Project Play is a community of more than 20,000 organizations and leaders building healthy children through sports. 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.

Thank you for applying to be a 2024 Project Play Champion!

Applicants will be notified in mid-March of their acceptance.

A Project Play Champion applicant must highlight a new action that will launch or take place between May 2023 and May 2024. This action should demonstrate alignment with at least one of Project Play’s 8 Plays, create more opportunity to expand or improve program offerings to youth and show alignment with the program’s mission and values.

What is a new and meaningful action?

Project Play Champion meaningful actions may include but are not limited to:

• Grant-making or policies that encourage sport participation growth

• Deployment of resources to create or improve quality in a program

• Introduction of breakthrough solution (e.g., technology, media)

• Announcement of a new or enhanced partnership

• Leadership in rallying other organizations within its sector

• Other interventions or programs

ACTION Time Frame:

• This action will launch or take place between May 2023 and May 2024.

Eligibility and Criteria

Project Play Champions are local and regional nonprofit sports organizations operating in the United States. Each organization is required to:

• Endorse the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports

• Promote Project Play’s shared vision and activities

• Submit an annual progress report to the Aspen Institute showing progress made against their commitment

Note: To ensure that we honor as many organizations’ new and meaningful commitments as possible, Project Play Champions from previous cohorts are not eligible to reapply for future cohorts. However, you may continue to use the branded logo with your Project Play Champion year (2023, 2022, etc.) in future communications.

Benefits for Champions

Project Play Champions receive:

• Recognition on Aspen Institute Project Play website and in other program materials

• Use of Project Play Champions logo and related materials

• Quarterly webinars detailing updates, opportunities, and networking for Champions

• Organizational recognition at annual Project Play Summit and opportunities to network with other Champions, as well as community and industry leaders

• Priority registration access for the annual Project Play Summit, which sells out annually

TIMELINE

• Applications for the 2024 cohort closed on February 12, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET

• Interviews will be conducted through March 8, 2024, as necessary

• Virtual welcome to the 2024 Champions and Project Play Summit preview in late March 2024

• Option to attend the Project Play Summit at the special Champions rate in Baltimore, MD on May 14 & 15, 2024

Please reach out to Sabrina McDonnell (sabrina.mcdonnell@aspeninstitute.org) with any questions.

2-4-1

2-4-1, a nonprofit who lives their tagline of “Life’s 2 Short 4 Just 1 Sport”, continues to center the voice of young people by putting play back into sports and creating sport sampling opportunities. Given interest expressed by youth to try fencing, 2-4-1 partnered with Eric Momberg, head coach at Lawrence University and a member of USA Fencing and the US Fencing Coaches Association, to create 2-4-1 Fencing. The national program is a highly successful, easy to implement, low cost and low barrier-to-entry way to introduce kids to fencing that translates directly to Olympic-style fencing.

Athlos Movement & Character PRogram

The Athlos Movement and Character Program offers online tools that help P.E. teachers, coaches, school district leaders, performance trainers, afterschool program providers, parks and recreation programmers, and parents develop movement and character traits in students. This year, Athlos will make the resources free to the above groups. Users can choose from more than 750 age- and stage-appropriate movement sessions. The movement curriculum is designed to be “as prescriptive as desired,” making it a one-stop shop for coaches at all experience levels.

Black Cultural Zone

The Black Cultural Zone, a community development corporation and coalition of Black people and business, operates an outdoor roller rink in Central East Oakland. The Black Cultural Zone will launch programs to work with early and emerging skaters at its rink and through its traveling program with a continued focus on safety. In addition, young people will act as skating ambassadors and trainers on the newly created Youth Skate Ambassador Council to be a critical voice in the development of future programs, services, and events. 

Boys and Girls Club of Laredo

Laredo Learns, a nonprofit organization, will be introducing the Triple Play Plus Program to respond to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on its community’s in-town leagues. The program is partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo and the College of Education at Texas A&M International University. Triple Play Fun provides lessons on good nutrition, making physical fitness a daily practice and developing individual strengths and good character during dedicated casual play at the Boys and Girls Club location and in partnership with schools.

Cubs Charities

Cubs Charities mobilizes the power of sport to champion youth, families, and communities. Cubs Charities commits to strengthening the network of caring adults who support youth in Cubs Charities’ continuum of programs. The Cubs Junior All-Stars (CJAS) program blends fun baseball/softball instruction with activities that build social and emotional learning skills for elementary-school aged children. In 2023, Cubs Charities is implementing new strategies to train CJAS coaches, evaluate implementation of the evidence-based curriculum, and share knowledge with community leagues/partners. Additionally, in 2023 Cubs Charities is championing new efforts to strengthen capacity among program alumni, coaches, and community partners to extend the impact of our outreach and contribute to a more unified and thriving Chicago.

Gasol Foundation USA

Gasol Foundation empowers children and their parents by promoting healthy lifestyles and improving outcomes. The organization does this with an evidenced-based prevention model focused on four healthy habits: physical activity, diet, proper sleep, and emotional well-being. Three of its free programs will be expanded in Los Angeles and Orange Counties as well as San Bernardino in partnership with entities like parks and recs departments, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs and pro sports teams. In addition to programming, Gasol Foundation carries out its mission through evaluation and research, and public policy and awareness. 

i-tri

i-tri, a nonprofit organization that operates at no cost to middle school girls, is expanding its free, signature empowerment and triathlon training program in the under-resourced communities of The East End of Long Island. Middle school girls from three additional public schools (Quogue School, East Quogue Middle School and Westhampton Beach Middle School) will now have the programming, held on weekdays after school and on Saturdays, along with the 12 public schools already offering programming.

Koa Sports

Koa Sports, a nonprofit organization committed to shaping kids’ lives through sports, will be hosting a number of promotional days before each season for kids to test different sports without having to commit to a season. Koa provides equipment for each promotional day, so parents do not have to purchase equipment if their child isn't interested in continuing the sport. Different promotional days include field hockey, flag football, ball hockey, pickleball and a multi-sport camp.

Lorain County Community College

Lorain County Community College (LCCC) will be leveraging its resources to expand and improve the sports offerings of the City of Elyria Parks and Recreation Department. For example, the LCCC women’s soccer coach will help to organize summer clinics utilizing her players as coaches. In addition, LCCC will host a Beginning Athletic Coaching Clinic in Summer 2023.

National Interscholastic Cycling Association

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), comprised of state interscholastic cycling leagues, will be launching and expanding its revamped coach training program. The initiative will prepare coaches for successful interactions with young athletes by shifting the focus to promoting positive behavior expectations and managing negative behaviors. NICA will reach over 2,500 coaches with this training in 2023, more than double than the prior year, and commits to grow the number each year.

New York Junior Tennis & Learning

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) will promote and deliver injury prevention education and screening programs to coaches, participants, and select Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning community programs. NYTJL is the largest nonprofit youth tennis and education program in the nation, reaching 85,000 youth annually. Coaches, trainees, and participants at NYTJL will learn about the health benefits associated with physical activity and how to reduce the risk of preventable injury. The impact of this initiative will benefit individuals within and beyond NYJTL programs.

Oakland Soccer Club

Oakland Soccer Club (OSC) is a community-based youth soccer development program founded in 1974 serving under-resourced players through an inclusive model of affordable, high-quality coaching and mentorship. OSC's new Women’s First Team will unite the diverse and skilled female players who grew up in the community and deserve an equal outlet to showcase their growth to receive exposure. OSC’s Women’s First Team will compete in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) and represents the final level of the club’s youth program. These efforts are part of a larger club-wide effort to address gender disparities in youth soccer through investing in program elements that support the health and welfare of our female players.

One Roof Foundation

One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Seattle Kraken, is committed to building the most inclusive hockey culture in the country, and that starts with youth. One Roof Foundation’s engagement strategy includes bringing new communities to Kraken facilities and going into different communities to meet people where they are and on their terms. In support of the Aspen Institute’s ongoing State of Play Tacoma-Pierce County report, One Roof Foundation is expanding its partnership with Metro Parks Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools through floorball equipment and clinics.

Skyhawks Rise

Skyhawks Rise, the nonprofit arm of Skyhawks Sports Academy, seeks to advance play equity by providing equitable access to youth sport and development opportunities in underserved communities to ensure all children have the opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits of active play. The nonprofit provides free, introductory, and recreational level programs in a variety of sports. In honor of Project Play Summit 2023 in Colorado Springs, Skyhawks Rise will be hosting a Day of Play event allowing attendees to experience a variety of sports in one setting and create opportunities for access to quality sport.

Southern California Tennis Association

Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) will work in neighborhoods which have been disproportionately impacted by violence to provide tennis participation, social and emotional learning, life skills opportunities, and interventions. In conjunction with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, SCTA has identified four neighborhoods and communities of color to target boys and girls ages 8-13 who may have participated in other sports at their recreation sites. The program, funded through a CalVIP (Violence, Intervention, & Prevention) grant from the California State Board of Community Corrections, began its inaugural 10-week session in April 2023. Programming will continue through June 2025.

St. louis City League

City League partners with middle schools in St. Louis to reduce the barriers to sustainably develop and implement school sport programs for the city’s 9,000 middle school students. In 2023, City League plans to expand to three new middle school partners and work to increase participation in high quality school sports and extracurricular activities at its current schools by 10%.

The SHarewaves Foundation

ShareWaves targets children deprived of equitable physical activity, exercise, and sports engagement by providing opportunities for underserved youth to participate in high-quality sports experiences, increasing funding to enhance those experiences, and promoting the life-long mental and physical health benefits of play, sports participation, and physical activity. Recent grants will allow the expansion of the Animal Movements fitness and education program, allowing elementary-aged children to learn quality movement and proper food choices within more than 30 schools and a girls' volleyball program in Kansas City. Youth will participate in spring and summer strength and conditioning.

Three Rivers Rowing Association

Three Rivers Rowing Association, a membership organization offering rowing and dragon boating programs to anyone living in the Pittsburgh region, will launch Row412 Youth Program. Through Row412, the staff will travel to schools and community centers, bringing indoor rowing equipment and curriculum to introduce the sport to students. In addition, there is a customizable afterschool program with a curriculum designed to holistically develop students through sport.

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes

The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, the National Governing Body for blind soccer, will establish five regional hubs with six partner locations for blind soccer development and growth. Through the development and expansion of the grassroots blind soccer program, USABA envisions many targeted communities offering soccer programs for hundreds to thousands of people who are visually impaired. The soccer program will deliver recreational and competitive play opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired of all ages and abilities and create a pipeline process from grassroots to the national team level.

Youth on Course

Youth on Course (YOC) is a nonprofit organization that provides more than 140,000 members with access to play nearly 2,000 golf courses for $5 or less. YOC created the DRIVE Club (Diversity, Respect, Inclusion, Voice, Equity) to address golf’s cultural barriers. For young people who don't come from a golfing family, an invitation from a peer may be their only chance to play. DRIVE Club empowers its members to invite their peers to the golf course and guide them through their first rounds, giving them the opportunity to enjoy all the things avid golfers love: Being outdoors, socializing, developing skills, and building relationships. 

PAST PROJECT PLAY CHAMPIONS

What’s Your Play 2015-2017

What’s Your Play honored eight organizations a year corresponding to Project Play’s 8 Plays from 2015 to 2017.