In this issue we examine extracurricular activities and their potential to contribute to healthy youth and community development. As the cover illustrates, our focus is on youth sports, but as several authors point out, we must look at a broad range of youth activities-from job creation, to the arts, to community service work-through a CYD lens. This expansive view brings to fore the need to develop national policy and practice that meets the developmental demands of our youth and communities. Sports, often referred to as a "metaphor for life," provide an excellent entry to the broader discussion.

But are sports truly a metaphor for life? As college and high school sports teams and their enthusiasts imitate highly competitive, win-at-all-costs, "hot dogging" professionals, are they truly learning life skills? As Little Leaguers and other youthful participants in organized sports are cajoled, jeered, and cheered by parents, coaches, and spectators, are they being prepared for life? Has life become a metaphor for sports?

All youth sports require partnership between youth and adults (coaches, officials, parents, and spectators). What is learned is what the adults in the partnership value. If the value is winning at all costs, then the lesson learned is that being a winner is more important than being a participant, that losing is a disgrace, and that a loser is a loser! If the value is that playing the game is what is important, then the lesson learned is that fairness means all players get equal playing time in all games-even during the tournaments. This view places the pleasure of playing, fairness, participation, and respect for others above winning. This is not to say that such value-driven teams cannot compete and win, but that they deal positively with winning and losing (see Ari Gerzon-Kessler).

Sports, as our contributing authors point out, can and do build character. But, in the words of Jeff Beedy and Tom Zierk, " . . . sports can build character . . . but positive character growth comes only from a proactive educational approach." To this I would add that sports could build community values, but again only through a proactive educational approach. Such an approach, with a CYD orientation, would emphasize that sports/athletic activities and programs should be intentionally developed to promote sportsmanship, team building, full participation, and community involvement. Sports ought to be part of the school and after-school curriculum for building collaboration, partnership, civic virtue, and community. Programs should intentionally challenge all the partners (coaches, parents, and spectators) to view the arena as a place to transcend the ordinary, inspire sacrifice, respect your adversary and yourself, and carry the metaphor into the real world and community. (See Becca Solomon and Howard Gardner, whose research expands to extracurricular activities such as the arts.)

For the millions of youth who are engaged in some form of sports activity, millions more are not. This may be because they do not have leisure time, motivation, or self-confidence; perhaps they have to work, or their schools and communities lack resources for youth sports (see Tammy Schilling and Tom Martinek). All our youth should have developmental opportunities equal to those who "do sports." The same positive values that should drive youth sports should drive other youth programs. As Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman points out, work, too, can be a place to learn, to build collaboration, and develop character and self-esteem.

What is seriously called for goes well beyond after-school pick-up basketball and/or jobs at fast food chains. We must demand a national youth strategy, within and after school that acknowledges the diverse needs of youth and communities-where diversity in opportunities is accompanied by values and standards that promote healthy development and good citizenship. We need a national integrated effort that is committed to CYD in the broadest and most creative sense; a policy agenda dedicated to youth learning, in partnership with adults, to build stronger communities and a better America.

John P. Terry, Editor-in-Chief