PANEL 1 PRESENTER: Bryan Heal
Change the Game Research Report
Social Impact Research Lead, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE)
Bryan Heal (he/him) is the Social Impact Research Lead at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Foundation, where he actively builds research, sport and community partnerships to mobilize knowledge in service of improved access and quality sport outcomes among youth. Bryan's leadership and project management of MLSE Foundation's Change the Game research program has engaged more than 35,000 Ontario youth voices since 2021 on issues related to access, engagement, and positive outcomes in sport; alongside the development of 20+ participatory partnerships developing interventions for safer, braver spaces and cultures for youth to play across different types and levels of sport. Outside of his day job, Bryan serves on the Board of Directors of Canada's Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC); and of Strides, Toronto's Lead Agency for Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health. In life, Bryan's favourite hobbies include travelling, going on long runs and hikes through public trails and parks, and he spends much of his waking life thinking about what to eat for his next meal.
Change the Game Research Report
Sport in Canada has a growing body of research and policy recommendations calling for quality physical literacy and play environments to enable its most desired outcomes, yet a gap remains in the practical “how” of what this looks like in the real world. The 2025-2035 Canadian Sport Policy, for example, through its twin pillars of (mass) participation and performance, is built on an intentional series of desired outcomes that include physical health, mental wellness, social and emotional life skills, and belonging. What is the recipe of ingredients that best enable these outcomes to succeed?
MLSE Foundation’s Change the Game Research project examines that question through the lens of 37,000 Ontario youth aged 6-29 who have shared their experiences and reflections about what an improved future of sport means to them, and how, despite interest remaining strong across all regions of the province, there remain enduring barriers to converting that interest into sustained participation. This presentation will break down key insights, calls to action, and practical reform examples arising from MLSE Foundation's 2026 Change the Game Research Report, and how they can inform future policies and practices that increase participation and improve sport experiences for children, youth, and young adults.