Youth Enrichment Brands Launches Generation Real Playbook, A Free Guide to Help Families Reclaim Real-World Childhood
Advised by child development experts Erica Komisar and Jennifer B. Wallace, the guide gives parents practical tools to navigate screens, achievement pressure, and how kids spend their time
SAN RAFAEL, CA – Youth Enrichment Brands, the parent company of School of Rock, i9 Sports, SafeSplash Swim Schools, and US Sports Camps, today announces the launch of the Generation Real Playbook, a free, practical guide for families advised by psychoanalyst and author Erica Komisar and journalist and author Jennifer B. Wallace.
The Playbook is the newest piece of the Generation Real Project, a movement launched earlier this year by Youth Enrichment Brands to help rebuild the real-world experiences children need to thrive. The initiative began with CEO Rob Price's manifesto, Reclaiming Childhood in the Digital Age, and a consortium of youth organizations united around that same mission. While the manifesto outlined the problem, from technology designed to capture children’s attention to a culture that increasingly treats childhood as a résumé-building exercise, the Playbook gives families practical ideas for creating more real-world experiences together.
"The manifesto made the case for why this matters, but the Playbook is about what to actually do about it,” said Rob Price, CEO of Youth Enrichment Brands. “Our initiative resonates strongly with parents. They are clamoring for practical tools, grounded in real research, that help them take more control. The Generation Real Playbook can help."
Developed by Youth Enrichment Brands with guidance from Komisar and Wallace, the Playbook brings together research, insights from families across the organization’s youth programs, and findings from two proprietary studies: the School of Rock Social Impact Study, based on responses from 1,443 parents of currently enrolled students, and the i9 Sports "Shaping the Future of Sports for Girls" survey of more than 1,500 parents of girls.
Among the findings woven throughout the Playbook: 84.8% of School of Rock parents reported meaningful progress in their child's confidence, communication, and ability to engage in group settings, and 87.1% reported better, more meaningful conversations with their child since joining School of Rock. In the i9 Sports survey, 92% of parents ranked confidence among the top three outcomes they hope their daughters gain from sports, with 6 in 10 ranking it first, well above winning or athletic achievement.
The Playbook is organized into nine modules, starting with a judgment-free look at a family’s screen use and achievement pressures and moving into practical tools for finding activities, taking on family challenges, and having conversations about what children actually need. The guide includes a curated set of books, research, and resources for families who want to go deeper.
"Attachment isn't only built at home," said Erica Komisar, consultant on the Generation Real Playbook. "Children develop a felt sense of security through a whole constellation of trusted relationships, a coach who notices when they're struggling, a music teacher who celebrates their small wins, teammates who depend on them and whom they can depend on in return. The Playbook helps parents see enrichment activities as more than extracurriculars. They can also be opportunities to build attachment, confidence and connection."
"Again and again, I have found in my research that the children who are doing well are the ones who feel they matter, for who they are, away from their accomplishments, to their families, friends, and wider community," said Jennifer B. Wallace, consultant on the Generation Real Playbook. "This playbook is designed to help parents follow their child's curiosity rather than cultural pressures and choose experiences that build confidence, connection, and a lasting sense of mattering."
The Playbook also addresses the growing role of smartphones and social media in childhood, including Youth Enrichment Brands’ support for a minimum age of 16 for smartphone usage and social media access. The recommendation is presented as one data point for families to weigh as they make decisions that work for their children, rather than as a mandate.
The Generation Real Playbook is available for free at generationrealproject.com, alongside the original manifesto, Reclaiming Childhood in the Digital Age, and additional parent resources. Families across the Youth Enrichment Brands network, including School of Rock, i9 Sports, SafeSplash Swim Schools, and US Sports Camps, will have access to the Playbook along with a forthcoming webinar series featuring Komisar and Wallace.
###
About Youth Enrichment Brands
Youth Enrichment Brands is the nation's leading youth activities platform. Its mission is to help every kid discover and develop lifelong passions by connecting and serving a network of companies that deliver best-in-class youth camps, music education, swim classes, and sports leagues. Youth Enrichment Brands comprises US Sports Camps, the official provider of Nike Sports Camps; School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education; SafeSplash Swim School, the world's largest operator and franchisor of swim schools; and i9 Sports, the nation's largest multi-provider and franchisor of youth sports leagues.
Through the Play Without Limits Project, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative, Youth Enrichment Brands provides full-tuition scholarships to kids in need, ensuring that access to confidence-building, skill-developing enrichment programs is not limited by economic circumstance. Youth Enrichment Brands is also the founding organization behind the Generation Real Project, a campaign dedicated to rebuilding the real-world experiences, environments, and communities that help kids grow with confidence, resilience, and joy.
To learn more, visit youthenrichmentbrands.com and generationrealproject.com.
Jacob Kingrey