Anthropy “Future of Play” Global Events

The Future of Play Challenge - Apply Today!

Together with our partners at ThinkSport, we are reimagining how kids play, grow, and thrive—through sport, technology, and new ideas.

The Future of Play Challenge brings together global innovators from gaming, AI, health, data, and emerging technology with leaders across youth sports, media, and healthcare. Our shared goal: to rethink how play and sport work for kids today—and how they should work tomorrow.

This is an open innovation challenge. We are not looking for one answer or one type of solution. We are inviting bold ideas that shape the future of youth play in meaningful, scalable, and responsible ways.

Why This Matters

Youth sports sit at the intersection of physical health, mental well-being, education, community, and family life—yet the systems that support them have changed very little in decades.

At the same time:

• Costs are rising

• Participation patterns are shifting

• Data and research are uneven or incomplete

• Technology is advancing faster than youth sports can adapt

The Future of Play Challenge exists to close that gap.

Market Opportunity

Youth sports represent a large and evolving global market:

• $38–56B global youth sports market (2024–2025 estimates)

• Tens of millions of children participate in organized sports annually in the U.S. alone

• Roughly 65% of kids ages 6–17 engage in at least one sport

• U.S. families commonly spend $1,000+ per child per year, with costs increasing sharply as kids specialize

Despite this scale, innovation remains fragmented—especially in areas like engagement design, data-driven decision-making, inclusion, and long-term athlete health.

Who Should Apply

• Startups and founders

• Researchers and technologists

• Designers, developers, and interdisciplinary teams

• Builders working in software, hardware, data, health, media, or services

If your idea influences how kids play, train, move, recover, or stay active, it belongs here.

What Participants Gain

• Compete for non-dilutive cash prizes and in-kind offerings

• Exposure to industry leaders across youth sports, media, and health

• Opportunities to test ideas with real partners and real data

• Feedback from experts shaping the future of play

• Potential pathways to pilots, partnerships, and commercialization

What we’re looking for:

This challenge is intentionally broad. We welcome solutions at any stage that influence how kids experience play, sport, and physical activity.

To help spark ideas, many submissions naturally align with themes like the examples below—but these are illustrative, not restrictive.

Example Theme: Engagement

How might we make play and youth sports more engaging, motivating, and fun for kids?

Youth sports often compete with highly immersive digital experiences while relying on outdated formats. New approaches could reimagine how kids discover, participate in, and stay excited about play.

Example areas include:

• Gamification and incentive models

• Augmented or mixed reality experiences

• Social and community-driven platforms

• New formats for competition, practice, or free play

Example Theme: Accessibility & Inclusion

How might we make youth sports easier to access and more equitable for families and communities?

Barriers to entry—cost, location, visibility, data gaps—limit participation, particularly for under-represented groups. Innovation can unlock new ways to broaden access and improve decision-making.

Example areas include:

• Data platforms and insight tools for families and administrators

• Discovery, mapping, or navigation tools for programs and resources

• Solutions focused on girls, underserved populations, or non-traditional pathways

• Low-cost or community-first participation models

Selected participants may gain access to real-world datasets from ecosystem partners to support development and testing.

Example Theme: Health & Safety

How might we help kids play longer, safer, and healthier?

Early specialization, overuse injuries, and limited pediatric research can create long-term risks. New tools can support healthier development while keeping kids active and engaged.

Example areas include:

• Injury detection, monitoring, and prevention

• Cognitive and physical performance insights

• Return-to-play guidance and recovery tools

• Female athlete health and personalized safety solutions