Introducing the Starting Five Award

A new SHE’S GOT NEXT program designed to support athletes through one of the hardest parts of sport: figuring out what comes next.

Often, the hardest part of sport isn’t the training or the competition — it’s navigating the transitions along the journey.

Whether it’s a fourth- or fifth-year university athlete deciding what comes next, a national team athlete making the leap from junior to senior competition, or an athlete nearing the end of their competitive career and considering the future, these transition periods can be incredibly challenging.

Supporting each other and the next generation is a big part of why SHE’S GOT NEXT exists.

Since day one, our community has committed to giving back. One-third of membership fees go directly to supporting women’s athletic programs. This year, our members voted to expand that support to individual athletes as well.

We’re thrilled to launch the SHE’S GOT NEXT Starting Five Award — designed around what athletes told us they wished existed when they were navigating life beyond sport: funding, mentorship, introductions and a community willing to open doors.

The Starting Five is our way of getting behind not just one athlete, but a team of five who stand out for their leadership, contribution and the way they show up for others as they take their next step.

Each member of the Starting Five will receive:

• $1,200 in funding to support training, education, certifications or career development
• Membership in SHE’S GOT NEXT, connecting recipients with accomplished women across industries
• Visibility and introductions across the SHE’S GOT NEXT network
• A place in The Huddle, our small-group mentorship experience connecting recipients with women who’ve navigated their own transitions beyond competition

We’re looking for five fourth- and fifth-year varsity athletes, along with current and former Canadian national team athletes, who are thinking about what comes next — in sport, in their careers and beyond.

If you know an athlete who belongs in the Starting Five, nominate them. And if that athlete is you, we encourage you to apply.

Applications and nominations are open until June 15.

Apply or nominate an athlete →