RE.sport: Asking ‘Why Can’t They Play?’

Toronto, ON — Strong Girl Publishing, in partnership with the RE.sport team, is proud to announce the Spring 2026 release of Why Can’t They Play?: Reimagining Tryouts So All Kids Have a Chance to Play. This graphic novel, illustrated by Crystal Yang, highlights the barriers many kids face in accessing school sport and offers practical ideas to make school sport more inclusive for everybody.

Here’s the reality in youth sports: many youth are excluded from sports because of gender, race, socioeconomic status, disability, body size, and/or geography.

Research shows that girls and gender diverse youth are more likely to drop out in adolescence, layering on that kids from equity-owed communities may face compounded barriers. Why Can’t They Play? explores these challenges through illustrated stories, research insights, and actionable strategies for schools to ensure every child has the chance to participate.

The book builds on the research of project RE.sport, led by Dr. Catherine Sabiston at the University of Toronto, with a focus on creating inclusive and equitable youth sport in Canada. This project’s research and advocacy, guided with the help of Dr. Sasha Gollish and Vanessa Coulbeck, have been instrumental in shaping the content and messages presented in this book.

“The barriers to sport aren’t accidental; they are built into the system,” says Gollish. “This book is a way to shine light on that, and to offer pathways forward.”

Soccer (football) is currently one of the most played youth sports globally and here in Canada. Using soccer tryouts was a purposeful decision: The book launches Spring 2026 to coincide with the Men’s FIFA World Cup in North America as a way to build on the excitement that the event brings to the youth sport space.

By combining lived experiences with data and strength-focused solutions, the graphic novel is designed to reach educators, coaches, parents, caregivers and—most importantly—youth in an engaging, accessible format. Alongside the book, Strong Girl Publishing will release discussion guides and toolkits to help educators, coaches, and other interest-holders in youth sport put these ideas into practice.

“We want this book to do more than tell stories. We want to change how people think about school sport tryouts, who belongs, and how school sport systems can welcome all kids. In particular, school sports should reflect values of fairness and inclusion, not just competition,” said Molly Hurford, founder of Strong Girl Publishing. “We want all kids to know there is a place they can play.”

Why This Graphic Novel — And Why Now

• Youth sport in Canada is at a critical juncture. While over 80% of Canadians recognize the benefits of sport for character-building, mental health, physical well-being, resilience and community strength, more than half of Canadian youth are missing out because current systems continue to exclude large numbers.
• Barriers to participation are many and intersecting: gender, race, Indigeneity, disability, social class, body size, and regional access, just to name a few. Girls and gender diverse youth, in particular, are far more likely to drop out of sport, especially in adolescence, and those from equity-owed communities face combined barriers.
• Why Can’t They Play? draws inspiration from work from the RE.sport team, led by the University of Toronto’s Dr. Catherine Sabiston, Dr. Sasha Gollish, and Vanessa Coulbeck. Their work documents how intersectional identities affect youth sport experiences, collects meaningful data, and develops resources to support inclusion and equitable access.

What the Graphic Novel Offers

• Narratives and lived experiences: Through engaging illustrations and real-life stories, the novel shows kids who face different kinds barriers to participating in sport — for example, financial constraints, lack of transportation, ableism, discrimination, or exclusion due to body size or gender norms — and how these affect their chances at tryouts or organized sport.
• Information & insight: The graphic novel includes factual overviews of research findings (such as those from RE.sport), data on drop-out rates, and what is known about equitable, diverse, inclusive, accessible youth sport environments.
• Practical ideas for change: Schools and clubs will find concrete strategies, from how to design tryouts to ensure fairness, to how to create more environments founded in belonging, reduce cost barriers, adapt for disability, and engage kids who are often left out.
• Accessible format: By using the graphic-novel format, Strong Girl Publishing aims to reach educators, coaches, parents and caregivers, and youth — making complex topics understandable, compelling, and action-oriented..

Looking Ahead

• Publication in 2026: The release dovetails with FIFA World Cup headlines, driving change around the conversation about who plays and who doesn’t into sharper international focus.
• Partnerships & distribution: Strong Girl Publishing continues to work with schools, sport organizations, youth advocacy groups, libraries, and community-based nonprofits to ensure the book reaches those who need it most.
• Accompanying resources: Alongside the graphic novel, supplementary toolkits, discussion guides, and digital resources aimed at helping clubs, schools, and communities implement changes suggested in the narrative will be available for download from Strong Girl Publishing. There will also be direct connection opportunities for schools interested in learning how to create more inclusive sport environments.

If you’re interested in bringing this book to your school, team, club, or other youth sport organization, fill out the form below or email info at stronggirlpublishing.com