantic, she said that the heavy focus on sports is hurting the the school system. Ripley also said that schools spend much more money on their sports programs, than their other academic programs.