SafeSport Survey Reveals Coaching Challenges Ahead of 2026 Winter Games
Event summary
- U.S. Center for SafeSport released results of its first-ever National Coaches Survey, gathering insights from 3,500 coaches on abuse, misconduct, and burnout.
- 46% of coaches reported experiencing verbal harassment or abuse, primarily from parents of athletes.
- 35% of coaches cited organizational communication and mistrust as barriers to implementing athlete safety policies.
- Survey findings will inform athlete safeguarding efforts ahead of the 2026 Winter Games and 2028 Summer Olympics.
The big picture
The survey highlights persistent challenges in athlete safeguarding, particularly around coach-athlete-parent dynamics. As the Center prepares for major sporting events, its ability to translate survey insights into actionable policies will be critical. The findings also underscore the broader industry trend of prioritizing athlete well-being alongside competitive success.
What we're watching
- Policy Implementation
- Whether the Center can address organizational communication barriers to improve safety policy adherence.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- How the Center will leverage survey findings to spur international dialogue on safe sport environments.
- Long-term Impact
- The pace at which the Center can integrate survey insights into training and education programs ahead of the 2028 Summer Games.
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