Featuring local organizations innovating to improve access to sports.

featured organizations:

• Banner Neighborhoods

• Leveling the Playing Field

• Unmatched Athlete

• Southwest Sports and Fitness Alliance 

• Beat the Streets Baltimore

• Living Classrooms

Baltimore's Iron Man shares lessons on how to deliver community impact through youth sports.

speakers:

• Cal Ripken Jr., MLB Hall of Famer; Co-Founder and Partner, Ripken Baseball; Co-Founder, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation

• Moderated by Rob Long, radio and TV host, The Fan and MASN

Former Ravens receiver and two-time Super Bowl Champion Torrey Smith shares insights on the importance of providing safe places for kids to play.

speakers:

• Torrey Smith, two-time Super Bowl Champion; Founder, LEVEL82

• Moderated by Rob Long, radio and TV host, The Fan and MASN

Companion Content:

• Smith on five core values for athletes of all economic backgrounds

In every community State of Play report, Aspen starts by asking kids what they want. How do their lives change when leaders respond? Learn from local athletes who have thrived.

speakers:

• Aliyah Carroll, athlete, Forest Park High School

• Will Fullerton (she/her), athlete, Marriotts Ridge High School

• Marcus Keene, athlete, National Academy Foundation

• Moderated by Jon Solomon, Community Impact Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Companion Content:

• How Baltimore is improving sports access for children

Football is a team sport. So is rebuilding a proud but challenged city. Under Armour’s founder shares lessons learned since his pledge to revitalize Baltimore with the help of sports programs.

speakers:

• Kevin Plank, Founder/CEO, Under Armour

• Moderated by Greg Olsen, broadcaster and former NFL Pro Bowler

Companion Content:

• How Baltimore is Improving Sports Access for Children

• Mayor Scott announces creation of Charm City Sports Council

• Baltimore State of Play Report

• Project Rampart

• Greg Olsen talks youth sports with USA Today

• Session recap by student journalist Daniel Stein

The Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports recognizes the need for safe and healthy environments. How to address health disparities facing underserved populations of students? How to get more schools, programs and coaches to adopt basic protections?

speakers:

• Mike Locksley, Head Football Coach, University of Maryland; Founder, National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches

• Mayrena Hernandez, PhD, Director, Healthy Activity Toward Promoting Injury Reduction Lab, Sam Houston State University

• Marci Goolsby, MD, Medical Director of Women's Sports Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery

• Moderated by Vincent Minjares, PhD, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

• Introduction by Tyrre Burks, CEO/Founder, Players Health

Companion Content:

• Session introduction by Tyrre Burks

• National ACL Injury Coalition

• Locksley on new law promoting mental health training for coaches

• Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports

• Session recap by student journalist Daniel Stein

Just 54% of youth in the U.S. play sports. Aspen challenges leaders in the Project Play network to embrace the goal of 63% by 2030 – an outcome that would unlock $80 billion in societal benefits, minimum. How to get there? How can leaders help?

speakers:

• Christina Hixson, Director, Partnerships, UCHealth

• Kim Hegardt, President, Names Family Foundation

• Kevin Martinez, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, ESPN

• Moderated by Tom Farrey, Founder and Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Companion Content:

• State of Play 2023 Participation Trends

• Study on benefits of reaching youth participation target

• Session recap by student journalist Daniel Stein

Around age 10, kids start dropping out of sports in droves. Middle school sports are key to keeping them involved. Learn from two trailblazing cities that are leading with strategic plans.

Speakers:

• Lamont Robinson, Assistant Commissioner, Oakland Athletic League; Manager of Middle School Athletics & Activities, Oakland Unified School District

• Sonya Goodwyn, Executive Director, Whole Child Services & Supports, Baltimore City Public Schools

• Moderated by Flynn Burch, UA Global Community Impact and Executive Director, UA Foundation

Learn what foundations are looking for in support of youth sports. 

Speakers:

• Cara James, CEO, Grantmakers in Health

• Talib Horne, Director, Baltimore Civic Site, Annie E. Casey Foundation 

• Luke Ragland, Senior Vice President of Grants, Daniels Fund

• Moderated by Kevin Loeb, Managing Director of Strategy, Learning, and Evaluation, The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation

Coaches make youth sports, but their world is messy. Help develop a framework to organize a fragmented system. Why is such a strategy needed – and what goes in there?

Speakers:

• Kristen Dieffenbach, PhD, Executive Director, US Center for Coaching Excellence 

• Moderated by Vince Minjares, PhD, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will be the largest sporting event ever, 48 teams playing 104 games across North America. Only one team can win. But all kids can win. Learn how host cities aim to use the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports to drive a meaningful legacy.

Speakers:

• Marco Di Buono, President, Jumpstart Canadian Tire Charities

• Margarita Safdie, PhD, Director, Project Play México

• Brianna Keys, Director of Human Rights and Sustainability, FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey

• Adam Lewis, Executive Fellow, Human Rights and Sustainability, FIFA World Cup 2026 Kansas City

• Moderated by Minal Davis, CEO, HeneKom

COMPANION CONTENT:

• Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announces endorsement

Attendees grabbed lunch in the tent on Decker Quad, then put in the “play” in the Project Play Summit in the sport sampling activation presented by RCX Sports.

By leveraging federal dollars for schools serving high-poverty youth, among other resources, the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association has found success in bringing soccer to new neighborhoods. What’s their model?

Speakers:

• Nathean Meadows, Director of Outreach and Grassroots, Maryland State Youth Soccer Association

• Amy Beal, Montgomery County Public Schools Coordinator, Blueprint for Maryland's Future

• Moderated by Jon Solomon, Community Impact Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Companion Content:

• Maryland pioneers model that brings soccer into high-poverty schools

• How Baltimore is improving sports access for children

Baltimore was the first – but many communities have leveraged the Project Play frameworks to mobilize communities to ensure equitable access to quality sport and physical activities. What have they learned about leveraging key data, insights?

Speakers:

• Kari Pardoe, Program Officer, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation

• Charnon Barnes, Executive Director, Central Ohio Youth Sports Collaborative

• Evan Zislis, Founding Director, Hurst Community Initiative

• Moderated by Jennifer Brown Lerner, Deputy Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Companion Content:

• Why Play Matters - Built to Play (rwbuilttoplay.org)

• Project Play Communities

Coaches are getting trained – but how to know what’s working? Discover new tools that can assess impact on attitudes and practices, and the experiences of youth.

Speakers:

• Ryan Graff, Vice President of Programs, PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation

• Keely Stern, Vice President of Research, Data, and Strategic Partnerships, Resonant Education

• Katlin Okamoto, Director of Coach-Mentor Training, U.S. Soccer Foundation

• Moderated by Vincent Minjares, PhD, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sport & Society Program

Companion Content:

• From the Huddle

• USSF Coach-Mentor Training

The role of government is to balance competing interests. There’s no balancing in youth sports – it’s chaos out there with programs fighting over spaces, athletes and resources. It doesn’t have to be this way. Aspen found cities and counties that are connecting silos, raising safety standards and better supporting kids through sports. Learn from our exclusive research.

Speakers:

• Katherine Quinn, Director, Project Play Summit, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program; Member-at-large, Fairfax County Athletic Council

• Tom Cove, Chair, Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee

• Jon Stehle, Council Member, City of Fairfax

• Moderated by Linda Flanagan, author of Take Back the Game

Companion Content:

• Two-pager: 5 ways cities and counties can support youth sports

• Three models for organizing local sports, by Linda Flanagan

Flag football’s Diana Flores is elusive. She offers insights into ways to engage among the most elusive, and underserved, populations of youth in sports: girls from Hispanic families.

Speakers:

• Diana Flores, captain and quarterback of Mexico’s World Champion National Flag Football Team

• Moderated by Christine Brennan, Sports Columnist, USA Today; Commentator, CNN and ABC News

Companion content:

• Session recap by student journalist Ryan Martin

Learn from high school students who are part of a new mentorship program by Aspen and the Allstate Foundation on how to empower youth to drive access to sports for their peers.

Speakers:

• Josephine Portell, Athlete, Parkway South High School

• Rishan Patel, CEO/ Founder, Alley-Oop Kids

• Moderated by Christine Brennan, Sports Columnist, USA Today; Commentator, CNN and ABC News

Companion content:

• Service Learning Through Sports

• Session recap by student journalist Ryan Martin

Project Play is creating the nation’s first-ever policy framework for youth sports. How to create a politically durable agenda to improve safety, access, and governance?

Speakers:

• Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic Gold Medalist

• Jeremy Goldberg, Founder, PLAY Sports Coalition 

• Dr. Katrina Piercy, Director, Division of Prevention Science, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Moderated by Dr. Ashleigh Huffman, sports policy consultant, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

• Introduction by Tom Farrey, Founder and Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Companion content:

• Project Play’s sport policy and governance resources

• Aspen analysis of Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics final report

• National Youth Sports Strategy

• Session recap by student journalist Ryan Martin

In our keynote conversation, Maryland’s governor shares why he is endorsing the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, the first state to do so.

Speakers:

• Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland

• Moderated by Greg Olsen, broadcaster and former NFL Pro Bowler

• Introduction: Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Aspen Institute

Companion Content:

• Gov. Moore signs bill requiring mental health training for coaches

• Session recap by student journalist Ryan Martin

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, First Partner to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, reacts to the news that next year’s Summit is headed to the Golden State.

GREG OLSEN

BROADCASTER AND FORMER NFL PRO BOWLER