Sport is the most
powerful classroom
we have

Movement is Knowledge

The Youth Sports Science Institute (YSSI) uses sport as an applied learning and workforce development platform connecting education, health, and technology to expand opportunity for young people.

In Partnership With

  • After School Matters logo
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago logo
  • University of Illinois logo
  • University of Illinois Discovery Partners Institute logo
  • Griffin Museum of Science + Industry logo
  • Chicago Public Schools logo
  • Noble Schools logo
  • Rezzil logo
  • Golf + logo
Child in VR headset standing on a soccer field with crowd behind.

Our Mission

As sports, health, and technology rapidly converge, the future of work in the sports economy is being reshaped by data, performance science, and immersive technology. Young people already train, compete, and commit at high levels, but most never gain access to the science, data, and systems behind the games they play.

This is a missed opportunity at scale. YSSI exists to close that gap by embedding learning, technology, and career pathways directly into youth sport environments, where motivation already exists.

Explore our sports & health science programs

Sport as an Applied Learning Engine

YSSI's model integrates physical movement with academic and technical learning to create durable outcomes across education, health, and workforce development. Young people already train like professionals. YSSI gives them the science, data, and technology to match their ambition.

Mind

Applied data literacy, analytics, and critical thinking through real sport scenarios

Body

Biomechanics, performance science, injury prevention, and recovery grounded in movement

Technology

Hands-on exposure to sports technology, XR, and professional-grade tools

Rigorous, Replicable, and Partnership-Ready

Programs are delivered through schools, community organizations, and institutional partners.

  • Students and teacher standing in a circle displaying smartwatches.

    Sports Analytics & Data Science

    Students collect, analyze, and interpret performance data to inform decisions

  • Person filming kids in purple shirts playing basketball outdoors.

    Performance Science & Biomechanics

    Applied understanding of movement efficiency, injury risk, and recovery systems

  • Person in VR headset playing immersive game in an office.

    Immersive Technology in Sport & Health

    Exposure to VR and AR applications used in training, rehabilitation, and research

  • Teacher instructing youth in purple shirts using a muscle anatomy display.

    Human Performance & Recovery

    Understanding resilience, long-term athlete health, and career longevity

Get involved

Follow Us

Would your funder hire your graduates? That’s the question we brought to TCS Digital Empowers last week—a convening on digital inclusion, youth STEM, and workforce readiness- where we presented at a fireside chat on “Expanding Yout
It started with a pot of coffee. ☕ In 1992, Arloa Sutter set up a folding table on Chicago's North Side and served lunch to neighbors experiencing homelessness. Today, @breakthroughchi serves 19,000 people a year across five facilities in East Garf
YSSI supported a Basketball Hackathon hosted by Chicago Public Schools at the Wintrust Sports Complex. Board games. Escape rooms. VR simulations. All designed around one question: how do you find a way around the obstacle? By the end, students were
Most students don’t hate math. They hate math that has nothing to do with them. The Youth Sports Science Institute is partnering with Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory High School on a course series that reframes VR as something it’s
We asked kids why their hearts matter. Not one said fitness. Every single one said love. ❤️ At the Rush University Medical Center Health Science Fair, students strapped on smartwatches and watched their own heart rate spike during a workout —
Sport is the intersection. It teaches young people to think analytically, perform under pressure, and adapt in real time. That is science. That is STEM. And at the Youth Sports Science Institute, it is the foundation of everything we do. We are pro
Through Project Love Chicago, we hosted “My Sports Story” — a space where young female athletes spoke honestly about their journey. The conversations went deeper than we expected. From emotional regulation to identity to the pressu
While schools are on break, some organizations keep showing up. @projectlovechicago is one of them. Their Spring Break March Madness Youth Development Event gave Chicago youth something real during a week that could have been a gap — hosted at

Build the Future of Sport, Learning, and Opportunity

By proving sport can function as a high-impact learning platform, YSSI influences how education, workforce development, and youth sport systems are designed and funded. We invite partners to invest in a proven model that aligns youth development, education, and the future sports economy.

Support YSSI today