Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics to host its first listening session during the Summit; register to watch live on May 18.
Contact: Jon Solomon
Editorial Director, Sports & Society Program
The Aspen Institute
jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org
Monday, May 15, 2023 — The 10th Project Play Summit takes place this week on Wednesday, May 17 and Thursday, May 18 in Colorado Springs, CO. Speakers and participants from across the country will gather at the sold-out event to chart next steps in helping sport develop the human potential of every child and build healthy communities. The agenda and speaker list can be viewed at https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/summit-2023-agenda.
On May 18 from 12:35 – 1:20PM MT, reporters and members of the public are invited to participate online in the first listening session held by the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics since it was created by Congress. Virtual audience members will have the opportunity to engage in a live Q&A.
During the session, representatives from key sectors will share insight on the role of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympics Committee and its affiliated NGBs in supporting the development of youth and community sports, and how they can help with issues such as coach recruitment and training, abuse prevention, best practices in sport and program development, and other areas of need. Participants include:
- Dionne Koller, Co-Chair of the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics; Sports Law Professor and Director, University of Baltimore Center for Sport and the Law
- Kathryn Carson, Chair, USA Gymnastics, Member, NGB Congressional Commission Task Force
- Ron Nocetti, Executive Director, California Interscholastic Federation
- Renata Simril, President/CEO, LA84 Foundation
During the Summit, Dionne Koller will also be interviewed by Tom Farrey, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, on the role of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in supporting community sports.
Additional programming from the summit includes a panel discussion focused on making sport and play more accessible to Native American youth. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament will discuss Montana Pool Service, the nonprofit he founded which has brought skateparks to rural and Native communities across Montana, in conversation with skateboarder Jay Bitsui, skateboard manufacturer and artist Di’Orr Greenwood, and Dawn Harflinger, President/CEO of the Lili’uokalani Trust.
Other speakers appearing over the two-day event include:
- Erikk Aldridge, Vice President of Impact at LA28
- Jeremy Bloom, former Olympic skier/ University of Colorado football player
- Ju’Riese Colón, U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO
- Karie Conner, Vice President/General Manager, North America Kids, Nike
- Linda Flanagan, author of Take Back the Game
- Julie Foudy, ESPN Analyst and World Cup Soccer Champion
- Rocky Harris, Chief of Sport and Athlete Services at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
- Caitlin Morris, Vice President, Social & Community Impact, Nike
- Edwin Moses, two-time Olympic hurdles gold medalist
- Craig Robinson, National Association of Basketball Coaches Executive Director
In addition to the livestream session, programming from the Summit will be recorded and posted to the Aspen Institute’s YouTube channel in the days following the event.
The Project Play Summit is organized by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, which in 2013 launched Project Play as the nation’s first cross-sector, collective impact effort to build healthy communities through sports. Today, it’s a movement of thousands of organizations across the U.S. and beyond – sharing knowledge and developing actions aligned with our strategic frameworks.
The presenting sponsor of the Project Play Summit is Nike, a founding partner of Project Play in 2013. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is the hosting sponsor. Additional support comes from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Hospital for Special Surgery, Stack Sports, GoodSport, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, and LA84 Foundation.
###
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.