Ways to better the world of youth sport for current and future athletes will be at the heart of an event hosted by Brock University next week.

Organized by Brock’s Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport in partnership with Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX), the Youth Sport Summit on Wednesday, April 24 will feature two dozen workshops, panels and presentations from both academic and community sport professionals.

“We have an amazing lineup of presenters who will share insights and best practices in several facets of youth sport, including inclusivity, injury prevention, mental health and more,” says Corliss Bean, Director of the Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport and Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock. “This event will be a meaningful space to bring people together to learn, network and generate new ideas.”

Sawyer Nicholson, a 12-year-old soccer player and record-breaking runner, will be among the presenters at an inclusivity themed podium session. She will share her experiences earning a world record for her age group at last year’s Niagara Falls International Marathon and will discuss how to create welcoming and belonging spaces for girls in sport.

Corliss Bean, Director of the Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport and Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock.

The event’s keynote speakers include Marco Di Buono, President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, who will address the future of youth sport in Canada, and Dean Kriellaars, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba, who will discuss physical literacy research and practice.

Representatives from several Brock research centres, including the Centre for Sport Capacity, the Brock-Niagara Centre of Excellence in Inclusive and Adaptive Physical Activity and the Brock Sports Performance Centre, will share research and best practices as part of a safe sport panel.

Community collaborators with the Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport will also present at the summit, including Canadian Girls Baseball and Lay Up Youth Basketball.

“Most of the work we do at the Centre is community-engaged, so many of our community partners are attending the summit as a way to translate their learnings around quality sport and showcase findings from the collaborative research we have engaged in,” says Bean.

Complementing the workshops, panels and presentations will be more than a dozen poster presentations outlining student and faculty research on topics such as positive youth development, evidence-based practice, and equity, diversity and inclusivity in youth sport.

The summit also serves as an experiential learning opportunity for Brock students, who will help organize and manage event-day operations, moderate sessions and review research abstracts.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Youth Sport Summit, including professionals involved in all types of youth sport and physical activity, post-secondary students, researchers and community members.

Registration is open until Friday, April 19. For more information, visit the Youth Sport Summit website.