What we do matters. So does how we do it, which is why 2024 was driven by change and evolution. Our commitment to listening, learning, and continuous improvement has propelled us since we started this work eight years ago and will continue to be our North Star.

Since the Center opened our doors in 2017, we have been forging a new path and utilizing best practices to develop national sport safeguarding policies that set the United States apart. Our mandate is wide reaching, the Olympic & Paralympic Movement we serve is growing, and preventing and responding to abuse across 52 sports remains challenging. But the more than 32,000 reports received since the Center’s inception—nearly 8,100 in 2024 alone—illuminate the continuing need for this work.

Sport culture looks different today than it did even a decade ago. Back then, incidents of abuse and misconduct weren’t making headlines like they do now. Too often, bad behavior was excused, ignored, or even covered up. All this is changing thanks to courageous athletes sharing their stories and the growing demand that sport communities prioritize athlete safety and well-being. Through prevention policies, education, and accountability measures, the Center has played a central role in the evolution of sport culture—but there is much work ahead.

Moving the needle motivates us and making an impact drives us. Staff at the Center are athletes, parents of athletes, and professionals who care about the safety of sport participants at every level. We know what it’s like to wake up early to train and what it’s like to drive young athletes to practice day-in and day-out. Some of us spent time competing at the highest levels, striving for medals, records, and championships. Many of us understand first-hand the physical and mental health benefits that come from sports, and we are working to ensure those benefits—which all athletes deserve—are accessible to all participants on fields and courts throughout the nation.

We know the importance of showing up, persevering, and pivoting to meet the challenges ahead. We know that winning should never come at the cost of well-being. We know that true progress requires evolving along the way to meet the needs of athletes and this is not a single, one-time effort. It is an ongoing commitment core to the Center’s mission and part of the work we do every day.