The Sport Development Network Conference 2026: The Reckoning of Sport: Inviting the Next Era of Sport Development

Sport development is full of people who care deeply about making a difference. And yet, many of us are working within systems that don’t always make that easy. We navigate tensions every day; between purpose and performance, inclusion and constraint, long-term change and short-term demands.

This conference is an invitation to pause, reflect, and move forward together. A space to ask honest questions, share real experiences, and imagine what comes next.

A Different Kind of Conference

For the first time, we’re stepping beyond the university setting. Hosted by The Change Foundation at The Cricket Centre in Surrey, this year’s conference is rooted in the environments where sport development lives and breathes.

This shift creates space for something different:
– More interactive and participatory sessions
– More connection between research and practice
– More room for creativity, honesty, and exploration

A conference that feels more like the work itself.

Day One Keynote

We’re delighted to welcome Nav Sira, CEO of The Change Foundation, to open the conference.

Bringing insight from across communities, systems, and practice, Nav will help set the tone for the conversations ahead.

You Belong Here (Even If You Don’t Think You Do)

This conference brings together researchers, academics, practitioners and those working across health, youth work, community development, policy, and beyond.

You might not describe yourself as part of sport development, but if your work connects to people, place, movement, or systems change; this space is for you.

We believe the future of sport development depends on wider perspectives, shared learning, and new voices.