Winning is fun, but the mark of a great high school sports program is one that puts health first and develops the minds and bodies of the students who participate. Plenty of teams across the country do exactly that.

We want to find the most innovative. The Aspen Institute, in partnership with Hospital for Special Surgery, is conducting a national search to identify teams that do an exemplary job of promoting health. We are looking for innovative teams that promote physical activity, minimize injury risks and support athletes' social, emotional and mental well-being. 

Winners receive national recognition in a USA Today article, along with a $500 Amazon gift card and one free pass to the annual Project Play Summit. Winning teams are recognized as a model for best practices on sport pages of the Healthy Sport Index website.

Read about the winning programs in football, wrestling and boys basketball. In the coming months, we will recognize teams in the rest of the 10 most popular sports played by boys and girls (see list below in question 2).

Please apply by filling out the form below. Nominations can be made by anyone who works in high school sports. To learn more, read the Healthy Sport Index Contest rules. For questions, contact Jon Solomon, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program Editorial Director, at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.

Question Title

* 1. High School Nominee Name (Include City, State)

Question Title

* 2. High School Sport Nominee (Choose 1 sport per application)

Question Title

* 3. Physical Activity

A large body of research underscores the benefits of exercise, from brain development to reduced risk of chronic illness. Recent research demonstrates that significant amounts of practice time in many high school sports is spent lying down, sitting or standing. What ways does your high school team promote physical activity, both during your sport season and throughout the course of the academic year? Please share in the comment box below.

Question Title

* 4. Safety

All physical activities come with the risk of injury, ranging from mild to serious. Injury is one of the leading reasons that kids discontinue participation in sports. How does your high school team attempt to prevent injuries and illnesses and care for athletes when these occur? Please share in the comment box below and in additional questions.

Question Title

* 5. Psychosocial Benefits

Playing a sport can benefit the well-being of its athletes, such as emotional and social skills, academic motivation, mental health, and decreasing substance abuse. How does your team use sports to positively impact the emotional, social and mental well-being of your athletes? Please share in the comment box below.

Question Title

* 6. Innovation

Describe any innovations for healthy sports participation (policy, practice drills, technology, partnerships with consultants, incentives to encourage participation and enjoyment, etc.) that your high school team applies that you believe makes it exemplary. Show us your creativity to help solve problems on behalf of building healthy children.

Question Title

* 7. What is the coach's name and contact information of the high school team you are nominating?

Question Title

* 8. What is your name and contact information?

T