From Grassroots Data to Sports Policy Reform
Effective sports policy isn't drafted in boardrooms—it’s built on the ground. We bridge the gap between athlete reality and institutional change.
Our process begins on the ground. Here, our team presents insights from a three month Wellness Tracker program with female Kho Kho athletes in Puri, turning data on menstrual health, mental health, and nutrition into actionable strategies for coaches and players.
This is where data meets policy. A wide view of the Draft Committee Meeting for Bihar’s Female Athlete Health & Wellness Policy, where we presented our findings from grassroots programs to help create India's first state level policy for female athletes.
We actively lead discussions on critical issues in sports. Our Head of Mental Health in Sport presents at a networking event, focusing on the interconnectedness of menstruation, nutrition, and mental health for female athletes to foster a more inclusive sports community.
Our research identifies both progress and persistent barriers. This infographic from our "Play Without Pause" report outlines what is needed next, from integrating menstrual health into coaching curricula to ensuring proper toilet and disposal access at every facility.
The results of our interventions are clear and measurable. This data shows a dramatic improvement in training attendance and athlete confidence after our "Play Without Pause" program, proving that education and tracking tools directly impact participation.
A group photo from the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar, marking our successful collaboration with the Bihar State Sports Authority. This partnership led to the drafting of India's first policy on female athlete health, a proud moment for our team.
A closer look at the collaborative discussions during the Bihar policy drafting meeting. Our team members engaged directly with officials and stakeholders, ensuring the final policy was practical and grounded in the real experiences of athletes.
About this collection
We don’t draft policies from behind a desk. Before a single clause is written, our team engages directly with athletes and coaches—like our 3-month wellness tracker program in Puri or our collaborative drafting with the Bihar State Sports Authority—to ensure our governance recommendations solve actual, on-field problems.
How We Translate Data into Policy
Many sports policies fail because they are disconnected from the field. Our approach is different. We use our own data sets, such as the Simply Berry methodology for menstrual health tracking, to create actionable governance frameworks.
Our process involves three core stages:
- Fieldwork and Discovery: We deploy teams to survey athletes, identifying real barriers like infrastructure gaps, lack of nutrition support, or period product access. This quantitative and qualitative data forms the backbone of our advice.
- Drafting and Compliance: We move beyond theory to create robust policy documents. This includes legal vetting to ensure alignment with the National Sports Code and international statutes, as well as drafting codes that cover POSH compliance and child safety protocols.
- Operational Roadmap: A policy is only as good as its implementation. We provide a 12-month timeline with budget estimates, ensuring that our partners have a clear path to execution, not just a document to file away.
Our Focus Areas
Whether you are a state authority looking to draft India’s first wellness policy or an educational institution aiming to improve athlete protection, our work focuses on measurable outcomes. We specialize in:
- Gender Equity in Governance: Moving beyond simple representation to ensuring fair treatment and female-friendly facility management.
- Athlete Protection: Implementing rigorous anti-harassment systems and clear internal complaints committees.
- Holistic Wellness: Integrating mental health and nutritional guidance into the core coaching curriculum.
Our end goal is a system where every athlete, from the smallest district center to the national stage, has the support they need to thrive. We believe that true victory lies in creating a fair, world-class sports ecosystem for everyone.
Simply Sport Foundation
We are Simply Sport Foundation. We believe that true strength in sport comes from safe systems, not just medals. Our team helps organizations transition from surface-level planning to impactful, data-driven sports governance.
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