As a cross-cutting issue, sport for social impact is directly and indirectly impacted by USG budget and staffing cuts - from scientific research (e.g, CDC’s TBI research) to education to community health programs and services. Globally, the dismantling of USAID and the wider aid freeze has disrupted youth and community development programs that leverage sport for health education and life skills, prevent HIV, integrate mental health, promote peace and people-to-people reconciliation, empower adolescent girls, and engage disconnected young men and boys. At the very moment we are in an exciting mega decade of sport, these funding and staffing cuts pose a real challenge to progress at scale on sport for social impact - for young people, for the sector, and for research and evidence generation that helps us understand what works when it comes to designing impactful policy and programs.

While daunting, these challenges are also an opportunity - indeed they will require us - to find new ways of thinking about how we partner and implement programs to reach more young people, prioritize locally-led and owned solutions, and build stronger coalitions of support for sport as a tool for social impact.

We can work more strategically with the sporting goods industry to help break down barriers, connecting brands with local and global organizations, communities and young people - especially the most marginalized - to identify interventions that are innovative, inclusive, and fit-for-purpose. (For more, see a new 2025 Impact Report by the The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry).

At the local, state and federal level, a strong case can be made to decision-makers with limited budgets about the broader ROI of sport for social impact, and in ways that connect to larger national conversations about community advancement and well being. Even if in the near-term legislation or new resources seem unlikely, continued policy engagement with Congressional, bipartisan champions and thought partners on legislation, like the The Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, the 2023 Play Act or 2025 Fair Play for Women Act, for example, is essential for promoting an policy ecosystem that supports young people's access and opportunity in sport.

Participation in sport does not guarantee positive developmental outcomes for young people and, in some cases, may exacerbate negative behaviors or existing stressors, such as personal image, cost or performance expectations for young people and their families. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an evidence-based framework for building youth assets, agency, and contribution in environments that enable their wellbeing, leadership and growth.

However, sport for development research tells us that when PYD is applied intentionally, it can transform physical activity into a powerful tool to promote character, competence, confidence, and connection. PYD can also engender a positive and empowering youth sports culture that contributes to the mental health and overall well-being of young people. For example, when coaches are trained to prioritize character development, teamwork, and resilience, young people are more likely to stay engaged in sports and build essential life skills. In turn, when young people are meaningfully engaged in decision-making and leadership, we are more likely to achieve multi-generational investments that sustain and transform the future of sport long-term. 

PYD is a US-based framework and has been adopted for global contexts by USAID. Similar concepts and approaches can be found in communities around the world. Importantly, these types of “strength-based” frameworks offer sport for social impact interventions an evidence-based methodology to design holistic, cross-functional programs with young people, coaches, families, and communities. As we consider ways to have the most impact on young people in this mega decade of sport, and for youth and the future of sport as a whole, leveraging frameworks that recognize young people as assets, invest in their agency, and engage whole systems to achieve impact is vital. 

Around the world, mental health is among the most critical health issues facing young people today, and is linked to a wide range of health and opportunity risks such as teen pregnancy, HIV, sexual violence, substance abuse, and barriers to economic opportunity. Physical activity has been proven as a strategy for the prevention and treatment of mental health and well being, social connection, and community. Further, evidence shows that the type and intensity of activity matters less for mental health benefits than the overall time spent, and that emphasizing enjoyment, self-efficacy (or agency), and personal preference are all predictors of long-term engagement in sport - the latter being an especially relevant data point for improving young peoples’ sustained participation in sport. 

Greater focus on the intersection of sport and youth mental health is an opportunity to address the needs of young people, while advancing key targets for both physical activity and mental health. Using sport-based life skills training can, for example, be a powerful vehicle to introduce content that supports identity development and frames mental health as essential to building a strong sense of self and purpose, using components of Positive Psychology. Sports-based curriculum can include practical tools for emotional regulation, stress management, and resilience. In particular, helping youth understand and manage their emotions as a key aspect of effective leadership—on and off the field. Embedding these topics within sports, a setting that is already familiar and engaging for youth, allows us to normalize conversations around mental health and reduce stigma.

Achieving effective mental health integration requires stronger collaboration and information sharing among those working in sport, child and youth development, and in mental health. By working together, we can better ensure sound strategy, safeguarding and protection, evidence-based practice, and the effective mobilization of new resources to support mental health research, program integration, and training for front-line actors (e.g, coaches and mentors). 

A core contributing factor to failed community development interventions - including sport for social impact - is when youth, families, and communities are not engaged at the outset in decision-making, design, and implementation. The fact is, top down approaches rarely work: when it comes to young people, we risk overlooking their specific and unique needs, and their skills and talent for problem solving. For example, integrating meaningful and inclusive youth engagement in activity co-creation engages young people’s expertise, while building their skills and ensuring greater ownership over outcomes. It is an intergenerational way of working that is badly needed as we enter this next mega decade of sport. 

From state and federal-level policy dialogue, to program design and community engagement around events like the LA Olympics, we have a unique opportunity to change the game by how we engage young people. 

From education to mental health to transitions to adulthood, it is clear that young men and boys are not alright, with consequences for all of society. Meanwhile, engagement in sport, which has long been recognized as a powerful tool for young people’s connectedness and wellbeing, has seen a downward trend in boys’ sport participation over the past decade, especially among low-income boys (with only 25% playing sport as compared to 53% of all boys). Research by the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) identifies rising costs, academic eligibility rules, a dearth of quality coaches, and fewer recreational play opportunities as contributing factors to young men and boys falling behind in sports participation. Competition with screens, lingering effects of the pandemic, and fewer opportunities for casual play are also pulling young men and boys away from physical activity and teams. 

Of course, participation in sport is not enough to address the complex economic and social changes that have combined to change boys’ and men’s trajectories. We will need every tool we have to address gaps in education achievement, economic opportunity, and loneliness. However, when we consider spaces where we can reach young people, impart skills and a sense of belonging, connect with role models and caring adults, and teach skills in communication, empathy, and teamwork, sport has a powerful role to play. Addressing barriers to access sport, and linking efforts to strengthen recreation and sports focused policy for young people, should be understood as part of our larger national conversation about finding solutions for our young men and boys.