Research seminar: June 2, 2023

Increasing youth physical activity: Translating research to policy and practice

June 2, 2023

Dr. McCleery will discuss her research for the State of Play: Seattle-King County report, a community-informed, mixed-methods landscape analysis of youth access to sports, physical activity, and outdoor recreation in King County. The report served as a springboard to the creation of the King County Play Equity Coalition, a collective action group of over 100 organizations in the region, which is catalyzing systems-level change in an effort to increase physical activity and close the play equity gap. The Coalition recently led an advocacy effort in Washington state to pass a recess law. Last month Governor Inslee signed that bill into law. She will discuss the advocacy process and how the advocacy team used new and existing research to make its case


Julie McCleery, PhD
Director of Research-Practice Partnerships
The Center for Leadership in Athletics, University of Washington

Julie’s work is at the intersection of research and practice. She serves as the principal investigator for two of the Center’s main projects – Ambitious Coaching and State of Play: Seattle-King County – both of which have translated into community-based efforts to ensure equitable access to high-quality sports experiences. The Ambitious Coaching research explores the core practices of highly effective coaches and underpins the Center’s ACCEL Coaching Certificate. The State of Play research, a landscape analysis of youth physical activity in King County, serves as a springboard for the King County Play Equity Coalition, a 95 member organization focused on systemic change in youth sports.  Julie also teaches both masters and undergraduate students in courses that include Coaching Philosophy and Pedagogy, Navigating the Youth Sports Ecosystem, and the Sports Coach As Leader. She has over 25 years of experience as an educator, coach, and youth sports advocate. Prior to joining UW, she ran a consulting business, worked in the education policy field, was a high school teacher, and was on the US National Rowing Team as both an athlete and a coach. She received a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. from Harvard, and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. She enjoys hiking with her two dogs and cheering respectfully from the sidelines when she watches her three boys play soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and baseball.