With just one month left before the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department (DPRD)’s spring sports season begins in town, parents and students looking to register for upcoming seasons now have the opportunity to do so, said Victor Rodriguez, the department’s athletic manager.

In 2026, the DPRD will offer six sports for local students, including baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and track and field. For adults in the community, adult softball will also be available for registration.

To register, community members are instructed to visit the DPRD’s website at daltonparks.org and click on the “Registration” tab at the top of the page, or call (706) 278-5404.

Youth baseball

According to the department, youth baseball registration will be open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 this year and will have an entry fee of $25. Youth baseball season is scheduled to last from February until May, with games beginning on March 28. Both home games and practices will be held at Al Rollins Park and Baseball Complex at 521 Threadmill Road.

Youth baseball in 2026 will be open for children from ages 4 through 14, with the league age determination date being June 30 this year. Ages 3-4 is classified as tee ball, with 5-6 being tee ball/coach pitch, 7-8 being coach pitch, 9-12 being live arm Little League and 13-14 being strictly live arm.

Youth baseball classifications this year will include 4u (and under) co-ed tee ball, 6u baseball, 8u coach pitch, 10u kid pitch, 12u baseball and 14u baseball. According to the department, teams will be formed based on how many participants sign up for each age group, and are not formed by schools. Registered children may also move up by one age group with the consent of the department.

Youth softball

Similarly, youth softball will be open for local female students, with registration open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 and an entry fee of $25. The duration of the 2026 season is scheduled to last from February to May, with the first game set to begin on March 28. Both home games and practices will be held at Heritage Point Regional Park’s Softball Complex at 1275 Cross Plains Trail.

The age range for softball in 2026 is listed for children aged 4 years old to 12 years old, with the league age determination date being June 30. Much like youth baseball, softball teams will also be formed based on the number of participants who sign up for their certain age group and will not be formed by school.

Regarding parents who may want to move their child up one age group, students may move up with the consent of the department, but 7 year old participants may not move up to the 9-10 age group unless a parent is the head coach.

This year’s classifications for youth softball include 5-6 year old tee ball, 7-8 year old coach pitch, 9-10 year old live arm and 11-12 year old live arm.

Youth soccer

The DPRD will also be offering two forms of youth soccer in the spring, including team soccer and drafted soccer.

“Draft soccer is just like all of the other programs that we offer here at the recreation department,” said Rodriguez. “An individual can sign up online, over the phone or in person, and we’ll assign them a team with a coach. We also supply the uniforms.”

For team soccer, Rodriguez said the teams are “treated more like a travel baseball or basketball league, where the coach signs up a team already By Alander Rocha 

Georgia Recorder

put together that’s been playing tournaments or travel ball, and they sign up the team as a whole.”

“Team soccer plays every Friday night,” he said. “We don’t have permission to add or drop any players from their roster, as long as they’re the right age. We don’t supply the uniforms either, so all we do is pretty much schedule and run the league-scheduled games for them for Friday nights. Typically the team league tends to be a little bit more competitive than the drafted league because the team league is composed mostly of teams that are played in the academies here in Dalton or the surrounding areas like Rome or Chattanooga.”

Rodriguez said draft soccer’s season will take place February through May, with the registration window open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 and the entry fee being $25. The first draft soccer games are scheduled to begin on March 28 and will be played at the Heritage Point Regional Park’s Soccer Complex, the Durkan Soccer Complex at 310 Smith Industrial Blvd. and the Nix Complex at 904 Civic Drive.

According to the department, practices and games will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week, while 4u will play once a week on either Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. Age groups include a 3-4 co-ed league, 5-12 boys league, 5-12 girls league and 13-14 co-ed league, with an age control date set to Sept. 1 this year.

For team soccer, the season is set to last from February to June, with the first game set to begin on March 6. Registration for team soccer will be open from Feb. 16 to April 1, with an entry fee of $25. Age groups for team soccer range from 6-14 year olds, with an age control date set at Sept. 1. This year, team soccer will be played in Dalton at the Nix Complex, Heritage Point Regional Park’s Soccer Complex and the Durkan Soccer Complex.

“The reason team soccer starts at a much later age is because they don’t have a lot of travel teams for 6 and 7 year olds,” Rodriguez said. “So, around 8 years old is when you start seeing travel league soccer start to form. That’s the reason it starts a little bit later, and then it ends a little bit later on age because some of these kids are playing the 14-15 or even 16-17 teams at the travel league competitions.”

Youth volleyball

Youth girls volleyball registration will be open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 with a $25 entry fee. In 2026, the volleyball season will take place between February and May, with games set to begin on March 23.

In Dalton, games and practices will be held inside the Mack Gaston Community Center at 218 N. Fredrick St. and Dalton Junior High School’s auxiliary gym at 1250 Cross Plains Trail. According to the department, practices and games will be held twice a week once the season starts, taking place on either Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays.

Youth volleyball age groups for the spring season include 8u girls (7 and 8 year olds), 10u girls (9 and 10 year olds), 12u girls (11 and 12 year olds), 14u (13 and 14 year olds) and 18u (15 through 16 year olds). The age control date is set as Sept. 1, 2026, and parents may put in a request to move their child up one age group prior to evaluations by emailing alangston@daltonga.gov.

Youth lacrosse

The department’s youth lacrosse program is set to begin in the spring, with the season officially lasting February through May. Registration for the sport is open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 with a $25 entry fee.

The date of the first game has not been decided by the department as of Monday evening, but Rodriguez said information will be emailed to registered families in the coming weeks. The first parent meeting for the sport will be held Feb. 19 at the Mack Gaston Community Center at 6 p.m., while the first practice will be held Monday, Feb. 23, at the Nix Complex in Dalton.

According to the department, players will need to provide their own lacrosse stick, gloves and shoulder pads, while the DPRD will provide helmets and uniforms. Youth lacrosse will be available to local students in third through fifth grade, with an age control date set at Sept. 1, 2026.

Youth track and field

The department has also opened registration for their spring track and field program, with registration lasting until Feb. 19 at 11:59 p.m.

The season is scheduled to begin in February and last until May, with the first meet beginning in early March. According to the department, the track and field team will compete on Saturdays in the Cobb County Youth Track League, with the $25 entry fee covering the registration into the league. Meets are scheduled to be held in the Cobb County area.

The age range for the youth track and field league this season is 5-14, with an age control date set at Dec. 31, 2026.

Adult softball

As in years prior, the DPRD will also be offering adult softball for the spring season this year, with registration opening Jan. 12 and lasting until Feb. 12.

Unlike youth sports, teams are registered into the league as opposed to individuals, with a $375 entry fee per team this year.

According to the DPRD’s Program and Athletic Coordinator Brandon Sane, the 2026 adult softball program includes a 10-game season with a tournament, and each team should include a minimum of 10 players each. The 2026 season is scheduled to last for 11 weeks from around Feb. 23 to April 17.

As the Playoff nears its tempestuous conclusion, symbolically finishing off calendar year 2025, we wanted to speculate on what lies ahead. If you are an athletic director staring down 2026’s dark barrel, the job scarcely resembles what you trained for five years ago.

Budgets are tighter and more scrutinized. Rosters churn faster than ever. NIL collectives sit alongside compliance offices. Multiple transfer windows have turned year-round roster management into a virtual professional sport. Worse, every recruiting decision (coach or player) now carries six- or seven-figure consequences—financial, reputational and competitive.

In this environment, intuition isn’t enough. Relationships matter but no longer anchor the system. Contemporary college sport is a high-velocity marketplace where athletic directors must simultaneously lead with speed, precision and accountability.

Enter the dragon: artificial intelligence.

A recent Journal of Applied Sport Management piece by Lawrence Judge and Marshall Magnusen argued AI has suddenly shifted from optional support to a core competitive capability for recruiting operations. Their argument is persuasive but leaves a few important questions unanswered.

Judge and Magnusen suggest AI is rising within the twin disruptions reshaping college sport: the transfer portal and NIL. Together, these forces have turned recruiting into a transactional, mobile and financially risky enterprise.

Guaranteed scholarships mean mistakes linger. Misjudged NIL guarantees are costly. Entire rosters can—and do—turn over in a single offseason. Coaches now resemble portfolio managers, which has caused athletic departments to increasingly rely on general managers and analytics staff.

In this context, AI promises something every AD wants: fewer bad bets.

The JASM authors describe a recruiting ecosystem where AI tools increasingly shape how athletes are identified, evaluated and pursued. According to Judge and Magnusen, at its core, AI enables several major functions, including performance analytics based on biometric, GPS and data from wearables to enhance scouting; predictive and psychological modelling to help predict injury risk and a player’s fit within the system—both on the field and in the locker room; tools enabling better evaluation of international athletes and those in underserved areas; and administrative workflow automation.

The above implications are blunt. In a market defined by speed, scale and mounting cost, the authors say relying on human judgment alone is now inherently risky. Judge and Magnusen stop short of offering a formal playbook for athletic directors. They diagnose rather than prescribe.

The JASM article is sound, if not overdue. AI isn’t just a management problem (how to optimize decisions), it’s a leadership challenge (on how to live with contradiction, responsibility and uncertainty as technology reshapes judgment).

These are not problems AI can solve; they are paradoxes leaders must embrace. In practice, it means knowing when to trust the model, when to override it and how to explain both decisions with credibility. In essence, AI changes who gets to speak with authority in the recruiting room.

Ethical AI isn’t just about bias audits or privacy policies; it’s about consequential ownership. When AI-informed recruiting decisions produce inequity, reputational harm or legal exposure, leaders—not algorithms—will be held responsible.

We already know adoption readiness will be uneven across NCAA programs. Not every athletic department has the data quality, governance capacity, cultural alignment or leadership bandwidth to integrate AI effectively. In some contexts, premature adoption may amplify bias, erode trust or create false confidence. It won’t be easy.

It’s that time of year again to register for youth basketball.

“We are starting our 31st year and hope to make it our best yet,” said Mike Bowlin. “This year we continue with 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old league playing on a 7-foot goal.”

Registration for 4-year-old through 13-year-old boys and girls will be held at Vidalia Upper Elementary Gym on Thursday, Jan. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Parents can also register at Trinkets & Treasures in Vidalia, which started on Dec. 4. Registration fee is $80. This includes a jersey, insurance, a trophy, team pictures, and playing a minimum of 10 games.

A copy of any new player’s birth certificate must be shown when you register.

Age Limits

Your league age will be determined by how hold the child was on Jan. 1, 2026.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga women’s basketball has opened the season with an 11-6 record, and one of the steady contributors along the way is a player whose path to the Kennel has come full circle.

Sophomore guard Teryn Gardner, a Mead High School alum, is back in Spokane and carving out a meaningful role for the Zags after growing up dreaming of playing for Gonzaga.

“Ever since I grew up in Montana, when I was a little girl, the dream was always to play at Gonzaga,” Gardner said. “Gonzaga is a pretty big name in Montana. Like, if you play there, you’re the coolest person ever.”

That dream began with watching former Zag standouts Jill Townsend and Jill Barta. Gardner still remembers attending a small high school camp in Montana where Barta — a Fairfield, Montana native — gave her a Gonzaga practice jersey.

“At the time, that was just the coolest thing ever,” Gardner said. “I had dreams of playing at Gonzaga.”

Gardner eventually moved from Montana to Spokane for high school, where she became one of the most decorated athletes in Mead history. She earned Greater Spokane League MVP honors as a junior and senior, was named the Metro Girls Athlete of the Year at the Spokane Youth Sports Awards, and was recognized as the league’s best defensive player as a senior.

She was named all-conference all four seasons, led the Panthers to three consecutive top-five finishes at the WIAA Class 3A state tournament — including a runner-up finish her senior year — and was selected to the Washington all-classification, all-state team twice. Gardner finished her high school basketball career with 1,568 points.

Her success wasn’t limited to the court. Gardner earned second-team all-state and second-team all-conference honors as a midfielder in soccer, won a state championship as part of Mead’s 4×400 relay team, and graduated as class valedictorian.

Gonzaga assistant coach Stacy Clinesmith, also a Mead alum, remembers following Gardner closely during her prep career.

“We really liked Teryn in high school,” Clinesmith said. “Of course, being a Mead athlete, I had some personal love for Teryn… I think we kind of caught on to the bandwagon a little bit late, and when she committed to Boise State, I think we kind of felt like we lost one through our fingers.”

After one season at Boise State, Gardner entered the transfer portal — a decision that brought her back home.

“The last year wasn’t what I was expecting, and so to come back here, like to be playing here, it’s still, I think about it every day,” Gardner said. “Like, it is insane how surreal it is and how blessed I am.”

Through her first 17 games with the Zags, Gardner has made an immediate impact. She has appeared in every game, starting once and coming off the bench the rest of the way. She is Gonzaga’s fifth-leading scorer at 5.6 points per game in 19.3 minutes while averaging 3.2 rebounds. Gardner is shooting 46.4% from the field and a team-best 49% from 3-point range.

Her impact, however, goes beyond the box score.

“We talk about it a lot, the ‘Zag plays,’ which are hustle plays or making the right pass or making a read that we had worked on in practice or diving on the floor for a loose ball,” Clinesmith said. “Those are all Zag plays, and she literally hits them almost every single game.”

Gardner embraces that role, focusing on energy, defense and doing whatever the team needs.

“Any time I can come in off the bench and give a little spark or just help out the team in any way I can, that’s what I really want to do,” Gardner said. “But just moving the ball, feeding the ball to Lauren (Whittaker) and Allie (Turner) and then really playing hard defense and crashing the boards.”

Known for her competitive edge, Gardner also brings joy and enthusiasm to the bench — something Clinesmith says defines her presence.

“She high-fives me on the bench before every single game, and we look at each other and smile,” Clinesmith said. “That’s what it’s all about, like having fun. This is a game. Especially at home, we get a great crowd. It’s super fun for her to be home in front of our crowd, and so she’s a great kid.”

For Gardner, pulling on a Gonzaga jersey in the Kennel still hasn’t lost its meaning.

“It’s so cool playing in the Kennel and wearing the Gonzaga jersey instead of a Mead jersey or an AAU jersey,” she said. “So it definitely feels like home.”

Gardner and the Zags return to the McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday to host the Portland Pilots at 2 p.m., a game you can see on SWX-TV and SWXLocalSports.com.

Key Takeaways

• North Charleston partners with The Sandlot Initiative and Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation on $4.5 million youth sports complex in the city’s historically underinvested southern end
• City commits $1.25+ million toward regulation baseball field, 12-U softball field, and open-air training center on Carner Avenue
• All programming, equipment, and coaching will be offered free to community youth through Sandlot Initiative model
• Project uses Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation’s Youth Development Park framework, deployed in 100+ facilities nationwide
• Complex will serve Military Magnet Academy, which currently lacks baseball and softball fields

Partnership Brings Multi-Million Dollar Investment to Chicora

North Charleston is moving forward with plans to build new youth baseball and softball facilities in the Chicora neighborhood through a three-way partnership with The Sandlot Initiative and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. The $4.5 million project will include a lighted regulation baseball field, a 12-U softball field, and an open-air training center on Carner Avenue.

The city has committed more than $1.25 million to the development, with partners currently fundraising the remaining capital. The project timeline depends on when full funding is secured.

Andy Brusman, founder of The Sandlot Initiative, identified the site based on specific criteria: an underserved community lacking baseball infrastructure with easy access for youth. The location sits within walking and biking distance of several schools and residential areas.

Strategic Site Selection Addresses Multiple Community Needs

The fields will be built adjacent to infrastructure already serving the southern end of North Charleston. The North Charleston Senior Center opened in December 2024, and SC Ports is constructing the North Charleston Community Wellness Center as mitigation for the nearby Navy Base Intermodal Facility.

Military Magnet Academy, located directly behind the planned complex, currently has no baseball or softball fields. The new facilities will provide the magnet high school with dedicated athletic space while serving broader community needs.

The southern end of North Charleston has historically received less investment than other parts of the city. Recent community-focused projects, including the senior center and wellness center, have begun to shift resources to the area.

Free Programming Model Removes Financial Barriers

The Sandlot Initiative will operate programming at no cost to participants. This includes equipment, coaching, and field access for youth in the community. Brusman plans to hire experienced coaches to provide high-level instruction and create pathways for players to advance in the sport.

“This is our way of bridging that gap,” Brusman said regarding socioeconomic barriers in youth sports participation.

The project incorporates the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation’s Youth Development Park model, which extends beyond athletics. Scott Swinson, director of development with the Ripken Foundation, explained the organization’s National Youth Mentoring Initiative focuses on character development, teamwork, and communication.

“It’s not just the sports,” Swinson said. “We’re about developing these kids from the inside out and offering them opportunities to grow with their peers.”

The Ripken Foundation has deployed this framework in more than 100 parks across the country.

First Sandlot Initiative Project Sets Replication Framework

This marks the first project for The Sandlot Initiative. Brusman indicated the North Charleston development is designed as a blueprint for additional facilities in other communities throughout the region.

The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation was started in 2001 by brothers Bill and Cal Ripken Jr., a National Baseball Hall of Fame member. Cal Ripken Sr. managed both sons on the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, making him the only father in Major League Baseball history to manage two sons on the same team. The brothers also founded Ripken Baseball, which operates camps, tournaments, and training at five locations, including one in Myrtle Beach.

via: Post and Courier

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About Youth Sports Business Report

Youth Sports Business Report is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis covering the $54 billion youth sports market. Trusted by over 50,000 followers including industry executives, investors, youth sports parents and sports business professionals, we are the premier destination for comprehensive youth sports business intelligence.

Our core mission: Make Youth Sports Better. As the leading authority in youth sports business reporting, we deliver unparalleled coverage of sports business trends, youth athletics, and emerging opportunities across the youth sports ecosystem.

Our expert editorial team provides authoritative, in-depth reporting on key youth sports industry verticals including:

• Sports sponsorship and institutional capital (Private Equity, Venture Capital)
• Youth Sports events and tournament management
• NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) developments and compliance
• Youth sports coaching and sports recruitment strategies
• Sports technology and data analytics innovation
• Youth sports facilities development and management
• Sports content creation and digital media monetization

Whether you’re a sports industry executive, institutional investor, youth sports parent, coach, or sports business enthusiast, Youth Sports Business Report is your most reliable source for the actionable sports business insights you need to stay ahead of youth athletics trends and make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving youth sports landscape.

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Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?

Introducing Play Up Partners, a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.

About Play Up Partners

Play Up Partners is a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.

Why Sponsor Youth Sports?

Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty.

What Does Play Up Partners Do?

We’ve done the heavy lifting to untangle the complex youth sports landscape so our brand partners can engage with clarity, confidence, and impact. Our vetted network of accredited youth sports organizations (from local leagues to national tournaments and operators) allows us to create flexible, scalable programs that evolve with the market.

Our Approach

Every partnership we build is rooted in authenticity and value creation. We don’t just broker deals. We craft youth sports marketing strategies that:

• Deliver measurable ROI for brand partners
• Create meaningful experiences for athletes and families
• Elevate the youth sports ecosystem

Our Vision

We’re positioning youth sports as the most desirable and effective platform in sports marketing. Our mission is simple: MAKE YOUTH SPORTS BETTER for athletes, families, organizations, and brand partners.

Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing

Where can I sponsor youth sports? How do I activate in youth sports? What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?

We have answers. Reach out to info@playuppartners.com to learn how Play Up Partners can help your brand navigate the youth sports landscape.

Youth sports organizations: Interested in partnership opportunities? Reach out to learn about our accreditation process.

New CEO brings athlete and executive experience, taking the reigns as the organization approaches its tenth year of operation

The U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center) today announced that Olympian Benita Fitzgerald Mosley has been named the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. She formally steps into the CEO role on February 1, 2026.

“It is an honor to be selected as the Center’s CEO, and it is my goal to shepherd this organization forward with a focus on service to athletes, operational excellence, and culture change in sport,” Benita Fitzgerald Mosley said. “As an athlete, I felt safe, supported, and strengthened in my career, and I am committed to helping all athletes within the Olympic and Paralympic movement feel that same sense of support. While the Center has moved the needle on athlete safety nationally, my vision is to ensure we are building an organization that athletes can believe in, the staff can be proud of, and the public can trust and respect.”

“Serving as interim CEO over the past eight months has been a privilege, and I look forward to passing the baton to a fellow athlete with the experience and commitment to lead this organization into its next chapter,” said Board Chair emeritus and Paralympic gold medalist April Holmes. 

During her time as interim CEO, April Holmes led the organization in key initiatives focused athlete engagement, including a comprehensive stakeholder engagement campaign involving multiple listening sessions with athletes, survivors, and national governing bodies, that resulted in several important process improvements. April was also instrumental in elevating the Center’s profile in the international sport safeguarding space, which will be showcased at two upcoming symposia at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“On behalf of the entire Board and the search committee, we are pleased to welcome Benita Fitzgerald Mosley as Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Center for SafeSport,” stated Chicka Elloy, Vice Chair of the Board and head of the search committee. “Benita brings a wealth of experience as both an athlete and a leader in nonprofit, sports, and business sectors. She is well-positioned to advance the Center’s mission as the organization completes its first nine years of operation and prepares for the next era.”

About Benita Fitzgerald Mosley:

• Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is an Olympic gold medalist and an established international leader in nonprofit, sports, and business sectors.
• Benita most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Multiplying Good, whose mission is to cultivate greatness through service to others through volunteerism and public service.
• Prior to Multiplying Good, Benita served as President of FundPlay Foundation and VP of Community & Impact for LeagueApps (2020-2023), a youth sports technology company.
• Prior to that, Benita served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA from 2016-2020, leveraging the power of Sport for Good to build thriving kids and communities across the United States.
• Benita served as Chief of Operating Officer of the United States Olympic Committee where she oversaw operations functions from Olympic Training Centers and Athlete Relations to Human Resources to Strategic Planning (2013-2016).
• In her previous role as USA Track & Field’s Chief of Sport Performance, Benita led Team USA to win 29 medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the most of any U.S. track and field team in 20 years (2009-2013).
• Additionally, Benita served on the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics (2021-2024).
• A world-class athlete, Benita won a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, making her the first American woman to accomplish this feat. She was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Teams. 

Need for Abuse Prevention in Sport  

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is the nation’s only independent organization dedicated to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sport. The Center emerged in response to high profile cases of sexual abuse of minor athletes within Olympic and Paralympic sport in the mid-2010s. With the mission of making athlete well-being the centerpiece of the nation’s sport culture, the Center has since been setting safety policies, and receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints of abuse and misconduct. The Center also serves as an educational resource for sports organizations at all levels, from recreational sports organizations to professional leagues.

With the goal of ensuring athletes within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement are safe, supported, and strengthened, the Center:

• Establishes safety policies, including the SafeSport Code and the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP).
• Investigates and resolves allegations of abuse and misconduct and levies sanctions, including temporary and permanent bans from Olympic and Paralympic Sport.
• Delivers comprehensive abuse prevention education within and outside of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
• Implements a comprehensive audit and compliance function over all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement to ensure adherence to safety, abuse prevention, and accountability standards.

About the U.S. Center for SafeSport

The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 codified the U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center), as the nation’s safe sport organization. It furthered the Center’s independence while underscoring its authority to hold individuals accountable. It also charged the Center with developing policies, procedures, and training to prevent abuse and misconduct in sport.

In October of 2020, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020 became law, even further strengthening the Center’s independence and oversight functions while mandating minimum funding requirements for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

The Center opened its doors in March of 2017.

Reporting and Resources

Report here to the U.S. Center for SafeSport if you have experienced abuse or misconduct—or if you have reasonable suspicion of abuse or misconduct—inflicted by someone in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. You can also leave a message by calling the Center at: 833-587-7233.

RAINN’s 24/7 online hotline is available for crisis intervention, referrals, or emotional support at any time. You can also call RAINN at: 800-656-HOPE (4673).

The Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support at 988lifeline.org or by calling 988.