Washington DC – House Energy, Commerce Oversight, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) delivered the following opening remarks at today's subcommittee meeting. hearing To ensure that athletes in our community are healthy and safe from mental, physical and sexual abuse.
“As you all know, this subcommittee originally planned to hold this hearing last October. We would like to thank the returning witnesses for rescheduling this important hearing. Thank you and appreciate their flexibility and understanding.
“Organized athletics are invaluable to our country's culture, especially for children. Sports help teach young people the values of teamwork and self-respect.
“More than 60 million children participate in youth sports leagues, from soccer to football, tennis to badminton, lacrosse and swimming.
“Some children start exercising before they even go to kindergarten. They pour their heart and soul into it and spend countless hours mastering their chosen sport.
“Young athletes who want to perform at the highest level as part of the modern Olympic movement may have to spend the same amount of training hours per week as the average American does at work.
“Thanks to these fierce competitors and an extensive network of youth leagues, the United States proudly claims to have won the most Olympic medals with over 3,100 medals, behind only Germany with 2,000 medals. 1,100 more than the current population.
Ensuring a safe environment
“With this country's great success in sports, we have a duty to our athletes to ensure they can compete in a safe and abuse-free environment.
“Unfortunately, that is not always the case. As a member of this subcommittee in 2018, I heard testimony about tragic and horrifying episodes of sexual abuse recorded at USA Gymnastics. I remember. This abhorrent event was perhaps the worst case of sports abuse ever seen in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
“In response to that incident, Congress came together to create the American Center for Safe Sports to ensure that such abhorrent events never happen again.
“The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for investigating and resolving reports of abuse and misconduct in sports leagues affiliated with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
“Currently, SafeSport covers approximately 11 million individuals.
“The Center has a tall order, but it is important to have a functioning, transparent and effective organization that is committed to its mission of protecting athletes from abuse.
Improving safe sports
“SafeSport has a difficult role in protecting children from abuse. As with any new organization, we need to grow and correct mistakes that have been made.
“As SafeSport learns and builds its protocols, legislative changes may also be necessary.
“We are very aware that SafeSport has been criticized, particularly regarding its lack of transparency.
“Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Status Commission, tasked by Congress with finding areas for improvement in the Olympic movement, announced that SafeSport had decided not to submit financial statements detailing requested expenditures. '' was announced. Targeting specific security policies reflects the lack of transparency built into the current institutional structure and impedes the movement's accountability to Congress. ”
“I am also concerned that my office has received reports that youth sports leagues are disengaging from national governing bodies to avoid coach training and background check requirements imposed by SafeSport. ing.
“This is extremely concerning, given that SafeSport was created to protect athletes from abuse. Instead, SafeSport was inadvertently transferred to a more opaque league that lacked reporting and training requirements.” It could be pushing athletes too hard.”
“The commission interviewed national governing body participants and they said, “Coaches can move to non-sanctioned competitions and still essentially continue to participate in the sport on a daily basis.''
“One person even told the committee, 'The two biggest offenders I know are still coaching.'” Nothing ever happened to them. ”
“We have to find a way to close these loopholes.
“This oversight hearing is an excellent bipartisan review of how well SafeSport is working and how it can improve overall safety for athletes with SafeSport and some national governing bodies. It's an opportunity.
“Everyone in this room agrees: The physical and mental health of our youth athletes is of paramount importance. We owe it to them.”
