MORE THAN A GAME. A PLACE TO BELONG.
Jumpstart is partnering with ThinkSport to launch the Canadian Sport Innovation Challenge, focusing on one big goal: helping more young athletes feel like they belong in organized sport. The challenge invites ideas that build confidence, strengthen support systems, and help kids see themselves reflected in the game.
THE CHALLENGE
The challenge combines the “Confidence & Belonging” and “Role Models” themes into one central question:
How might we build a sport community so supportive that every young athlete feels they truly belong and can see themselves in the game?
The global call will invite academics, entrepreneurs, social innovators and technology organizations to submit solutions designed around the needs and experiences of Canadian youth.
Submissions could include new tools, training, platforms or approaches that strengthen coaching and team culture, connect young people with relatable role models, or create opportunities for peer storytelling and support.
The selected solution will be intended for implementation in Canada, with the potential to inform youth sport approaches in other countries.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts and narrowed to five finalists.
SUPPORTIVE COACHING • PARENTS & FAMILIES • PEER CONNECTION • RELATABLE ROLE MODELS
Our Role
This challenge is grounded in what Jumpstart continues to hear from kids, parents and communities across Canada: sport can help young people build confidence, but only when they feel welcome, supported and represented.
Insights from Jumpstart’s 2025 national research and July 2026 Play to Lead youth workshop show that feeling “not good enough,” not seeing relatable role models and lacking a supportive team environment can all make it harder for kids to stay engaged in sport.
To help define the challenge, Jumpstart brought together 12 young women from across Canada to share their experiences and perspectives on what belonging in sport means to them, recognizing that the young people most impacted by sport experiences should have a voice in shaping solutions.
Throughout a workshop facilitated by ThinkSport, participants highlighted the importance of representation, confidence and connection, sharing: "When I joined a new team I felt very out of place... there wasn't many people who looked like me who play that sport," and "It can be hard to believe in yourself and be confident when you feel alone in your experience."
Their insights shaped the final challenge direction, ensuring youth voices were embedded in the focus of the challenge itself.
The goal is to move from research and youth insights to a practical, scalable solution that helps sport organizations create more welcoming and inclusive environments.
In Partnership With
ThinkSport isn't just about ideas, it's about impact. Previous challenges have inspired solutions like Equip Lockers, a program Jumpstart has invested in to help break down equipment barriers and expand access to sport for families across Canada.
Applications Open
Visit ThinkSport to learn more about the challenge and submit an application.
Press Release
ThinkSport and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities Launch Global Challenge to Strengthen Belonging in Sport.
TORONTO, ON (October 1, 2026) – ThinkSport and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) today launched the Canadian Sport Innovation Challenge, a global call for practical, scalable solutions to help create more welcoming and inclusive sport environments for young people across Canada.