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Project Play Summit recap: Olympic reform panel explores big changes

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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The independent commission set up by Congress to review recent reforms and governance of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its affiliated National Governing Bodies of sport plans to do so with an eye toward how those organizations fit into and contribute to the larger sport ecosystem, a co-chair of the commission said at the Project Play Summit.

In a livestream session, Dionne Koller discussed the scope of the work of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, and the need for better sports policy. The USOPC and NGBs get their statutory authority from the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, the law that created the current U.S. Olympic system in 1978.

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Health experts: It’s time for more high schools to budget money for athletic trainers

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“We have to change the mindset. The priority has to be the health and safety of the athletes.”

Although about 80% of high school athletes have access to an athletic trainer, just 56% of schools have one, down 10% since 2017, according to the Korey Stringer Institute. Rural and inner-city schools have far less access than those in the suburbs.

USOPC’s Rocky Harris: Let’s “rethink” sport in America

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee occupies a unique place in the national and global landscape. The U.S. is one of the few countries in world without a ministry of sports or some government body to guide and fund sport development. Here, the closest entity to that is the USOPC, a private, non-profit organization that since passage of the 1978 Amateur Sports Act has been asked to “establish national goals for amateur athletic activities” and “encourage physical fitness and public participation” in sports, plus represent the nation in Olympic matters.

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What youth sports can learn from Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest

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The tragic collapse of Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin highlighted the need for a quick response to help cardiac arrest victims. An NFL stadium provided just that environment.

Trained emergency personnel were on the sideline and within seconds of where he fell. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was quickly available to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat. An ambulance was nearby and took him to the hospital, following steps documented – and practiced – in an emergency action plan.

November 2022 newsletter

National Coach Survey, World Cup, Future of Sports

FEATURED ITEMS:

  • It’s time to support coaches
    Sports & Society’s Dr. Vince Minjares shares a call to action in response to the National Coach Survey

  • Future of Sports: U.S. in the World’s Game
    Join us for our next free, virtual event on Dec. 15 (12-1 ET)

  • How soccer can transform youth sports
    Revisit our conversation at the Project Play Summit with U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman

  • Stay connected to Project Play
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Plus ideas, insights, and some inspiration from Ted Lasso…

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Summit rewind: What kids want and need

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As kids across the country return to school, the importance of centering their voices couldn’t be more timely. The first play in our youth sports framework is Ask Kids What They Want.

At the most recent Project Play Summit, we asked three girls how they got involved in sports and what they feel like when playing. Only 15% of girls nationally meet the CDC recommendation for 60 minutes of physical activity.

What if the NBA developed its player pipeline?

Adam Silver is done with one-and-done. The National Basketball Association commissioner wants teams to be able to draft players right out of high school, at age 18, down from the current minimum of 19, a requirement that ends up forcing prospective NBA players to enter college for just one season. He calls it the “right thing to do” and hopes the players’ union agrees in the next labor negotiation.