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Julie McCleery, University of Washington

(THE CONVERSATION) People who live in and around Seattle are among the nation's most active. The region is an outdoor recreation haven for both locals and visitors who enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking.

I conduct research about coaching and youth sports. To see if the roughly 450,000 kids who live in the county which encompasses Seattle and its surrounding suburbs get enough exercise through play, sports and outdoor recreation, I teamed up w...