Team Endeavours: Gamified Social Sports App
A QUT Sport & Innovation Central Brisbane ProtoComp 2025 success story
In Semester One 2025, as part of the Sport Innovation ProtoComp, a collaboration between QUT Sport and Innovation Central Brisbane, student innovators came together to tackle one big question:
How might we create a smarter, more inclusive, and sustainable sporting experience that enhances performance, event operations, and spectator engagement while ensuring lasting regional impact?
Among the standout teams was Team Endeavours, who set their sights on one of the biggest hidden barriers to participation — the difficulty of making social connections.
Kai Xuan Lim
Bachelor of Business (Economics)
Ang Khai Mah
Bachelor of Data Science
Hao Kang Nyo
Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer Science)
Lap Herng Wong
Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments (Game Design)
Zhan Hong Yow
Bachelor of Information Technology (Information System)
Zi Himm Lim
Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer Science)
Making First Steps Easy
Team Endeavours began with a simple but powerful observation: joining a new sport is often less about skill and more about confidence. The first approach, the first handshake, and the first invitation to join a game are what matter most, yet for many, these are also the hardest steps.
The team designed a mobile app that helps break down those barriers. By blending gamified social interactions with safe pathways into real-world sport, the app supports young people as they build confidence, find friends, and connect with clubs.
The Solution: A Safe, Social Pathway into Sport
Team Endeavours’ solution is a mobile app that blends:
• Social matching that connects users by interests, location and sport preferences
• Mini-games and challenges to break the ice and build confidence
• Real-world meet-ups with simple prompts and club-hosted activities
• Safety and trust features (onboarding checks, community standards, clear reporting)
• A freemium model with premium perks, keeping entry free and accessible
The result is a playful pathway from online to on-court, designed for 16–19-year-olds but adaptable to wider age groups.
Why It Matters
The Endeavours’ prototype was born out of the team’s own lived experience of moving to Australia to study. Each member knew the difficulty of arriving in a new country, not knowing anyone, and wanting to connect through sport but finding it intimidating to take that first step. By drawing on these personal insights, the team designed a solution that helps young people who might feel isolated, shy, or uncertain about how to get involved. This gamified social sport app lowers the barriers by creating a safe, playful pathway from online interaction to real-world sport, empowering young people to build confidence, make friends, and join in. For clubs and schools, it offers a way to welcome new participants who might otherwise never have walked through the door.
The Impact of the ProtoComp Experience
The team came together as strangers at the ProtoComp Hackathon, united by a shared curiosity about sport and innovation. Over the course of the program, they not only built a prototype but also forged friendships, learning from each other’s diverse skills in data science, IT, business, and game design. They tested their wireframes with peers, listened closely to feedback, and refined their concept so that every feature supported their vision of inclusion. The ProtoComp provided mentoring from industry experts, practical guidance on product development, and an environment where the team could take risks, pivot, and grow together. By the end of the 10 weeks, they had transformed their idea into a prototype with both social and commercial potential.
Looking Ahead
Team Endeavours’ next steps are focused on piloting their platform with schools and community sports clubs to validate its features in real-world settings. The team sees strong opportunities to integrate the app into youth engagement programs, positioning it as a bridge between digital connection and physical participation. Future developments may include partnerships with local governments and sporting organisations to scale the impact across Queensland and beyond. Importantly, the friendships formed during ProtoComp mean the team is committed to continuing this journey together, with a shared vision of creating a sporting culture that welcomes everyone – no matter their confidence level, background, or experience.
