Canadian Soccer Standout Cloey Uddenberg and Team Physician Dr. Kevin Asem Join Lung Health Foundation’s National Push to Keep Kids with Asthma in the Game

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As soccer surges across Canada, new Play Prepared campaign empowers families, coaches, and communities with real-world guidance that works on and off the field 

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TORONTO, May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With nearly one million children and youth in Canada living with asthma, many families still worry that sports may be off-limits. A new national campaign from the Lung Health Foundation (LHF), is working to change that – starting on the sideline.

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Launched May 1 for Asthma Awareness Month and on World Asthma Day today, PlayPrepared.ca is a practical, parent-coach-and-community-focused initiative designed to help kids with asthma stay active, confident, and fully involved in sport.

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The premise is straightforward: with the right preparation, education, and support, most children with asthma can participate fully – and thrive.

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Soccer remains Canada’s most popular youth sport, followed by basketball and hockey. At the same time, an estimated 76% of youth coaches are unpaid volunteers, many of them parents with little or no medical training. That gap between responsibility and resources is where Play Prepared steps in.

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According to Dr. Kevin Asem, team physician for Canada Soccer Men’s U-17/U-20 teams and one of Lung Health Foundation’s Play Prepared Ambassadors, “there are instances where an athlete of any age has an underlying condition that they simply aren’t aware of. Those are cases where early awareness – from a coach, a parent, or someone on the sideline – can make all the difference.”

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“Too often, uncertainty or fear leads to kids sitting out when they don’t have to,” says Lung Health Foundation President & CEO Jessica Buckley. “With an asthma action plan, access to medication, and informed adults on hand, most children with asthma can continue to take part in the sports they love.”

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At the centre of the campaign is a suite of practical tools for coaches, parents and community organizations, including a new Coach’s Quick Reference Guide designed to take the guesswork out of supporting children with asthma on the field. The guide, alongside a central online hub at PlayPrepared.ca offers clear, easy-to-follow guidance on recognizing symptoms, responding quickly, and building supportive team environments.

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Canadian professional soccer player of AFC Toronto Cloey Uddenberg has also teamed up with Lung Health Foundation as an Ambassador of Play Prepared and knows firsthand how much that support matters.

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Diagnosed with asthma at nine, just as she entered competitive soccer, Uddenberg faced early challenges managing symptoms during games and training.

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“For me, it showed up when I was pushing myself,” she says. “It took time to figure out what worked, but I had coaches and parents who stayed calm, helped me manage it, and never made me feel like I had to stop playing.”

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That support proved critical.

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“With the right management – having my inhaler ready, an asthma action plan in place, and people around me who understood – I gained confidence,” says Uddenberg. “Preparation makes all the difference.”