READY Read #20
Your monthly dose of sport, tech, and impact
Yikes! 2025 is moving almost as fast as AI advancements!
Hello primavera, hello you, and welcome to this edition of the READY Read where we cover:
🌟 Trailblazers of the Month: Our top pick innovators in sport, technology, and social impact.
👀 Innovation Watch: Our top section of news, features, and events in sport and technology, with a lens on impact and sustainability.
🗞️ READY Round Up: Updates from teammates and projects across our specialist “Fields of Play”.
🌟 TRAILBLAZERS OF THE MONTH
SheSportTech – an initiative dedicated to increasing female representation in sports technology. Founder, Louise Jukes OLY, is a former British Olympic handball player and current Senior Events and Program Manager at TeamViewer, where she leverages her athletic experience to champion diversity in sports tech.
Ariadna Moya Guillén – an ENGSO Youth Young Delegate and metaverse researcher, exploring sustainable solutions for grassroots sport in digital environments.
IOC Olympic AI Strategy – spearheading the integration of artificial intelligence within the Olympic Movement, with one of the key leaders at the IOC being Jennifer Wyss-Vergnaud, Senior AI Project Manager.
SportTechX - our final shout out is to our friends over at SportTechX who have just launched this exciting new Certificate Course on Sport Innovation and Technology!
👀 INNOVATION WATCH
Here’s our top selection of the latest news, features, and events in sport and technology, with a lens on impact and sustainability. 🌱
Inclusive sport powered by AI. Unveiled at the Global Disability Summit, Special Olympics’ new Global Research Agenda calls for innovation in inclusive sport and education. With a spotlight on AI, the roadmap urges investment in tech that supports students with intellectual disabilities, backed by research partnerships with Harvard, Kenyatta University, and others.
AI cameras for grassroots exposure. XbotGo has been donating 150 AI-powered “Chameleon” cameras to underserved youth sports teams around the world. These smart cameras auto-track players, stream matches, and generate highlight reels – helping young athletes build visibility, earn scholarships, and bridge the digital divide in community sport.
Drone football and STEM. In Florida, over 60 student teams from 12 countries competed in the Drone Soccer World Cup. Combining flight tech, coding, and teamwork, the event showcased how accessible, co-ed tech sports can engage youth in STEM fields through hands-on learning and high-energy competition.
Data, tech, and play for all. The 2025 Project Play Summit brought 700+ leaders to UC Berkeley to reimagine youth sports. Innovations included 3D-printed gear, inclusive app-based access to leagues, and tech-backed solutions for mental health and inclusion – all in pursuit of a bold goal: getting 63% of U.S. youth playing sports by 2030.
Recycled medals sparking youth climate action. At the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, 100,000 recycled aluminium cans were transformed into 5,000 athlete medals. Dubbed “Trash to Treasure,” the initiative was powered by school-led can collection drives and supported by sustainability tech firm MVGX, which provided digital tracking and carbon offsetting tools.
🗞️ READY ROUND UP
We bring you a monthly update from what we call our “Fields of Play” - our current specialist focus areas. 🌍
Artificial Intelligence: We went live with our “AI Readiness Quickstart” offer for sports federations, clubs, and NGOs seeking expert diagnosis and customized recommendations on how to embed AI across the organization in the short and long-term (for more info contact team@readysportglobal.com). READY founder, Lucy Mills, will also share insights on AI Readiness at the upcoming EU Sport Forum in Poland on 9-10 April.
Web 3.0: The READY team is excited for the Blockchain4Good Summit taking place online on 15-16 April where we will be curating a panel on blockchain, sport, and social impact.
Brand Strategy: READY Brand & Creative Impact Advisor, Heloisa de Souza, is pioneering on several fronts. As well as authoring The Good Football newsletter and participating in sport, innovation, and fashion events in Barcelona, she’s leading an exciting “innovation brand strategy” offer for athletes and organizations looking to transmit and amplify their purpose.
Tech-Enabled Social Impact: READY is a contributor to the ENGSO Change project, which is developing solutions and programs for grassroots sport grounded in innovation and change management.
Women’ Sport: READY founder, Lucy Mills was invited to deliver a keynote to kick off the EuroHockey Executive Leadership Forum on 28-30 March in Brussels. She shared her international journey in football in 25+ countries which led her to start READY.
And that’s a wrap for this edition!
If you have any suggestions for future editions of READY Read, or projects / trailblazers you’d like us to feature, please do get in touch with us at team@readysportglobal.com.
Until next month!
READY team :)