An Anthropy Constructive Initiative
The Future of Play
Needs a Playground
for Proof.
A ball is never just a ball. It is a passport into belonging. We are building the systems — and finding the innovators — to keep every child in the game.
01 — The Numbers
The System Is Failing Our Youth
of kids quit organized sports by age 13
when the average child stops playing
average cost per season, per child
drop in participation over the last decade
Source: Aspen Institute Project Play — State of Play 2023
02 — Our Approach
Youth Sport Is a
Full-Stack
Human System
Biomechanics and behavior. Data and delight. Safety and story. Incentives and identity. Youth sport is not just a field — it is a complex, interconnected system that shapes how children move, grow, and belong.
At Anthropy Constructive, we don't stand at the edge of the field and clap politely. We serve as an innovation broker — connecting the problem holders with the solution builders, supporting validation in real environments, and helping promising technologies reach the people they are meant to serve.
If we fix the app but miss the child, we fail. If we celebrate the child but miss the system, we fail. The Future of Play initiative exists to close that gap.
The Constructive Arc
A beautiful maybe — the idea that has a pulse but hasn't met reality yet.
Proof that survives contact with real humans, real movement, real constraints.
A solution that works beyond the demo — scalable, adoptable, lasting.
03 — The Lab
Ghost Lab:
Where Founders
Bring the Weird
Prototype
Ghost Lab is neutral ground. It is where founders bring the brave hypothesis — the thing that is not yet polished but has a pulse. We put it next to real humans, real movement, real constraints, real data, and real questions.
The future of play should not feel like a spreadsheet ate recess. It should feel alive. Ghost Lab is where that aliveness gets tested, refined, and validated.
Learn About Ghost LabChallenge Focus Areas
Health Tech & Human Performance
Health monitoring, injury prevention, and mental wellness tools that could immediately serve millions of young athletes.
Gaming & Interactive Technology
Immersive experiences that make sports as engaging as gaming — bridging digital attention and physical play.
AI & Data Science
Analytics, computer vision, and machine learning products that transform how teams develop young athletes.
04 — The Partnership
Anthropy Constructive
× ThinkSport
THE SPOT — Lausanne, Switzerland
Anthropy Constructive has established a long-term partnership with ThinkSport, the Switzerland-based sport and innovation network. Together, we run the Future of Play Challenge — connecting U.S.-based innovators, researchers, and startups with European networks and culminating in a live pitch event at THE SPOT in Lausanne.
Twenty semi-finalists are selected from a global applicant pool. Five pitch live before the Sports Innovation Challenge Council — a jury of leaders from international sports federations. The winners receive not a trophy, but a trajectory.
Prize Structure
Ghost Lab Builder Residency
2 weeks onsite + Partner Council rhythm
Ghost Lab Signal Sprint
1 week focused + strategic partner sessions
Constructive Launch Clinic
2-day intensive + curated intro path
Most Constructive Intervention
Wildcard for access, safety, or inclusion impact
05 — The Access Gap
The Invisible Walls
The barriers to youth sport are not random. They are structural. Cost, geography, race, and income all predict whether a child gets to play — and for how long. The Future of Play initiative specifically seeks innovations that address these invisible walls.
Regular sports participation rates by demographic group
06 — Get Involved
The Field Is Open.
Come Build.
Your support helps us turn bright sparks into signals, signals into evidence, and evidence into systems that children, families, coaches, and communities can actually use. Whether you are a donor, a volunteer, a founder, or a federation — there is a role for you in the Future of Play.
Future of Play
An Anthropy Constructive Initiative · 501(c)(3) Nonprofit