Stay in Play is a youth sports grant created by the Luka Dončić Foundation to help young athletes keep playing during a time when things often get harder. It supports players who are committed to their sport and need help continuing - whatever that help looks like for them.

This program will support at least 77 athletes over three years, starting on June 24, 2026.

Stay in Play is for young athletes who:

• Are 12–15 years old at the time of application
• Have been committed to their sport for at least six months (whether through formal participation or information participation where you can demonstrate commitment)
• Reside in the US, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia
• Are not under professional or commercial sponsorship contracts
• Are enrolled in education and in good academic standing
• Want to keep playing and need support to do so

Team sports. Individual sports. Everything in between.*

If you play, train, and care about continuing - you’re welcome to apply.

*So long as the sports are recognised by the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee , as well as IPC recognized sports, and sports governed by international federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

In 2026, applications are open to athletes based in the following jurisdictions and are not open to any other locations:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Select European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia

Associated territories and regions are not included.

We plan to expand to more places in future years.

No. Stay in Play is designed for young athletes who are still developing and are not under professional or commercial sponsorship contracts.

Commercial sponsorship means you receive financial or in-kind support from a commercial entity in return for promotional, branding or endorsement value.

That’s okay. As long as you meet the age requirement at the time you apply, you’re eligible.

A parent or legal guardian starts the application online and provides all required information, consents and confirmation of the athlete’s eligibility, including acceptance of the Official Rules on behalf of the athlete. Consent of both parents/legal guardians may be required depending on which jurisdiction you reside in.

The athlete then completes their part of the application in their own words.

• Applications open: June 24, 2026
• Applications close: August 20, 2026
• Recommender submissions close: September 3, 2026
• Semi finalists contacted: October 19, 2026
• Finalists contacted: November 16, 2026
• Grant recipients notified: December 14, 2026

No. Applying is free.

Yes. If you’ve received other grants or assistance, you can still apply (provided you are not under professional or commercial sponsorship). We’ll ask you to share that information as part of the application.

Athletes may be awarded a needs-based grant (capped at a maximum of US$25,000 per grant recipient).

The amount may vary per athlete depending on individual needs, circumstances and approved budget.

Support can help with real needs related to staying in sport, such as:

• Training or coaching
• Equipment or gear
• Travel to train or compete
• Club, league, or program fees
• Other costs that make continuing possible

Every athlete’s situation is different.

All grant expenses must be approved by the Luka Dončić Foundation and will need to be verified with receipts.

In 2026, a minimum of 25 athletes will be selected. Over three years, a minimum of 77 athletes will receive support.

Applications are reviewed by a professional evaluation team. Final selections are made by the Luka Dončić Foundation (including at least one independent member). Each application is reviewed carefully and fairly, using predetermined scoring criteria.

We’re not looking for trophies or highlights.

We want to understand you:

• How you show up for your sport
• What you’ve worked through to keep playing
• What kind of teammate or competitor you are
• And what support would help you stay in the game

There’s no perfect profile here. If you care about your sport and want to keep playing, that matters.

No. Stay in Play isn’t about being the best or winning the most. It’s about commitment, effort, and wanting to keep playing. We know every athlete’s path looks different.

That’s fine. You can apply based on the sport that matters most to you right now.

That’s okay. We’re not looking for perfect writing. Just be honest. Say things the way you would say them. We care more about what you mean than how it sounds.

Semi-finalists will be contacted by email by October 19, 2026

Finalists will be contacted by email by November 16, 2026

Final grant recipients will be contacted by December 14, 2026

All communications will be made through the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of athletes.

Yes. Stay in Play grants are one-time financial awards given at the start of the program and must be spent within one year in accordance with an approved budget and a grant agreement.

Athletes selected become part of the Stay in Play community, with opportunities to connect with other players through virtual moments and Foundation-led programming.

Future years may include different locations and criteria. Details will be shared once confirmed.

You can reach us at stayinplay@lukadoncicfoundation.org or through the contact form on the website.

Applications are submitted through the online portal using the Apply Now button on the website. You can save progress and return at any time before the deadline.

Yes. Applications can be completed in multiple languages, including: French, Spanish, Italian, German, Greek, Slovenian, Croatian, and Serbian.

The application includes:

• Parent/legal guardian information, consent, confirmation of athlete eligibility, household information, estimate of sport-related costs, and acceptance of the Official Rules.
• Athlete responses about their sport and commitment and a short personal statement in their own words
• One recommendation from a coach, teacher, or mentor

Semi-finalists and finalists may be asked for additional information or documents later in the process for confirmation of eligibility and verification purposes.

Someone who knows how you show up - a coach, teacher, or mentor who can speak to your commitment, effort, and character.

Yes. You can save your progress and come back before submitting.

If you run into issues with the application portal, support information will be available directly in the platform or you can contact info@lukadoncicfoundation.org.

No. Once submitted, applications cannot be changed - so review carefully before sending.

Yes. You’ll receive an email confirmation after submission.

After applications close:

• All submissions are reviewed
• Some athletes are invited to provide additional information, documents or take part in a short interview
• Final selections are announced in December 2026

Only with permission through a separate consent form signed by one or both of your parents/legal guardians (depending on which jurisdiction you reside in). We’ll always ask before sharing anything publicly. Families can choose what they’re comfortable with and consent may be withdrawn at any time.

The Luka Dončić Foundation, as data controller, will process your personal data for administering your participation in the Stay in Play program, in line with privacy and data protection laws. All information is kept secure.

For more information on how your personal data is processed, please see our Privacy Policy, available here: https://lukadoncicfoundation.org/privacy-policy/.

For participants residing in European countries, your data is processed in accordance with GDPR and applicable national law. You have the right to request access to, deletion of, and correction of your personal data, the right to request a machine-readable copy of your personal data to transfer to another person/entity, the right to object to processing in certain circumstances, the right to restrict to processing in certain circumstances, the right to withdraw consent, and the right to lodge complaints with your respective data protection authorities (as set out in the table below).

Croatia

• Agencija za zaštitu osobnih podataka (AZOP)
• Ulica Metela Ožegovića 16 10000 Zagreb
• Tel. +385 1 4609 000
• Email: azop@azop.hr
• Web: http://www.azop.hr/

France

• Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL)
• 3 Place de Fontenoy TSA 80715 – 75334 Paris, Cedex 07
• Tel. +33 1 53 73 22 22
• Contact: https://www.cnil.fr/en/contact-us
• Web: http://www.cnil.fr/

Germany

• Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit
• Graurheindorfer Straße 153 53117 Bonn
• Tel. +49 228 997799 0
• Email: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de
• Web: http://www.bfdi.bund.de/

Greece

• Hellenic Data Protection Authority
• Kifisias Av. 1-3 11523 Ampelokipi Athens
• Tel. +30 210 6475 600
• Email: contact@dpa.gr
• Website: http://www.dpa.gr/

Italy

• Garante per la protezione dei dati personali
• Piazza Venezia, 11 00187 Roma
• Tel. +39 06 69677 1
• Email: segreteria.stanzione@gpdp.it
• Website: http://www.garanteprivacy.it/

Slovenia

• Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia
• Dunajska 22 1000 Ljubljana
• Tel. +386 1 230 9730
• Email: gp.ip@ip-rs.si
• Website: https://www.ip-rs.si/

Serbia

• Poverenik za informacije od javnog značaja i zaštitu podataka o ličnosti
• Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 1511120 Belgrade
• Tel. +381 11 3408 900
• Email: office@poverenik.rs
• Web: https://www.poverenik.rs/

Spain

• Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD)
• C/Jorge Juan, 6 28001 Madrid, Spain
• Tel. +34 900 293 183
• Email: internacional@aepd.es
• Website: https://www.aepd.es/

United Kingdom

• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
• Wycliffe House, Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
• Tel. +44 303 123 1113
• Contact Web Form: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/contact-us-public/
• Website: https://ico.org.uk/

Only with permission through a separate consent form signed by one or both of your parents/legal guardians (depending on which jurisdiction you reside in). We’ll always ask before sharing anything publicly. Families can choose what they’re comfortable with and consent may be withdrawn at any time.