1616 is the primary initiative of the Ladd Foundation, a US and Canadian charitable organization established in early 2021. 1616 aims to make mental fitness & wellbeing a key component of youth hockey by shifting the youth hockey ecosystem to empower youth, parents and coaches to take a more thoughtful and intentional approach to the game, creating healthier, more resilient athletes, equipped with the tools to thrive in sport and in life.

The 1616 curriculum will be for youth hockey players age 10, along with their parents and coaches. Through a 16 week programmatic experience, participants will move through a hybrid live, virtual (app-based videos, reading materials and interactive learning tools) and on-ice curriculum developed by the Ladd Foundation in partnership with a best in class team of experts from the mental health, performance, nonprofit, research, academic, production and pro-hockey realms. The 1616 curriculum is rooted in substantive research and data as well as current techniques and delivery tools. The Ladd Foundation pillars will include critical mental wellbeing topics including Integrity, Resilience, Confidence, Presence, Community and Communication, Empathy, Self-Leadership and more. Content will include lived-experience storytelling from some of the world’s greatest professional hockey players.

1616 will launch with a pilot phase of the program in 2021 followed by a larger roll-out in 2022. We hope you will join us on September 14th to learn more about what we’re building and how you can support this critical work.