The Friday Morning Rally was thrilled to be in the Vatican last week for a landmark summit titled Sport for All: Cohesive, Accessible and Tailored to each Person. The two-day event gathered leaders in sport from around the world, including International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (pictured left) to engage in discussion on the importance of sport in society and the ways in which we can make the benefits of sport accessible to all persons. Emphasis was placed on the ability of sport to promote "human, educational and spiritual growth" while taking action within our own communities to open opportunities to children and adults from low socio-economic areas as well as those with physical or intellectual disabilities.

The highlight of the event was an audience with Pope Francis, who spoke of the formative power of sport and the importance of opening participation to all. He noted that “We should be committed to giving everyone the opportunity to play sports, to cultivate – one could say to be “trained” in – the values of sport and transform them into virtues.” You can view a full video of this audience here and read his full address here (a summary is also available here). As part of the event, Pope Francis also signed a declaration put forward by the summit that outlines common goals those gathered are committed to achieve moving forward. 

Speeches by Thomas Bach, Cardinal Kevin Farrell and an in influential group of athletes and leaders from around the globe filled the remainder of the event. Play Like a Champion's own Kristin Sheehan led a panel discussion with Special Olympics President Tim Shriver, International Paralympics President Andrew Parsons and two Paralympic Champions. In addition, daily working groups brought leaders together to develop concrete steps for turning the summit's declaration into reality. Look for more details on those steps in the days and weeks to come.

In total, this unique event offered both inspiration and a call to action. There is much work ahead for all leaders in sport to realize this vision. The Rally encourages you to emerse yourself in the links above and consider how you can take steps to make sport more cohesive, accessible and tailored in your own school, organization or community.

Those looking for a tremendous example of the motto "Sport for All" can look to this story involving Play Like a Champion partner East Catholic. In a September Field Hockey game against Avon High School, the teams combined to create a special moment for an Avon player. This is the power of sports.

Advances in technology promise to help athletes of all ages improve. But if everyone is experiencing the same benefit, is there really any benefit at all? This fascinating look at a phenomenon known as the "Red Queen Effect" in sports poses important questions about the lengths we go to maximize performance.

A new study by Italian researchers found that over-involved parents are negating the positive impact of sport for youth and adolescent participants. It's further insight into the "balance" needed in sports and the importance of helping parents to understand how they can best help their athlete to succeed.

What do coaches of young athletes really think about parent involvement? This survey of coaches provides insight into what coaches would like parents to know about participating in sports.