CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR
2026 PROJECT PLAY CHAMPIONS!

Each year, the Project Play Champions program recognizes local and regional organizations that are taking new and meaningful actions consistent with the Project Play framework. As of 2025, there are over 160 organizations in the Champions network. View our past Champions. More information about the application below.

What is youth agency?

Youth agency is the desire and ability of young people to make decisions and drive change—in their own lives, in their communities, and in their larger spheres of influence. For kids, developing agency requires opportunities for them to build confidence in themselves and their decision making. When kids decide what they want to play, they’re exercising their individual agency. When they work with others to start a new club or build their own programming, they are exercising their collective agency.

Learn more: International Youth Foundation, What is youth agency?

2026 Project Play Champions

Be Someone Sports

Be Someone Sports is a community-based youth sports organization serving the Houston, Texas metro area. Its mission is to create structured, developmentally appropriate environments where youth grow as athletes, leaders, teammates, and confident young people. In early 2026, Be Someone Sports implemented a structured city-partner sponsorship model that funds participation scholarships at the local level. Confirmed community business partners help underwrite registration costs so that financial hardship does not automatically exclude a child from sport. The organization is also launching anonymous, end-of-season athlete surveys and forming pilot Player Advisory Panels within select programs to give youth structured input into league improvements, scheduling preferences, and overall experience. This ensures the model evolves with athlete voice rather than adult assumption.

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation

The Cherry Creek Schools Foundation (CCSF) is the official philanthropic partner of the Cherry Creek School District, one of Colorado’s largest and most diverse public school systems. CCSF is helping launch Full Circle Play, a pilot offering free summer sport and play camps in summer of 2026, in partnership with the school district. The program will serve Title I elementary schools in the Overland High School feeder community in Aurora, Colo. High school students are trained as paid coaches and mentors for elementary-aged kids in their own community. The coaching pipeline regenerates each year with new high school classes. Elementary school kids get real agency. They help pick the sports and activities they try, surveys shape the camp design, and free play is built into every day. High school coaches get agency too – they're helping shape what youth sports looks like where they live.

Chicago Youth Foundation

Chicago Youth Foundation is dedicated to bringing the joy of ice sports to Metro Chicago youth, improving their social and academic well-being and empowering them to succeed through sportsmanship and teamwork. Youth are first taught the fundamentals of ice skating through its Learn to Skate program and then given the choice to pursue figure skating or ice hockey. This season, the foundation expanded the model to Fifth Third Ice Arena on Chicago's near-west side, steps away from Humboldt Park and Austin, two of the city's most underserved neighborhoods. Through this new partnership, the foundation runs all learn-to-skate programming at that rink at no cost to skaters. The Chicago Youth Foundation is continuing its large-scale free programming at Millennium Park Ice Arena as the City of Chicago's official ice sports organization, reaching youth who have never had the opportunity to experience ice sports before.

Eliot-Hine Middle School

Eliot-Hine is a Title I middle school located in Ward 7 of Washington, D.C. and part of District of Columbia Public Schools. In March 2026, a female student asked the school’s health and physical education teacher why they never play volleyball. The teacher found that there was strong desire from other girls in the class, so he then surveyed the rest of the sixth- and seventh-grade girls. Fifty-nine girls indicated they were interested in playing and starting a school club in the fall. Purposely, the girls requested the volleyball programming be called a “club” instead of a “team” to indicate an inclusive environment. Through this club, the P.E. teacher hopes to keep girls playing sports and provide a welcoming, warm and positive place by valuing every voice in their community and ensuring learning is challenging and fun.

First pass Lacrosse

Youth-founded First Pass Lacrosse officially launched in March 2026 as a structured youth sports access initiative designed to close lacrosse participation gaps identified through original research evaluating Title I and private school students in Greensboro, N.C. Child-focused research showed Title I students are 12 times less likely to know someone who plays lacrosse and over five times less likely to have ever held a lacrosse stick. Private school students are seven times more likely to have tried the sport. What began as a research project has become a confirmed action plan with scheduled programming for spring, summer, and fall 2026. First Pass Lacrosse will operate through partnerships with the Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Center and local Title I elementary schools.

Girls in Gear

Girls in Gear (GiG) is committed to ensuring every girl becomes her biggest, boldest, and brightest self on and off the bike. Since August 2025, GiG has partnered with Safe Routes to School Clark County, the Southern Nevada Health District Office of Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, and Nike Greater Las Vegas to increase access, safety, and sustained participation in youth physical activity for girls ages 8-10 in Title I schools in Nevada’s Clark County School District. GiG delivers free, school-based programming in which every participant receives a bike and helmet. Programs are intentionally non-competitive and developmentally designed, blending skill progression on the bike with youth and character development.

Grand Strand Miracle Leagues

Based in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Grand Strand Miracle Leagues empowers individuals with disabilities to thrive through adaptive sports and recreation. Since May 2025, the Grand Strand Miracle Leagues has expanded programs to meet the needs of its growing community and launched several new sports programs: tennis, basketball, and flag football. These additions bring the total to nine year-round sports and recreation programs. In 2026, Grand Strand Miracle Leagues are also launching its first satellite program locations, allowing the organization to bring adaptive sports into additional South Carolina communities. These satellite offerings will help reach families who may face transportation barriers or live farther from the central facility.

Minnesota wind chill foundation

The Minnesota Wind Chill Foundation empowers Minneapolis/St. Paul youth through ultimate frisbee by providing education, outreach, and accessible programming that promotes physical health, teamwork, and essential life skills. During the second half of 2025, the Minnesota Wind Chill Foundation launched no-cost programming through partnerships with nonprofits to expose youth to the nontraditional sport of ultimate frisbee and significantly expand access for underrepresented youth. The foundation’s adaptive programs serve youth ages 6-18 with physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental, and behavioral barriers to play. By expanding partnerships with organizations such as Special Olympics, HopeKids, and Uplifting Athletes, the foundation is increasing the number of inclusive, adapted opportunities that ensure every participant can meaningfully engage in play.

North Park School district

North Park School District serves approximately 110-130 students in grades PK-12 in any given year. Located in a high mountain valley in Jackson County, Colo., the district serves the entire county. The district has created a strategic initiative to build foundational sports participation and skill development among its elementary-aged children, addressing challenges posed by the small, rural, and predominantly agricultural community. Launched in 2025, the district’s initiative has implemented youth summer camps for all the team sports offered (volleyball, football, basketball) and established an elementary-level basketball program during the winter months. The entire program is free for participants.

peer 1 on 1 Philadelphia Sunshine

Peer 1 on 1 Philadelphia Sunshine is a youth-led, community-based chapter dedicated to providing inclusive play and sports experiences for children with autism through peer mentorship. In 2026, Peer1on1 Philadelphia Sunshine Team plans to launch a new community-based action that leverages tennis to create inclusive, developmentally appropriate sports opportunities for children with autism. This action is developed, led, and organized by students and reflects a commitment to expanding access to sports, strengthening peer connection, and building healthier, more inclusive play environments. The program will host peer-mentored community tennis sessions at local courts. Each neurodivergent child is paired one-on-one with a trained peer mentor from a local high school to create a safe, supportive environment that allows instruction and interaction to be individualized.

penMet parks

PenMet Parks in Pierce County, Wash. serves youth ages 0-18. In July 2025, the community celebrated the grand opening of PenMet Parks Recreation Center. Situated on a 17-acre campus flanked by the Cushman Trail, the 58,000-square-foot center brings together recreation, fitness and community gathering in one inclusive place that is designed for everyone. In late 2025, PenMet Parks piloted several free play days during school breaks, providing open access to the recreation center for youth and families. Based on participation levels and positive feedback, this demonstrated strong community demand for safe, accessible recreational opportunities during out-of-school time. Building on this success, PenMet Parks seeks to expand these efforts by offering additional free play days in fall 2026 aligned with Peninsula School District no-school days.

portland Community Football Club

Portland Community Football Club (PCFC) is an equity-focused soccer club providing access, belonging, and opportunity for low-income and historically marginalized Oregon youth and families. Last year PCFC launched Getting Girls in the Game, an initiative to increase access and inclusion for girls in sports. With elementary teams, PCFC began in 2025 with an all-girls team of third-grade students with a focus on Latina girls. Led by a female coach mentor, girls practice twice weekly with games on the weekend. In middle school soccer, PCFC provides coed teams with female coach mentors to increase positive representative role models. By engaging girls, Getting Girls in the Game will create a supportive pipeline from elementary to middle school soccer designed to keep girls enjoying the lifelong benefits of team sports.

positive Altitudes

Positive Altitudes, based in Milwaukee, Wisc., is a nonprofit founded with the mission of increasing access to downhill skiing for youth from underrepresented communities. Beginning in the 2026 season, Positive Altitudes will launch the Youth Leaders on the Slopes Initiative, a new program designed to elevate youth voice, strengthen mentorship, and expand long-term engagement in winter sports. This initiative will create a structured pathway for returning participants ages 14-18 to serve as peer mentors, assistant instructors, and youth ambassadors within the program. Selected students will receive leadership training, basic ski instruction certification support, and mentorship from coaches and staff.

rising phoenix sports program, inc.

Rising Phoenix Sports Program provides weekly sports programming for girls and gender-expansive youth in juvenile justice facilities across New York state. The sports program has developed positive athlete-coach relationships with more than 100 incarcerated girls since the program began in 2022. At each sports practice, coaches lead reflection discussions designed to help athletes connect skills learned in sports to their lives back home. Coaches have seen these conversations help athletes “connect the dots” many times, boosting their self-esteem, growing connection with their peers, setting tangible goals, and furthering their understanding of themselves and others. Athletes can learn from longer discussions and activities off the court. Rising Phoenix is developing a workshop series for athletes which will launch summer 2026, concurrent with regular programming. The series will build on the skills the athletes are working on in Rising Phoenix sports practices and will allow athletes to dig deeper into target growth areas. The four workshops will focus on Service to Others, Identity, Leadership, and Health & Wellness.

rush union

Rush Union’s mission is to serve, develop, and inspire through programs for children ages 2-19 in Alpharetta, Ga. Since May 2025, the organization has committed to intentionally elevating free play as the foundation of soccer for mixed-age, mixed-gender, and mixed-ability participants. To support mixed groups, coaches use flexible pitch sizes, multiple goals, and simple rule adaptations so that everyone remains involved and valued. Rush Union prioritizes small-sided games that naturally encourage decision-making, creativity, problem-solving and cooperation. These formats allow children of different ages and abilities to self-differentiate – younger or less experienced players find success through more touches and simpler decisions, while older or more confident players are challenged through space, numbers and game constraints rather than instruction.

scheyer family kid captain Program

The Scheyer Family Kid Captain Program is dedicated to bringing joy, movement, and a sense of belonging to children facing serious medical challenges in Durham, N.C. The Scheyer Family Kid Captain Program was launched during Jon Scheyer’s first year as head coach of the Duke University men’s basketball team, inspired by Jon and his wife Marcelle, a nurse practitioner, who partnered with Duke Children’s Hospital to create meaningful sport and movement experiences for pediatric patients. In September 2025, the program launched the next phase of its work, hiring a full-time staff member dedicated to overseeing and strengthening the program. This investment marked a shift from an event-centered model to a more structured and sustainable approach that increases access to physical activity, elevates youth voice, and deepens partnerships across the community. The new staff role focuses on expanding adaptive movement opportunities for children facing medical challenges, beginning within Duke Children’s Hospital and extending into the surrounding community. These partnerships will allow children who have participated in Kid Captain programming, as well as other youth with diverse abilities and health needs, to access inclusive physical activity in familiar community spaces.

Skate Like a Girl

Skate Like a Girl is on a mission to create a more inclusive community by promoting confidence, leadership, and social justice through skateboarding in Portland, Ore. Beginning in 2025 and expanding through 2026, Skate Like a Girl is advancing a youth-led, free play-centered approach to skateboarding that shifts power from adults to young people. Youth leadership is also central to the organization’s mission and is showcased by itsYouth Employment Skateboarding (YES) teen cohort. In this summertime program, teens ages 13-17 co-lead programs with staff, provide input on session design, select workshop topics, and help facilitate activities. They also plan their end-of-summer celebration skate road trip, including route, skate parks, campsites, and meals. This shared leadership ensures youth perspectives guide program content and structure while creating pathways from participant to mentor and employee. Skate Like a Girl partners with organizations to co-create programming that meets community needs, including mentorship and gear support. These partnerships allow youth to continue skating beyond structured sessions, giving them the space, time, and equipment to explore what skateboarding means for them.

Whole Hearts Incorporated

WholeHearts Incorporated is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth athletes by raising awareness around cardiac risks and promoting a culture of health, safety, and preparedness in youth sports environments in Jefferson County, Ala. The Whole Heart Heroes program is a youth-led initiative designed to empower middle and high school athletes to become champions of heart safety. This program equips young athletes to recognize cardiac risks, promote awareness, and actively contribute to creating safer sports environments, including helping to develop emergency action plans for sports events. The program recruits a cohort of student-athletes to serve as Whole Heart Heroes. These youth ambassadors receive comprehensive training on cardiac awareness, emergency response, and health education. By emphasizing youth-led education and peer engagement, Whole Heart Heroes empowers students to take ownership of safety within their athletic programs while building leadership, communication, and advocacy skills.

Youth Development United

Youth Development United (YDU) provides opportunities for mentorship, wellness and personal development for children from under-resourced communities, removing barriers that limit healthy options and future successes in the Philadelphia, Pa.metro area. Using data collected through interviews and surveys of children, families, teachers, administrators and community leaders, YDU identified two unmet needs for youth: summer camps and programs for middle school students during after-school hours. First, establishing partnerships with the local school districts, a housing authority and municipal governments, YDU formed a foundation to offer complimentary recreational programming in the summer months as an add-on to existing academic and enrichment camps. Second, YDU implemented an after-school program in fall 2025 incorporating additional sports and activities including judo, wrestling, lacrosse, baseball/softball, ultimate frisbee, flag football, racquet sports and golf.

Youth Success Summit

The Youth Success Summit (YSS) is an Akron, Ohio, an out-of-school time (OST) intermediary for 130 nonprofits — including more than 40 sports organizations — dedicated to providing all youth with equitable access to high-quality experiences. In May 2025, Mayor Shammas Malik endorsed the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports and allocated $100,000 to bolster coach training and offset program costs. This initiative was shaped by a 40-member Visioning Team of coaches and leaders who designed a coordinated wellness system to support underserved communities and elevate coaching standards. Following youth-led focus groups and a winter 2025 launch, the team is meeting twice in 2026 to refine these strategies through direct feedback from the young people they serve.