Aspen Institute Sports & Society

04/03/2026

Active kids do better in life. They are less anxious, use drugs less often, and are less likely to suffer a range of diseases as adults. Yet, barely half of youth in the U.S. today play sports.

Today, Tom Farrey takes the TED stage to share a vision for the future of play. From the Children's Bill of Rights in Sports to the incredible success story of Norway's sports system, this talk is a must-watch for every parent, coach, and community leader.

Watch the full TED Talk here:

What if success in youth sports wasn't measured by scholarships and championships, but by how many kids stayed in the game? Tom Farrey, founder of Project Play, traces how athletics have drifted away from play to pressure — and what it would take to build a system where more kids can rediscover th...

03/31/2026

🎉 Platinum Sponsor Announcement:

Project Play is thrilled to announce The Good Game Athletics as a first-time supporter of Project Play Summit 2026! This youth sports platform is dedicated to helping families and parents better support their child’s sports journey — we are grateful for their efforts to increase access and opportunity for young athletes everywhere, and for enabling more people to Join the Game they love.

03/16/2026

🥇Gold Sponsor Announcement:
In addition to being #1 in orthopedics in the US, Hospital for Special Surgery has been a key partner of Project Play for years, where they have been driving awareness and solutions in serious knee injuries for young people through the National ACL Injury Coalition and beyond. Thank you for their continuous support of young athletes’ injury prevention and musculoskeletal care.

We are excited to have HSS back as a sponsor of the Project Play Summit!

03/10/2026

“Art can be like a matrix — a singular image containing many meanings.” — Paul Pfeiffer

Last month at , on the eve of Frieze Los Angeles, the Aspen Society hosted a conversation exploring sport through the lens of visual art.

Curator Britt Salvesen of led a discussion with artists , , and about how sport becomes material in their work and a way to explore spectacle, history, and collective identity.

The conversation explored how sport can reveal deeper cultural forces. From the aesthetics of uniforms and stadiums to the political weight of global tournaments, the artists reflected on how sport carries memory, ideology, and shared meaning. In their work, sport becomes a way to examine spectacle, belief, leadership, and the ways societies see themselves.

This conversation is part of a larger arc leading to our forthcoming exhibition at ahead of the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where these themes will continue to unfold.

Thank you to the Aspen Society and for bringing this community together.

👉 Learn more about Why We Play at the link in our bio 🔗

02/23/2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded with Team USA winning more gold medals than it ever has – and tiny Norway winning even more, a record 18 gold and 41 overall medals. What to make of that? Tom Farrey, who leads the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, explains that if we understand what really drove those results, we can build sport ecosystems that better serve children and communities.

The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded with Team USA winning more gold medals than it ever has – and tiny Norway winning even more, a record 18 gold and 41 overall medals. What to make of that? Tom Farrey, who leads the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, explains that if we understand what ...

02/06/2026

What can global competition teach us about cooperation, power, and belonging? 🏅

As the begin today in Milan Cortina, sport takes center stage — not just as competition, but as a global moment shaped by shared rules, values, and power dynamics.

Those questions sit at the heart of Why We Play.

This fall, our partners at Aspen Institute Italia hosted a roundtable in Milan exploring the role of sport in society and international relations. The conversation surfaced four themes that feel especially relevant right now:

🤝 Values, competition, and cooperation
🌍 Social cohesion, well-being, and inclusion 
📊 Economic and technological dimensions 
🕊️ International relations and sports diplomacy

As the Olympics unfold, these themes invite us to think more deeply about how sport can strengthen connection, cooperation, and shared responsibility.

🔗Link in bio to read the conversation.

GlobalSport InternationalRelations

02/05/2026

🗣️“Belonging is about bringing together the greatest number of perspectives so we can learn how to live together.” — Binta Niambi Brown

In this conversation, Binta Niambi Brown, Entertainment Partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP — the presenting sponsor of Why We Play —reflects on sport’s role in society and its potential to help us better understand our shared humanity. 🌍

For Binta, belonging is a collective practice.
It’s about bringing many perspectives into the same space so we can navigate difference, listen more closely, and learn how to live together. 🤝👂

Sport can be one of those spaces.
A place where shared experiences help us connect across difference.

What does belonging make possible when many perspectives come together? 💭

👉 Learn more about Why We Play at the link in our bio 🔗

02/04/2026

HAPPY NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY! From all of us here at Project Play, cheers to the incredible athletes, coaches, officials and leaders for continuing to build a sports ecosystem that support all girls and women.

We are so proud of all of our partners across 63X30, Project Play Champions, State of Play communities, our leadership roundtables, and across the Project Play network for their tireless work to bridge gaps and make sports & physical activity a welcoming and fun space to play.

01/29/2026

“To be able to understand sport from a collectivity and from what it means to participate within one’s community is a really important way to discuss the relationship to sport and play as well.” —

Sport isn’t only an individual pursuit.
It’s shaped by how we participate together. 🏟️🤝

In this conversation, Catherine Opie, a photographer and athlete herself, reflects on what it means to understand sport through participation and community, not just through winners and losers.

Sport can be a shared space for this kind of belonging.
One where participation matters and community takes shape. ✨

How do you experience belonging in sport as part of something shared? 💭

👉 Learn more about Why We Play at the link in our bio 🔗

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01/22/2026

For many people, sport is where belonging begins, and leadership follows. 🏟️

In this conversation, James Washington, President of the and former player, reflects on how sport became a place where belonging took shape in his life.

Belonging to a team became something deeper.
A foundation for leadership.
A sense of purpose.
A commitment to showing up for his community. 🤝

When belonging exists in sport, it can open pathways far beyond the game.

Where has sport shaped your sense of belonging, and how has that stayed with you? 💭

Thank you to the Rose Bowl Institute for hosting the roundtable and creating space for these conversations.

👉 Learn more about Why We Play at the link in our bio 🔗

01/20/2026

roundtable member PGA of America is forming a new alliance with First Tee and Youth on Course to align youth golf around the principles of elevating participation, removing barriers to access and supporting children's rights.

“By joining forces with the First Tee and Youth on Course, we aspire to set a positive example within our industry and underscore the power that collaboration holds in increasing and sustaining the game,” says Steve Tanner, PGA of America Senior Director of Player Engagement. “We are also committed to tracking and reporting our progress toward these goals, providing valuable metrics to shape future decision making.”

Learn more about the new alliance in youth golf:

The PGA of America, First Tee and Youth on Course are teaming up to back the Project Play 63X30 initiative with a mission to grow participation in youth sports to 63% over the next five years.

01/16/2026

“Belonging means everything to me.” – 💬

In this conversation, , 2x Paralympic gold medalist and co-founder of , shares how living with a physical disability often made him feel like an outsider, and how sport became a place of connection, community, and purpose.

Living with a physical disability, Ezra talks about how everyday spaces can make people feel disconnected. Sport became different. A universal language. A place where connection came first and community replaced isolation.

Where has sport helped you feel a sense of belonging?

👉 Learn more about Why We Play and explore more stories at the link in our bio.