Medals should never come at the cost of athlete well-being. That’s the message the U.S. Center for SafeSport is bringing directly to the Paris Games. For the first time, the Center is sending a delegation to the Olympics and Paralympics to remind athletes we are in their corner.
For all the celebration and excitement of the Games, there is still a long shadow cast by abuse and misconduct. The failures of the past will plague the present without accountability and clear rules for everyone to play by.
The recent Olympic qualification of a Dutch beach volleyball player who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old is a striking example. His embrace by national and international sports bodies rolls back the clock on culture change and sends a dangerous message that victory is worth more than the safety of young athletes and the experiences of survivors.
As teams from across the globe convene in Paris and millions of young viewers tune into the Games to watch their heroes, international alignment on SafeSport policy is critical. As the first comprehensive national safe sport organization in the world, the Center is charting a course for needed culture change. The positive impact of establishing national safe sport policies, educating millions within and outside of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sport, and holding thousands of individuals accountable for abuse and misconduct is undeniable.
We frequently share our best practices with other nations working to implement their own systems to protect athletes and speak candidly about the challenges we’ve met as we seek to improve and adapt.
My team and I are in Paris to ensure athlete well-being and abuse prevention are part of the conversation at the Games. From creating resources specifically for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to developing online training for staff and volunteers to ramping up the Center’s communication with safety personnel on the ground, we are supporting USA athletes throughout the summer games and beyond. Being present will enable us to learn more about the on-the-ground experience for athletes and — in turn — better identify risks and develop proactive measures and resources for future games.
At home in the U.S., we have spent the past seven years making progress toward safer sporting environments for athletes at all levels. Reports of abuse and misconduct continue to skyrocket — more than 2,500% since our founding and 30% between 2022 and 2023 alone.
Behaviors that were once ignored or swept under the rug are now raising a red flag. We view this as a sign that more people understand the rules as a result of our policies and education and more people are willing to speak out against abuse because they know resources and accountability exist.
We also recognize that meeting the growing demand is one of our biggest challenges as an organization. The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, which mandates a static $20 million annual payment by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to fund the Center’s operations, does not account for rising inflation, an exponential increase in reports, nor the potential addition of new sports and millions of new athletes to our jurisdiction.
The Center continues our call to Congress to amend the Act and increase funding by $10 million annually because the safety of our nation’s athletes is too important to shortchange.
Even with existing but limited resources, the Center continues to make strides and adapt to the needs of those we serve. Relying on athlete, survivor, and stakeholder input, the Center recently implemented significant process improvements and revised the SafeSport Code to enhance efficiency, fairness, and trauma sensitivity.
Understanding the experiences of athletes is essential to our evolution. Our recent national survey of nearly 3,800 athletes found that 72% strongly agreed that their athletic experience has had a positive impact on their life. At the same time, 78% of athletes surveyed shared that they had experienced behaviors related to emotional harm and neglect, and nearly 11% of athletes indicated that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact or sexually explicit behaviors.
We must work together — parents, coaches, athletes, legislators, national and international leaders in sport — to foster safe and inclusive sports environments so that athletes can thrive and fulfill their potential. Whether it’s the podium in Paris or a neighborhood practice field, a future where respect and safety take center stage is what all athletes deserve.
File a report
Report to 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. The website is uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/
Ju’Riese Colón is the Chief Executive Officer of the Denver-based U.S. Center for SafeSport. The Center is the nation’s only independent organization dedicated to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sport.
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Originally Published: July 29, 2024 at 9:13 a.m.
