The signature event of the Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program, the Project Play Summit is the nation’s premier gathering of leaders building healthy children through sports. The 750+ attendees come from across the country and globe to discover new insights, ideas and opportunities to get and keep kids in the game.

This year’s event is in Boston — the City of Champions — on May 5-6 when we’ll dive into how we can be champions for our kids, families and communities. Sessions will be hosted at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza near Boston Common with a reception at iconic Fenway Park.

The Summit is sold out. But you can join us virtually — all mainstage sessions will be livestreamed so register for access and be sure to tune in.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

SUMMIT AGENDA

Monday, May 4, 4:00-6:30PM

VOLO + PROJECT PLAY SUMMIT PLAY DAY on boston common

Join fellow Summit attendees for a casual sports gathering celebrating the power of play and community. Network while enjoying cornhole, bocce, grass volleyball, and other fun mini-games. No experience required! Enjoy some music, meet fellow leaders, and jump into the action as we bring people together through play. The event is free but capacity is limited, so register today!

Plenary SESSION I

Tuesday, MAy 5, 9:00-10:45am

All session dates, times and speakers are subject to change. Listed times are approximate.

OPEN AND WELCOME REMARKS 9:00 AM

• Stix (Brandon Salaam-Bailey), Founder, Think Watts Foundation

How to win at sports 9:10 am

In a recent TED Talk, our Tom Farrey offered a roadmap to drive true systems change in the delivery of programs in the largest and most important layer of our sport ecosystem – youth and school sports. How can members of the Project Play network make it real?

• Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

• Moderator: Chuck Todd, host, The Chuck Toddcast

From team captains to community captains 9:30 am

What do young athletes need to lead? How to give them the tools and confidence to not just bring teammates together and win games – but build shared solutions in the places where they live, from access to sport to food insecurity to other societal challenges?

• Guywintz Jules, soccer and track captain, Salem (Mass.) High School

• Ma’Net Richardson, flag football captain, East College Prep High School (Calif.)

• Carol Yan, golf captain, Diamond Bar (Calif.) High School

• Moderator: Jeff Price, CEO, The Heisman Foundation

63X30: Progress! 10:00 am

The most recent government data shows 55% of youth playing sports. That’s up from 49% as the nation emerged from COVID. What’s working? How to get to 63% by 2030, the time-bound challenge Project Play has issued to its network of leaders?

• Rick Jordan, Vice President, DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation

• Steve Tanner, Senior Director of Player Engagement, PGA of America

• Moderator: Ashleigh Huffman, PhD, Senior Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

special ANNOUNCEMENT 10:15 am

• Rick Jordan, Vice President, DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation

• Rebecca Wasserman, Vice President of Strategy, Operations, and Impact, GameChanger

PLAY Talk: PrevenT female injuries 10:20 AM

• Kate Ackerman, MD, MPH, FACSM, Co-Founder & Director, Women’s Health, Sports & Performance Institute

Safety First: The Next Wave of Youth Sports Reform? 10:30 am

Pressures on the bodies and minds of youth athletes are growing. So are cultural expectations to protect them from harm. How can leaders and providers meet the moment? What policies, tools and approaches will drive compliance at scale?

• Benita Fitzgerald-Mosley, CEO, US Center for SafeSport

• Seth Lieberman, CEO, Ankored, Inc

• Moderator: Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Plenary SESSION II

Tuesday, MAy 5, 2:45-4:30pm

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 2:50 PM

• Jennifer Paulett, Director of Corporate Citizenship, ESPN

PLAY Talk: leverage public funding for afterschool programs 3:10 PM

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

63X30: What’s Next? 3:15 PM

The newest members of Project Play’s national roundtable share their plans to contribute and close gaps in key spaces where youth sports can be provided.

In Communities (15 mins)

• Stuart Brown, Executive Director, Inspire Brands Foundation

• Jim Clark, CEO & President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

• Moderator: Marty Fox, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

In Schools (20 minutes)

• Rob Holliday, Executive Director, Massachusetts Youth Soccer

• Cindy Nguyen Thomas, Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment Programs, Bank of America

• Moderator: Lex Chalat, Executive Director, Soccer Forward Foundation, U.S. Soccer Federation

featured conversation 3:50 PM

• Laurie Tisch, Founder, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

• Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

Why We Play: Sport, Art, and Youth Development 4:00 PM

Participation in sports is a key component in whole-child development. So is the arts. But too often, athletes don’t feel comfortable exploring their artistic side. We explore ways to break down the psychological and cultural barriers, starting before high school, an extension of our new conversation series on the role that sport has played in shaping society.  

• LJ Rader, Founder, ArtButMakeItSports

• Moderated by: Britt Salvesen, Curator and Department Head, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Opening Night Reception at Fenway Park 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Plenary SESSION III

wednesday, MAy 6, 9:00-10:15Am

All session dates, times and speakers are subject to change. Listed times are approximate.

building youth-centered sport ecosystems 9:05 am

In the Winter Olympics, Norway reminded us of what’s possible when sport systems get built on the foundation of the human rights of children – more athletes, better athletes, more societal health and happiness. Learn about efforts to improve sport delivery models in the U.S.

• Cassidy Lichtman, Chair, USA Volleyball

• Mariam Mansury, Senior Manager, Monitor Institute by Deloitte

• Moderator: Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

From P.E. to P.E.: How Can Private Equity Be a Good Actor? 9:25 AM

Physical Education has faded as an institution for building active kids, replaced by non-school sport programs – an industry increasingly shaped by Private Equity. How can that capital be leveraged to get, keep and develop more children through sports?   

• Jay Adya, Managing Partner, Elysian Park Ventures

• Katherine Van Dyck, Senior Legal Fellow, American Economic Liberties Project

• Moderator: Linda Flanagan, author, Take Back the Game

The Algorithmic Athlete: Protecting Play in the Age of AI 9:45 AM

AI is disrupting sports, from biometric tracking to automated scouting. These tools can democratize training and help coaches, but risk turning kids into data points. What guardrails are needed to limit surveillance and protect the essence of play?

• Zarif Haque, CEO, The Good Game

• Travis Roache, PhD, author, Coaching in the Age of AI

• Calli Schroeder, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Senior Counsel and Director of the AI & Human Rights Program

• Moderator: Jon Solomon, Research Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 10:10 AM

• Nickelodeon Our World

Plenary SESSION IV

wednesday, MAy 6, 10:30AM - 12:00pm

PLAY Talk: open college campuses for local youth teams 10:30 am

• Brent Richard, CEO, IMG Academy

Turning Crisis into Opportunity for Boys 10:35 am

Aspen and a leading think tank on trends in boys spent the past year researching why boys are playing sports less. Now we have answers – and policy solutions. Learn about ways to keep more of them in the game without taking opportunities from girls.

• Charlie Ward, Florida A&M University, Head Coach, Men's Basketball, Heisman Trophy Winner

• Alanna Williams, Vice President, American Institute of Boys and Men

• Moderator: Zach Moo Young, Consultant, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

How to Save the Levers of Life 10:55 am

Three years ago, Aspen partnered with HSS to launch the National ACL Injury Coalition. Now, many groups have introduced policies to reduce preventable knee injuries. Learn how your organization can take steps to keep athletes on the field and active for life.

• Cindy Chang, MD, NWSL Chief Medical Officer, AMSSM Past President, CIF Sports Med Advisory Comm, UCSF Prof Emerita

• Ryan Lingor, MD, Primary Sports Medicine Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery

• Moderator: Vince Minjares, PhD, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sport & Society Program

PLAY talk: KNOw what The Nose knows 11:16 am

• Chi Kim, CEO, Pure Edge Inc.

How Champions Lead 11:25 am

In a society that increasingly looks to individuals over institutions for leadership, what’s fair to ask of high-profile athletes and coaches? What leadership can they provide related to the development of youth through sports? 

• Tim Brown, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Fame inductee

• Moderator: Binta Niambi Brown, Entertainment Partner at Manatt

special announcement: PROJECT PLAY summit 2027 11:45 am

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Tuesday, MAy 5

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Play is Parent-Led

Sharpen your approach to engaging families with new research on how parents introduce and facilitate sport activities. Explore strategies to empower parents as active partners, helping them build meaningful, lasting bonds with their children.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

How to Partner in Communities with High Needs

Musician, philanthropist and community leader Stix guides conversation on effective national-local partnerships, shaped by insights in a new documentary film on Watts that includes sections on the role of sports in healing Watts.

• Brandon “Stix” Salaam-Bailey, Founder, ThinkWatts Foundation

• Mike Levin, CEO, Harlem Lacrosse

• Katie Small, Executive Director, Play Ball Foundation

• Sheila Walker, Project Play Colorado, Play Talk: Navigate Adverse Childhood Experiences 

• Moderator: Lindsay Martinez, Director, Youth Sport Americas, Social and Community Impact, Nike

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: THE MELONEERS

Hosted by: Caleb Coats, Project Coordinator, Project Play Colorado

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

U.S. COACH DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING STRATEGY

Leading organizations are rallying around the importance of coaches to youth sports. Hear from those building long-term strategies to recruit, support and train coaches at scale – in line with a new coach development resource from Aspen.

• Kevin Burton, Chief Program Officer, Asphalt Green

• Mallory Mann, PhD, Department Chair of Kinesiology, Pacific Lutheran University

• Craig Morris, CEO, USTA Coaching 

• Moderator: Vince Minjares, PhD, Program Manager, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

What kids today really want

To get and keep more children playing sports, starting with understanding what kids truly seek from an experience. Explore revealing findings from Project Play’s exclusive surveys of youth in the U.S. and Canada.

• Jordan Blazo, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Louisiana Tech University

• Travis Dorsch, PhD, Professor, Human Development & Family Studies, Utah State University

• Stuart McReynolds, Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities

• Presenter/moderator: Jon Solomon, Research Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Breakthrough Ideas from State of Play Communities

We’re always working with partners in local communities, identifying innovative programs and models worth exposing to our national network. In this session, partners in several of our projects share what they’ve learned about what’s winning.

• Lawrence Cann, Founder, Street Soccer USA

• Jenae Jenkins, Executive Director, First Tee Metro Atlanta

• Charlie Katica, Executive Director/CEO, Rainier Adaptive Sports

• Sharlivia Slaughter, Student Success Coordinator and Coach, Stomp N’ Shake Cheer, McDaniel High School, Portland Public Schools

• Moderator: Patricia Shults, Executive Director, Names Family Foundation

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

What States Can Do to Build Better Ecosystems

States have enormous, largely untapped power to create the sport environments that best serve children, families and communities. Explore Project Play’s comprehensive set of ideas, drawing on our leading research on state and national models and work through Project Play Colorado.

• Caleb Coats, Project Coordinator, Project Play Colorado

• Peter Feldman, Director of Programs, Laureus USA

• Jeremy Goldberg, President, LeagueApps

• Moderator: Ashleigh Huffman, PhD, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

From the Court to the Classroom: The Power of Play 

Play is the common thread. Whether it's on the court or in the classroom, play is how young people build the skills that matter most: collaboration, resilience, creative problem-solving, and confidence.

• Alexander Mitchell, Vice President of US, LEGO® Education 

• Brian Scalabrine, former NBA champion (2008 Boston Celtics) and current Celtics TV analyst

Wednesday, MAy 6

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

GRANT-MAKING to Build Better Systems

Foundations are starting to invest in programs that fill gaps in the landscape – mostly with low-income youth. Now, how can grantmakers and grantees work together to build ecosystems that don’t create gaps in the first place? What are the best approaches to leveling the playing field, growing access, lifting standards, and ensuring safety for all? 

• Jayne Greenberg, project director, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

• Julian Rössler, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Adidas Foundation

• Haviland Sharvit, Executive Director, Susan Crown Exchange

• Rebecca Wasserman, Vice President Strategy, GameChanger

• Moderator: Jennifer Brown Lerner, Deputy Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Deep dive on the power of the permit

Facility use permits aren’t paperwork – they are youth sports policy in disguise, quietly determining which programs get space and opportunity. How to redesign permitting as a transparent, data-driven system that promotes equity, safety, and quality in programs?

• Allison Colman, Senior Director of Programs, National Recreation and Park Association

• Birju Kadakia, CEO and Co-founder, Rec Technologies

• Cody Pillon, Executive Director, Oakland Genesis

• Lloyd Tucker, Director, Fairfax County (Va.) Neighborhood and Community Services

• Moderator: Ashleigh Huffman, PhD, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Breakthrough ideas from abroad

Around the globe, traditional sport delivery and governance models are being reimagined, and more often with the needs of grassroots sports being central. Learn about how other countries are meeting the moment of disruption with reform.

• Mary Connor, CEO, Common Goal

• Jacob Schouenborg, Secretary General, International Sport and Culture Association

• Margarita Safdie, Program Manager, Project Play Mexico, Aspen Institute México

• Preeti Sinha, Head of Institutional Partnerships, Right to Play

• Moderator: Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

• Announcement: Pascale Remy, Head of Global Partnerships, Sports dans la Ville

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Meeting Families where they are

If parents are the enablers of play today, what tools do they need to get and keep their child playing into adolescence? With the Project Play Parent Checklists as our guide – including new ones for Spanish-language families distributed with help of Telemundo – we explore practical resources. 

• Kirsten Jones, Peak Performance and Sports Parenting Coach

• Tim Murphy, Co-founder & President, Media, Youth Inc.

• Julián Alonso Restrepo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership and Administration, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Luis Rosero, Vice President of Corporate & External Affairs, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

• Moderator: Ruby Avila, Program Associate, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

• Announcement: Sara Rose Foreman, RDN, CSSD, SNS, Dairy Max

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Rising up in mass

The state of Massachusetts is rich with innovative youth sport providers and enablers. We distill lessons from several leaders with strong track records of growth and progress.

• Kate DeAngelis, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Lexington (Mass.) Parks & Recreation

• Elecia Miller, Lawrence Sports Alliance

• Tom Spangenberg, Chair Emeritus, Massachusetts Youth Lacrosse

• Jason Targoff, President, Cambridge Youth Soccer Association

• Moderator: Melissa Harper, CEO, Good Sports

• Introduction: Sabrina McDonnell, Program Associate, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Aspen Policy Academy: From Advocacy to Action

The Institute’s policy expert leads a fast-paced, high-impact workshop designed to help attendees drive real change in their sports communities. Get a sharp, practical overview of the Academy’s advocacy playbook, learn from a sports policymaker about how policy actually gets made, and experience a live pitch session where attendees can test their ideas and receive immediate feedback.

• Betsy Cooper, Director, Aspen Policy Academy, The Aspen Institute

• Eli Mitchell, Policy Advisor, House Committee on Education and Workforce

• Introduction: Jared Cooper, Executive Director, FundPlay Foundation

All session dates, times and speakers are subject to change.

About Project Play

With Thanks to Our Sponsors

Interested in sponsoring next year’s Summit? Contact Katherine.Quinn@AspenInstitute.org