Beyond Sport

For World Football Day, we’re introducing Play Coll3ctive, a new initiative to back community organizations expanding equitable access to sport. 3 years. 3 countries. 3 strategic partners. Stay tuned as we’ll announce the project partners in the host cities soon 👀

Confidence is something you practice. In Hong Kong, InspiringHK Sports Foundation uses basketball to help young people build resilience, teamwork and self-belief — both on and off the court. With the right support, sport becomes a place to try, fail, grow and keep going. 🏀

May 26 is #WorldFootballGivingDay, powered by Common Goal ⚽ A global moment to back organizations using football for good — creating safer spaces, opening doors and building stronger communities. Support Beyond Sport and help us keep supporting this work.

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO APPLY! 🚨 The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award recognizes youth who are using sport as a catalyst for social change. The application for the 2026 BJKYLA is open until May 22. Apply at bit.ly/BJKYLA-2026 💚

For many, the water offers something different — a sense of freedom, capability or belonging. In Poland, Fundacja Swim for a Dream uses swimming to create space for people to move, explore and build confidence on their own terms. 🏊️

The HITG evaluation shows that mental health support in sports can grow with the right tools and continued learning. Coaches who took part in both training & the Learning Community felt more confident starting conversations, recognizing when young people might be struggling.

Feeling pressure? Going through a change? Trying to stay grounded? Former Cowboys tight end Ian Bunting has a few words for you. A lesson from the locker room for #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth — thanks to the @NFLPA for helping make the connection. 💚

In São Tomé and Príncipe, 48% of girls don’t know how to swim and are scared of the sea. SOMA Surf is changing that through surf therapy, combining surfing, guided reflection and trauma-informed support to help participants build confidence and manage stress. 🏄‍♀️

Join us for our Head In The Game Munch & Learn w/ Dr. Meredith Whitley. This session will explore The Paradox of Participation & the ways youth sport can both support & undermine mental health. 🗓 May 19 | ⏱ 12pm EST | 💻 Virtual 👉 RSVP required at bit.ly/HITGMAY

On the Thailand–Myanmar border, Freedom Restoration Project supports survivors of gender-based violence through counseling, shelter and survivor-led care. Through trauma-informed soccer and boxing, they’re creating space to rebuild confidence and connection. 🌿

From the Head in the Game evaluation: 100% of organizations in the program are now better equipped to support youth mental health — with changes showing up in training and program design. 💡

Educators, coaches & mentors in the U.S. — help us identify youth leaders in your community! The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award application is open. 👉 Apply by May 22: bit.ly/BJKYLA-2026

What happens when mental health becomes part of how sport is delivered? Our first external evaluation of Head In The Game shares five key takeaways on coaches, young people, organizations and intentional design. beyondsport.org/2026/05/11/wha…

A tool we use every day becomes a doorway to a new community. Social Innovation Sports’ Play4All AI uses a WhatsApp chatbot to connect migrants, refugees and low-income adults to nearby, affordable sport and physical activity opportunities. 🎥 Watch their story. #Tech4Good

Learning to manage your emotions is a skill—and it can be practiced. @futbolmasesp builds simple reflection and check-in moments into sport sessions, helping young people understand how they feel and respond to challenges. Making emotional support part of everyday play. 💚

What if more people had the opportunity to run? Through Blade for the One and Blade for All, Xiborg is pairing prosthetic innovation with athletic coaching and community clinics to broaden opportunities to run, play and compete. 🎥 Meet Xiborg.

Do you know a young person in the U.S. using sport to make an impact? The application for the 2026 Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award is now open. 🔗 Apply here: bit.ly/BJKYLA-2026

Sport can be more than a setting — it can be part of the solution. In the U.S., @DocWayneDTG uses sport-based therapy, where trained coaches lead sessions designed to help young people process emotions, build coping skills and regulate stress through play. 🧠

80% of coaches in the HITG program feel more prepared to start mental health conversations with their teams. That looks like recognizing when frustration is about more than the game — and taking the time to check in. More insights from the Head in the Game eval on the way!

What if a walk in the park could earn your next coffee? That’s the idea behind @CivicDollars Active Dollars — using digital incentives to encourage everyday activity while supporting wellbeing and prevention at the community level. 🎥 #Tech4Good