PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2014 U.S. OLYMPIC ACADEMY April 15, 2014 Los Angeles, California Copyright © 2014 by the U. S. Olympic Committee The 2014 U.S. Olympic Academy was presented by Gordon Crawford, with additional support from the United States Olympic Committee and the LA84 Foundation Foreword 2014 3 ANITA L. DEFRANTZ, President, LA84 Foundation U.S. Olympic Academy Member, International Olympic Committee, Executive Board Member, United States Olympic Committee, Board of Directors “An adherence to Olympism means confronting ethical issues at every turn in sport.” Anita L. DeFrantz Olympism is a term coined by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. The Olympic Charter, the guiding document of the Olympic Movement, presents the “Fundamental Principles of Olympism.” The first Anita L. DeFrantz: principle states, “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting The 2014 U.S. Olympic Academy took and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will place on April 15, in Los Angeles, at the LA84 Foundation. and mind … Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on It was the first Olympic Academy in the U.S. in 23 years. joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social The revival of the U.S. Olympic Academy resulted from a responsibility and respect for the universal fundamental ethical partnership between the United States Olympic Committee principles.” The Charter continues, “The practice of sport and the LA84 Foundation, supported by generous funding is a human right. Every individual must have the right of from Gordon Crawford. practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a The United States, by bringing the Olympic Academy back spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” The principles of to life, now joins 146 other nations that operate an Olympic Olympism also state that the Olympic Movement is inspired Academy. The objective of such Academies is to create a by the values of Olympism and that it “reaches its peak” when national forum for the exchange of ideas and the advancement the “world’s athletes” gather at the Olympic Games. of the principles of Olympism. In my professional life, over four decades, I have been The 2014 Academy in Los Angeles brought together more privileged to closely observe the full range of sport from than 100 Olympians, Paralympians, sport leaders, coaches, community-based youth sport to elite sport at the world journalists, scholars and students. Hundreds more watched championships and the Olympic Games. I have observed the event as it was streamed on the USOC’s website. I would at every level from Little League to the Olympic Games that like to extend special thanks to Olympic swimming champion fundamental ethical issues and the ways in which they are John Naber who served as the master of ceremonies, providing resolved can profoundly affect an athlete’s development. It is context and continuity throughout the day. impossible, therefore, to separate athlete development from the central tenets of Olympism. The theme of this year’s academy was athlete development. Our goal was to examine the topic through the lens of An adherence to Olympism means confronting ethical issues Olympism, which is based on the Olympic ideals. We at every turn in sport. These issues include access, equal selected athlete development as the focus of the conference treatment, fair play, transparency, safety, health, education and because few topics are more intertwined with Olympism and the development of athletes outside the sporting environment. its underlying values. The development of athletes, whether they aspire to the Olympic Games or simply wish to play recreationally, is Foreword 2014 4 ANITA L. DEFRANTZ, President, LA84 Foundation U.S. Olympic Academy Member, International Olympic Committee, Executive Board Member, United States Olympic Committee, Board of Directors affected by their own values, as well as by the values and ethical • Dionyssis Gangas, “The International Olympic decisions of their coaches, schools, teams, parents, doctors, Academy” - We were particularly honored to hear national governing bodies and national Olympic committees. a presentation by the Director of the International Olympic Academy. Dr. Gangas explained the origins The program of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Academy provided and subsequent history of the IOA, in Olympia, Greece, an opportunity to examine athlete development as it pertains before turning his attention to current programs of the to both elite sport and youth sport. Some sessions of the IOA. His presentation included a 15-minute video about Academy dealt with only high performance sport. Some dealt the IOA. with youth sport exclusively. Other sessions covered both areas. • Tom Farrey & Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, “Elite Athlete Development and Positive Youth Sports: Are • Scott Blackmun, “The U.S. Olympic Endowment They Compatible?”- Mr. Farrey of the Aspen Institute’s and Athlete Development: A 30-Year Perspective” - Sports and Society Program and Ms. Fitzgerald Mosley, The year 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the 1984 the USOC’s Chief of Organizational Excellence, Olympic Games, which produced a $232.5 surplus. discussed how the two organizations are working Sixty-percent went to the USOC for elite athlete together to re-imagine youth sports so that it becomes a development; the balance was used to establish the LA84 healthier, more positive experience for young people. Foundation and support youth sport. USOC CEO Scott Blackmun began the day by reviewing how the USOC • Ken Martel, “Case Study: How USA Hockey Does has utilized its share of the funds for the past three It” - Mr. Martel provided a look at USA Hockey’s decades. innovative athlete development model, paying particular attention to the intricacies of implementation and the • Alan Ashley, “Team USA Performance Review: obstacles that stand in the way of youth sport reform. London and Sochi” - USOC Chief of Sport Performance Alan Ashley discussed the USOC’s • Dotsie Bausch, Brenda Villa & Jarryd Wallace, strategic approach to elite athlete development and its “Becoming an Elite Athlete” - The final session was an effectiveness in Sochi and London. In addition, Mr. Olympian and Paralympian panel, in which three athletes Ashley explained USOC programs designed to improve representing cycling, water polo, and track and field athlete education and career planning. discussed their roads to athletic success, covering their early involvement in sport and addressing issues that they • Kristen Dieffenbach & Wade Gilbert, “Athlete must deal with as world-class athletes. Journalist Alan Talent Development: Current Status and Future Abrahamson moderated the panel. Directions” - Dr. Dieffenbach’s and Dr. Gilbert’s presentation covered all levels of sport, but focused on The document that follows is an edited transcript of the sub-elite development. Drs. Dieffenbach and Gilbert Academy sessions, providing a written version of the day’s reviewed the state of scholarly knowledge about athlete sessions. If you would like to see and hear the 2014 Olympic development. They noted the disparity between Academy verbatim, I invite you to watch it at www.teamusa. recommended best-practices in youth sport and the org/academy. Whether you read the proceedings or watch reality of every-day programs, and the failure of the youth the event online, I think you will find that all of the sports system to deliver services to all children who wish presentations were underscored by an awareness and to play sports, or to effectively address public health consideration of the ethical values inherent in Olympism. problems. Anita L. DeFrantz The U.S. Olympic Endowment and Athlete Development: A 30-Year Perspective 2014 5 SCOTT BLACKMUN, CEO, United States Olympic Committee U.S. Olympic Academy “It’s not the words that we put into books or on websites or in newspapers. It’s really the actions and the lives of our athletes that make the difference.” Scott Blackmun athletes. The way that the USOC tries to deliver against that broader mission is by empowering and exposing our athletes to the world so that their character, their trials, their victories, their tribulations can be seen by everybody. It’s Scott Blackmun: not the words that we put into books or on websites or in Thank you, Anita [DeFrantz]. newspapers. It’s really the actions and the lives of our athletes Thank you, Anita, for doing this this year. Thanks to Gordy that make the difference. Crawford. Gordy is one of our biggest benefactors. He started what is now known as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic We, the U.S. Olympic Committee, are here first and foremost Foundation a little over a year ago. We had the idea. It was to serve our athletes. There are some really important partners really Gordy’s leadership that caused us to do this. Thanks, though, because we have 47 National Governing Bodies. Chris Wayne Wilson for the great job on the program. Thank you Ramsey is here from USA Water Polo. It’s those governing very much. bodies that are out there in the communities generating the grassroots support, trying to identify the future athletes who And, most importantly, thanks to all of you for caring. Thanks are going to compete on the Olympic team, trying to talk to for being here. Thanks for caring about Olympism and the kids about the importance of participation. We’ve also got Olympic Movement. It’s why we’re all here. John [Naber] Tom Farrey here, from ESPN. Tom started a project, Project mentioned that our mission is relatively narrow. We’re Play, which is all about getting kids more active. It’s a huge focused on sustained competitive excellence at the Olympic problem in the U.S. today. I’m sure Tom is going to talk about and Paralympic Games. We believe that our calling, our job that a little bit later.