Sport Sustainability

    The sport sustainability working group was charged with exploring the benefits of offering flexibility for Olympic sports to manage their operations in a customized, efficient and creative manner. Typically, these sports are managed by NCAA rules originating from football and basketball issues, having unintended negative consequences for Olympic- and Paralympic-sport athletes and coaches.


    As part of the sport sustainability focus area, project work was conducted with the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America, the College Gymnastics Association, the men’s gymnastics sustainability committee and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Specifically, UCCS contributed a multipronged research study across the collegiate men’s gymnastics landscape, which found the relationship between recruiting expenses and team performance was only moderate. The study also found many varsity programs leverage their club/camp structures to support varsity operational costs. Meanwhile, project work with the CSCAA leveraged existing survey data from coaches and athletes. The data reflected a strong need to modify the swimming and diving recruiting process to start after the conclusion of the junior year in high school.


    As a result of the gymnastics and swimming and diving research findings, the sustainability group focused on amending existing policies to drive sport-specific efficiencies and spur sport growth.


    Jeremy Fischer

    Jeremy Fischer

    USA Track & Field

    National Team Coach


    Pat Kelleher

    Pat Kelleher

    USA Hockey

    Executive Director


    Rob Mullens

    Rob Mullens

    University of Oregon

    Athletic Director


    Maddie Musselman

    Maddie Musselman

    University of California, Los Angeles

    Olympian (Water Polo)


    Chris Plonsky

    Chris Plonsky

    University of Texas

    Chief of Staff and Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director


    Jamie Pollard

    Jamie Pollard

    Iowa State University

    Director of Athletics


    Jamie Redman

    Jamie Redman

    Yale University

    Former National Team Athlete (Rowing)


    Lee Reed

    Lee Reed

    Georgetown University

    Director of Intercollegiate Athletics


    Daria Schneider

    Daria Schneider

    Harvard University

    Head Fencing Coach and Former National Team Athlete (Fencing)


    Stan Wilcox

    Stan Wilcox

    NCAA

    Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs


    • Kaitlyn Verfuerth of the U.S.A. competes in the Wheelchair Tennis match
      Getty Images
    • Kaitlyn Verfuerth, University of Arizona

      "I chose to go to Arizona because of the adaptive sports program. It taught me about who I was as a person more than any other period in my life."

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