2026 Move United Education Conference 

Deadline to Apply: October 31, 2025 11:59pm Pacific Time

Move United is seeking athletes, sport providers and sport professionals to develop and deliver educational opportunities at the Move United Education Conference.

Please complete the Presenter Call for Applications after reading the descriptions below:

Conference Sessions (April 21–23) Standard presentations offered in 60- or 90-minute formats, focused on a specific topic area. Conference sessions will primarily take place at the conference center. If an alternative venue is needed, please indicate such in your application.

Short Talks (April 21–23) Concise, 30 minute, high-impact presentations modeled after the Ted Talk format. Talks should align with one of the designated session tracks. Short talks will take place at the conference center.

Discussion Groups (April 21–23) One-hour informal, guided discussions designed to foster peer-to-peer dialogue, exchange of ideas, and collaborative problem-solving. Discussion groups will take place at the conference center.

Session proposals must align with one of the following tracks:

Leadership & Organizational Excellence 

This track equips leaders to strengthen organizational capacity, enhance management skills, and grow inclusive, sustainable adaptive sport programs through strategies in governance, fundraising, staff and volunteer development, and community engagement. 

Audience: Executive directors, program directors, senior managers, board members, and emerging leaders seeking to advance leadership skills, organizational impact, and inclusive sport opportunities. 

Session Topic Examples: 

• Strategic growth 

• Vision setting and scaling programs nationally 

• High-level fundraising partnerships 

• Development and fundraising 

• Board governance & succession planning 

• Board recruitment and staffing needs 

• Goal setting and tracking metrics 

• Benefit structures for employees 

• Elevating management skill set 

• Decision making under pressure  

• Driving team performance 

• Employee development and retention  

• Boosting team productivity 

• Risk Management 

• Engaging underrepresented and rural communities 

• Building culturally responsive programs 

• Storytelling for awareness and advocacy 

• Inclusive volunteer recruitment and retention 

• Building inclusive volunteer programs 

• Storytelling and media for impact 

• Hosting inclusive community events 

• Perspiration over inspiration: Authentic storytelling strategies 

Coaching, Recreation, Rehabilitation, & Competition 

This track equips coaches and sport leaders with cutting-edge, science-based practices to help athletes reach the next level of performance. It is also a platform for medical professionals to share and focus on the intersection of rehabilitation and sport. 

Audience: Coaches, medical professionals, trainers, sport scientists, program leaders, and competition organizers working to advance athlete development in adaptive sport. 

Session Examples:  

For coaches, trainers…

• Drills, modifications, and sport-specific adaptations 

• Evaluating your coaching, reflection and feedback 

• Building pathways for athlete development from grassroots to elite 

• Safety & risk management in adaptive sport

• Coaching techniques (ex. How to teach a skill)

• Explanation of various pipelines 

For medical professionals…

• Sport science and performance optimization for athletes with disabilities

• Rehabilitation-to-recreation pipelines 

• Injury prevention, conditioning, and return-to-play protocols 

• Mental health and resilience through sport 

• Partnering with hospitals and rehabilitation centers 

• Adaptive sport as a health intervention 

• Working with multidisciplinary care teams 

Other ideas…

• Alternative funding sources 

• Training/recruitment of officials 

Education & Community Programs 

Rally schools and youth programs to join the movement by embedding inclusion across all educational system and community programs, building pathways that connect youth and young adults to lifelong participation. 

Audience: Educators, recreation professionals, coaches, administrators, and community partners working to expand access and inclusion in sport programs. 

Session Examples: 

• Embedding adaptive sport into school PE and extracurriculars 

• Partnering with higher education institutions 

• Transitioning youth athletes into adult programs 

• Engaging parents, educators, and administrators as allies 

• Partnering with student organizations & campus recreation 

• Creating pathways from school programs to community teams 

The Future of Adaptive Sports 

This track explores how emerging technologies, equipment innovations, and new approaches are shaping the future of adaptive sports to expand access, enhance performance, and transform the athlete experience. 

Audience: Designed for coaches, program leaders, technologists, researchers, and community professionals who want to stay ahead of trends and integrate innovation into adaptive sport. 

Session Examples: 

• Adaptive equipment innovations & customization 

• Digital tools for training, recruitment, and program management 

• Future trends in accessibility and universal design 

• Sport science – wearable tech, biomechanics, and performance analytics  

• Virtual and hybrid programming opportunities 

• Sport innovation/adaptations 

• Equipment maintenance 

• Using AI to increase efficiencies 

Additional Notes:

• Examples listed are simply to provide ideas as to which topics may fall within each track.
• Within each track, various sessions will be offered to accommodate different audiences (i.e. general sport provider new to working with individuals with disabilities, inclusive sport provider, adaptive sport provider)
• Sessions with an understood priority to integrate a range of backgrounds and experiences will be prioritized.
• Proposals will be reviewed with the following taken into consideration: relevance to conference theme & tracks, feedback from past conferences about areas of need, range of presenter experiences and background as well as range of session topics, qualifications of presenter, clarity of session purpose, quality of proposal, and other considerations.
• Presenters will receive complimentary registration to the 2026 Move United Education Conference. Sessions may have up to 3 presenters.

Questions about creating your proposal? Tune into the recording of “Creating a Winning Proposal to Present at the Move United Education Conference” by logging into the Member Hub and navigating to the Event Archive.

Session slides

Application Link

Please note that you will receive a confirmation email when your application has been submitted. If you have not received a confirmation email, your application was not successfully submitted. Please reach out to Cayla Hammaker at chammaker@moveunitedsport.org with any question.

Please refer to the Presenter FAQ’s at the bottom of the page for additional information.

Questions? Contact Cayla Hammaker at chammaker@moveunitedsport.org.