In this edition, we catch up on the WNBA and WNBPA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)'s…
NIKE TORONTO COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 2026 TAKEAWAYS
Organizations in attendance included Lay-Up Foundation, Canadian Women & Sport, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, Canada Basketball Foundation, Hijabi Ballers, City of Toronto, Right To Play, Jays Care Foundation, Coaches Association of Ontario, Muslim Women’s Summer Basketball League (MWSBL), Canada Soccer, AFC Toronto, Toronto Tempo, HoopQueens, and the Government of Ontario.
This Community of Practice session focused on Research & Evaluation, along with a Brand Marketing session led by a Nike team member.
Here are the takeaways from those discussions:
ASSUMPTIONS -> EVIDENCE (MINDSET SHIFT)
1. Good intentions ≠ good impact
Caring about girls in sport doesn’t guarantee we’re serving them well, especially when decisions are based on assumptions.
2. Assumptions shape both programs and brand
What we believe shows up in what we design, how we communicate, and who feels like they belong.
3. Assumptions need to be actively tested, not trusted
Use data, stories, and lived experiences to validate what we think is true.
WHO WE HEAR (EQUITY & INCLUSION LENS)
4. Who isn’t here matters as much as who is
Participation doesn’t equal access. We need to understand who is missing, and why.
5. Lived experience should guide decisions, not just inform them
Participants are not just part of the program, they are co-creators of better sport experiences.
6. Participants don’t all experience sport the same way- context matters
Background, culture, and prior experiences shape how girls engage in sport.
HOW WE LISTEN (DATA THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS REALITY)
7. Data collection should be continuous (pre, during, post)
The strongest insights don’t come at the end. They happen throughout the experience.
8. In-the-moment feedback is more accurate than delayed feedback
Waiting until the end risks losing honesty and missing key moments.
9. Not all participants communicate the same way, methods must adapt
Surveys, conversations, visual tools- how we ask matters as much as what we ask.
10. If participants don’t feel safe, your data isn’t real
People share what feels comfortable, not always what’s true.
11. Small sample sizes don’t tell the full story
Be cautious about overgeneralizing limited feedback.
12. Data collection methods should match the age and environment
What works for one group (e.g., written surveys) may not work for another.
FROM INSIGHT -> ACTION -> TRUST (iMPACT + BRAND)
13. Feedback only matters if it leads to visible change
If nothing happens, people stop sharing, and trust is lost.
14. Storytelling should be rooted in real participant experiences
Let participants shape how their stories are told.
15. Insight should shape both programming and marketing
Strong brands reflect real experiences, not assumptions.
Thank you to Nike Toronto for your continued partnership and for creating space for meaningful collaboration and knowledge-sharing. We’re also grateful to all the organizations who joined us, bringing curiosity, openness, and energy to important conversations about the current state and future of girls and women in sport across Canada.
Related Posts
