Speakers include Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament; co-chair of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Dionne Koller; soccer legend Julie Foudy; Olympic hurdles champion Edwin Moses; and Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom.
Contact: Jon Solomon
Editorial Director, Sports & Society Program
The Aspen Institute
jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org
Colorado Springs, CO — The agenda is now available for the 10th Project Play Summit. Speakers and participants from across the country will gather in Colorado Springs from May 17-18 to chart next steps in helping sport develop the human potential of every child. The agenda and speaker list is available to view at https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/summit-2023-agenda.
In 2013, the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program launched Project Playas the nation’s first cross-sector, collective impact effort to build healthy communities through sports. Today, it’s a movement of thousands of organizations across the U.S. and beyond – sharing knowledge and developing actions aligned with our strategic frameworks.
Programming from the summit includes a panel discussion focused on making sport and play more accessible to Native American youth. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament will discuss Montana Pool Service, the nonprofit he founded which has brought skateparks to rural and Native communities across Montana, in conversation with skateboarder Jay Bitsui and Dawn Harflinger, President/CEO of the Lili’uokalani Trust.
Additionally, Dionne Koller, co-chair of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, will share an update on the panel’s plans and host a listening session on the role of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and affiliated national governing bodies in building a better sports ecosystem for youth.
Passes to attend are now sold out, but members of the press are invited to request credentials to attend by contacting Jon Solomon: Jon.Solomon@aspeninstitute.org.
Among the agenda highlights:
Wednesday, May 17
Why Sport Matters Now: Leaders across disciplines explain why sports matter to our children, families, schools, communities, nation, and world. Featuring:
- Pepper Persley, 12-Year-Old Reporter, Dish With Pepper
- Moderator: Karie Conner, Vice President/General Manager, North America Kids, Nike
- Travis Dorsch, Founding Director, Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University
- Denecia Fernandes, Rugby Coach, ICEF Public Schools
- Alana Glass, Director, Project Play: Southeast Michigan
- Carla Stough Huffman, Associate Director, Greater Rochester Afterschool & Summer Alliance
- Bruce Y. Lee, Executive Director, Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research (PHICOR)
- Edwin Moses, Olympic Track and Field Gold Medalist, Chair of Laureus World Sports Academy
Why Project Play Matters Now
- Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
- Tyrre Burks, Founder/CEO, Players Health
- Caitlin Morris, Vice President, Social and Community Impact, Nike
- Craig Robinson, Executive Director/CEO, National Association of Basketball Coaches
- Moderator: Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
- Introduction: Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Aspen Institute
National ACL Injury Coalition Conversation with Laura Robbins, Senior Vice President, Education Institute & Global Affairs, Hospital for Special Surgery
Thursday, May 18
Why the Olympic & Paralympic Movement Matters Now:
- Jeremy Bloom, Olympic Skier and Author, Recalibrate: Navigating the Winding Road to Success
- Edwin Moses, Olympic Track and Field Gold Medalist, Chair of Laureus World Sports Academy
- Melissa Stockwell, Paralympic Gold Medalist, Triathlete, Swimmer
- Moderator: Kevin Carroll, Speaker/Author, Founder, Kevin Carroll Katalyst
Stewardship: What’s the best role for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and its affiliated National Governing Bodies in supporting community sports?
- Dionne Koller, Sports Law Professor and Director, University of Baltimore Center for Sport and the Law; Co-Chair, Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics
- Moderator: Tom Farrey, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
Breakout Sessions: Concurrent programming will explore how youth sports leaders and advocates can partner with national governing bodies, professional teams, philanthropy, schools, Park and Recs, and Parents.
Training Coaches in Youth Development
- Nina Johnson-Pitt, Senior Strategy Executive, Little League Baseball and Softball
- Hannah Olson, Director, University of Washington Center for Leadership in Athletics
- Rachelle Patel, Director of Marketing and Partnerships, Laureus Sport for Good USA
- Moderator: Dr. Vince Minjares, Project Manager, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
- Introduction: Kevin Connors, Senior Director, Susan Crown Exchange
Olympic & Paralympic Reform Commission Listening Session: Commission leadership hosts its first listening session since being seated by Congress. Watch on livestream: https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/summit-2023-livestream
- Conversation led by Dionne Koller, Co-Chair of the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics; Sports Law Professor and Director, University of Baltimore Center for Sport and the Law
- Kathryn Carson, Chair, USA Gymnastics, Member, NGB Congressional Commission Task Force
- Ron Nocetti, Executive Director, California Interscholastic Federation
- Renata Simril, President/CEO, LA84 Foundation
- Introduction: Julie Foudy, ESPN Analyst and Olympic Gold Medalist
Drawing the Line on Emotional and Physical Abuse
- Ju’Riese Colón, CEO, U.S. Center for SafeSport
- Skip Gilbert, CEO, US Youth Soccer Association
- Dr. Jennifer Royer, Senior Director of TrueSport & Awareness, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
- Moderator: T.J. Quinn, Reporter, ESPN
Recruiting Coaches to Serve Their Community
- Daphne Johnson, Chief Program Officer, Chicago Park District
- Dr. Nicole LaVoi, Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, University of Minnesota
- Shawn Maloney, Mountain Regional Manager, USA Lacrosse
- Moderator: Dr. Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Executive Director of Teaching/Research, LiFEsports Initiative, The Ohio State University
Breakout Sessions: Concurrent programming will explore topics including leveraging data for local advocacy, sports lessons from the pandemic, mobilizing students for action, and one family’s journey through sports.
The Story We Can Tell by 2030: Leaders share plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Games legacy
- Moderator: Julie Foudy, ESPN Analyst and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Erikk Aldridge, Vice President of Impact, LA28
- Rocky Harris, Chief of Sport & Athlete Services, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Kids are Made to Play: How Nike is Reimagining Victory for the Next Generation
- Megan Bartlett, Founder, The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport
- Karie Conner, Vice President/General Manager, North America Kids, Nike
- Chantel Navarro, Nike Athlete and Team USA Boxer
- Moderator: Matt Geschke, Senior Director of Social & Community Impact, Nike
Beyond Team USA: Sport for All, Play for Life: Considering the human potential of Native American youth – and the barriers that many face today. How can we make sport and play accessible for the hardest to reach?
- Jeff Ament, Co-Founder & Bassist, Pearl Jam, and Founder, Montana Pool Service
- Jay Bitsui, Skateboarder from Browning, Montana
- Moderator: Dawn Harflinger, President/CEO, Lili’uokalani Trust
- Introduction: Sam McCracken, General Manager, N7
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