Organizational Effectiveness 2021

We are setting new standards of excellence for sports organizations, grounded by our expanded Ethics and Compliance team. We have increased engagement with athletes and National Governing Bodies (NGBs). As we concluded noteworthy investigations, we furthered our commitment to the success of NGBs, including through providing guidance on operational best practices.

In 2021, the USOPC concluded compliance investigations of significant issues that hampered organizations in the Olympic and Paralympic community, bringing about meaningful change and a sense of resolution for athletes.

Our Ethics and Compliance team helps ensure that NGBs comply with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, USOPC policies as well as their own bylaws, policies and procedures. NGBs are subject to an audit at least once every four years, aligned with amendments made to the Ted Stevens Act and our USOPC bylaws in 2020. When findings don’t meet our standards, NGBs are provided findings and recommendations and given a specific timeframe for remediation.

15 NGBs

audited in 2021 (with remainder to be audited 2022 – 2024)

We are working with NGBs to ensure compliance. You can review the audit schedule and reports here.

We began holding quarterly educational sessions with NGBs in 2021 to review compliance investigations and audits to highlight learnings and best practices. We also implemented a requirement for all NGB boards to include 33.3% athletes’ voices to help support them.

With NGBs serving as crucial partners in Team USA’s all-around success, we work with each of the nearly 60 member organizations according to their needs. This includes providing resources and grants to support many facets of their work.

The USOPC collaborates with NGBs to develop annual and quadrennial high-performance plans and provide a transparent and holistic look at how we allocate benefits, services and financial resources directly to athletes, and in support of athletes through their NGB. Together, we are building athlete trust and making investments to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being.

You can access the National Governing Bodies Council Report and Sport Benefits Statements here.

At the USOPC, we champion an athlete-led group that gives a voice to athletes’ concerns. The Athletes’ Advisory Council (AAC) is a volunteer, athlete-led council that brings the highest priority issues to USOPC leadership and ensures thorough and regular communication with athletes. Through our Memorandum of Understanding, we provide the AAC substantial resources, including monetary resources, empowering it further. The Council has full autonomy regarding allocation of budget and personnel, including the hire of an executive director.

The AAC also identifies and recruits athletes to serve on boards, councils and working groups to help ensure athletes’ voices are at the center of all decisions. The AAC was incremental in placing Olympian Jeff Porter on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2021 Athlete Committee – a committee focused on protecting the integrity of clean sport as the leading voice for athletes globally. The AAC also ensured athletes’ perspectives on anti-doping were included in the USOPC’s recommendations on the World Anti-Doping Agency reform and helped increase engagement with the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

In 2021, the AAC provided feedback to the USOPC on the development of the Team USA Athlete Marketing Platform. They also focused on allowing athletes to advocate for racial and social justice within USOPC guidelines.

Read More About the AAC's Work:

In 2021, New AAC leadership took effect, which you can view here