Patriot Games 2026 are coming — can your teen athlete apply?
Patriot Games 2026 are coming — can your teen athlete apply?
Damon C. Williams, USA TODAY NETWORKTue, June 30, 2026 at 11:43 AM UTC
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Could your teen qualify for the Patriot Games?
The Patriot Games — President Donald Trump's teen tournament conceived to showcase the country's very best teen athletes — now appears set to happen later this summer.
The National Federation of State High School Associations reports about 8.26 million participants in high school sports in 2024–25, the highest total on record.
That breaks down to roughly 4.7 million boys and 3.5 million girls taking part in at least one school sport.
Here's how your teen can apply to the 2026 Patriot Games.
How your teen athlete can apply to the Patriot Games
The Patriot Games application portal is now live.
Teens start by confirming they meet the age rules — they must be at least 14 by June 1, 2026, and no older than 17 on December 31, 2026 — and then fill out an online form with basic eligibility details.
That form covers who they are (name, age, school, where they live) and how they’d represent their state, territory, or tribal nation at the competition.
From there, applicants upload a short video sharing their story and explaining why they want to compete in the Patriot Games, touching on qualities like determination, teamwork, resilience, and leadership.
Once the form and video are submitted through the Freedom 250 portal, the Patriot Games Selection Committee reviews applications, does follow‑up screening and verification, and then chooses finalists who will participate in the Patriot Games.
Transgender teens won't be allowed to compete in the Patriot Games
Even if your teen is a standout athlete, if they are transgender, they will not be allowed to participate in the Patriot Games.
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Trump made it clear that transgender teen athletes will not be allowed to participate in the Patriot Games in a video message released in December 2025.
"In the fall we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented, four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes," Trump said during the video message. "One young man and one young woman from each state and territory.
"But I promise there will be no men playing in women's sports. You're not going to see that," Trump added. "You'll see everything but that."
What we still don’t know about the Patriot Games
There are still several questions regarding the Patriot Games that parents and teens athletes may want to consider.
First, Freedom 250 did not mention which sports will be featured in the Patriot Games in its Patriot Games update. And the application doesn't ask teens which sports they participate in.
The application portal suggests the four-day event will be multi-discipline for teens "as they compete in a series of high-intensity challenges designed to test strength, speed, agility, teamwork, resilience, and leadership."
Also unmentioned is whether there will be any fees attached to qualifying for the tournament, and if travel will be involved.
And the Patriot Games update failed to mention any tie-ins with high school sports associations, Amateur Athletic Union collaborations or individual recreation centers.
This is a first‑time event tied to Freedom 250, and organizers say more information on formats, partnerships and logistics will be released as the competition gets closer.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending, breaking and service-related topics across the Mid-Atlantic region for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Patriot Games 2026 are coming — can your teen athlete apply?
Source: “AOL Sports”
