United in Support of Youth Safety: New Mexico United Soccer Academy

No matter the ages of the participants or the level of competition, sport should be a safe, supportive place where everyone feels empowered to learn, grow, and thrive—physically and emotionally.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport provides diverse training, tools, and resources to create sport settings free of abuse and misconduct.

New Mexico United Academy, a United Soccer League academy program, subscribes to this philosophy wholeheartedly. Adults in the academy are SafeSport® Trained, with the goal that athletes up and down its programming are free to reach their full potential.

“Anyone who’s going to be around our academy has to be (Safesport) trained, so that we’re all on the same page, looking for the same things, aware of the same things, creating the best environment for our kids,” says Luke Sanford, the academy’s head coach.

This short video tells the story of how New Mexico United works to create a positive environment for every player, on and off the pitch.