Organisation of scientific support to athletes in the United States of America

Purpose of the study: to analyse the institutional structure of scientific and methodological support (SMS) for the training of athletes in the United States, based on the activities of major organisations in the field of sports science.

Methods: systematisation of data, structural and comparative analysis of materials, documents, annual and financial reports of national public organisations responsible for SMS in the United States.

Results. The search systematised information on existing organisations in the field of scientific support for athlete training in the United States and identified the main areas of activity and approaches to financing scientific support programmes for athlete training. It was established that the US National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, as well as the NCAA Institute of Sports Science, are key organisations in the field of scientific support for elite athletes. Furthermore, the International Association of Sports Sciences and the American College of Sports Medicine are not involved in sports science and scientific support for sports, predominantly conducting commercial educational activity in the professional training and development of coaches and fitness instructors. Neither SHAPE America (formerly NASPE) is engaged in scientific support for elite sport – their focus is school and community physical education, teacher standards, and public health-oriented promotion of physical activity, rather than athlete training. Universities are also involved in the field of scientific support for sport in the United States, however their fragmented participation does not contribute to the formation of a unified base of scientific knowledge in the field of SMS training for athletes.

Conclusion. The analysis identified the main areas of activity of organizations in the field of scientific support for sport in the United States and demonstrated their functional role in the training of highly skilled athletes and the implementation of scientific developments in the process of sports training.

1. Ponkin I.V., Solov’ev A.A., Ponkina A.I. First Sport-Related Acts in Foreign States. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture. 2014;(5):35–38. (In Russ.).

2. Repkin S.B. Organizational and economic aspects of the development of sport in the United States. Vestnik Polockogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya D. Ekonomicheskie i yuridicheskie nauki. 2015;(6):15–23. (In Russ.).

3. Solov’ev A.A. Russian and foreign experience in systematizing sports legislation. Moscow: Vash poligraficheskii partner Publ.; 2011. (In Russ.).

4. Dolmatova T.V. State management of physical culture and mass sports in the United States. Moscow; 2020. (In Russ.).

5. Dolmatova T.V., Zubkova A.V. Key trends in regulating physical activity and public sport: analysis of successful foreigh practice. Human. Sport. Medicine. 2021;21(1):108–116. (In Russ). https://doi.org/10.14529/hsm210114

6. Dolmatova T.V., Zubkova A.V., Selezneva E.A., Kuznetsova E.V., Baryaev A.A. Foreign sports research models: comparative analysis. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture. 2021;(8):56–58.

7. Zubkova A.V., Abalyan A.G., Dolmatova T.V., Fomichenko T.G., Shestakov M.P. Theoretical and practical support service for sports elite: foreign experience. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture. 2021;(1):33–35.

8. Dolmatova T.V., Zubkova A.V. Kuznetsova E.V., Akinshev E.S., Slutskii G.A. Research support of international sports: analysis of organizations’ activities in the field of sports science. Moscow: FSC VNIIFK; 2021. (In Russ.).

9. Bubka S.N., Bulatova M.M., Esentaev T.K., Kovalenko N.P., Pavlenko Yu.A., Platonov V.N., Tomashevskii V.V. Management of athletes’ preparation for the Olympic Games. Moscow: Sport Publ.; 2019. (In Russ.).

10. Fullagar H., Mccall A., Impellizzeri F. M., Favero T. The Translation of Sport Science Research to the Field: A Current Opinion and Overview on the Perceptions of Practitioners, Researchers and Coaches. Sports Medicine. 2019;49(6):1817–1824. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01139-0

11. Green M., Houlihan B. Elite Sport Development: Policy learning and Political Priorities. NY: Routledge; 2005. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203022245

12. Sparvero E., Chalip l., Green C. United States. In: Houlihan B., Green M. (eds). Comparative Elite Sport Development: systems, structures and public policy. 1st ed. Oxford; 2008, pp. 242–271. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003213529-21

13. Harris S.J., Jedlicka S.R. The Governance of Sport in the USA. In: Sport Business in the United States. NY: Routledge; 2020, pp. 24–49. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003058625-2

14. Woods R.B. Social Issues in Sport. 3rd ed. Human Kinetics; 2015.

15. Dolmatova T.V., Zubkova A.V. Public administration of physical activity and sports in the usa at the regional level: California’s experience. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture. 2025;(8):92–95. (In Russ.).

16. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. High Performance Programs [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/high-performance-programs (accessed 02 September 2025).

17. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Forbes: USOC creates Technology and Innovation Fund to aid in preparation for Tokyo Games [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/us-olympic-and-paralympic-foundation/news/2019/february/19/forbes-usoc-creates-technology-fund-to-aid-in-preparation-for-tokyo (accessed 03 September 2025).

18. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 2023 Impact Report [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/2023-impact-report (accessed 03 September 2025).

19. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Colorado Springs Olympic & Paralympic Training Center [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/training-centers/colorado-springs (accessed 03 September 2025).

20. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Technology [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/high-performance-programs/physiology (accessed 08 September 2025).

21. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Sports Medicine. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/sportsmedicine (accessed 08 September 2025).

22. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Lake Placid Olympic & Paralympic Training Center [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/lake-placid-olympic-paralympic-training-center (accessed 08 September 2025).

23. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Sport Venues [internet]. Available at: https://www.usopc.org/lp-sport-venues (accessed 09 September 2025).

24. NCAA. About the Sport Science Institute [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/8/23/about-the-ssi.aspx (access 09 September 2025).

25. NCAA. Mental and Physical Health [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2024/4/22/mental-and-physical-health.aspx (accessed 09 September 2025).

26. NCAA. Doping and Substance Misuse [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/10/sport-science-institute-doping-and-substance-abuse.aspx (accessed 10 September 2025).

27. NCAA. Cardiac Health [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/10/sport-science-institute-cardiac-health.aspx (accessed 10 September 2025).

28. NCAA. Preventing Catastrophic Injury and Death in Collegiate Athletes [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2019/7/11/preventing-catastrophic-injury-and-death-in-collegiate-athletes.aspx (accessed 10 September 2025).

29. NCAA. Athletics Health Care Administrator Handbook [internet]. Available at: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ssi/ahca/SSI_AHCAHandbook.pdf (accessed 10 September 2025).

30. NCAA. Education and Policy [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2024/4/23/education-and-policy.aspx (accessed 10 September 2025).

31. NCAA. Data-Driven Decisions [internet]. Available at: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/10/sport-science-institute-datdriven-decisions.aspx (accessed 10 September 2025).

32. NCAA. Financial Statements 2023-2024 [internet]. Available at: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ncaa/finance/2023-24NCAAFIN_FinancialStatement.pdf (accessed 10 September 2025).

33. National Physical Education Standards Educator Kit [internet]. SHAPE America; 2024. Available at: https://t2t.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/National_Physical_Education_Standards.pdf (accessed 12 September 2025).

34. SHAPE America. SHAPE America Research Council [internet]. Available at: https://www.shapeamerica.org/MemberPortal/about/leaders/Research_Council.aspx (accessed 12 September 2025).

35. SHAPE America. About JOPERD: Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance [internet]. Available at: https://www.shapeamerica.org/MemberPortal/publications/journals/joperd/about_joperd_journal.aspx (accessed 12 September 2025).

36. SHAPE America. About RQES: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport [internet]. Available at: https://www.shapeamerica.org/publications/journals/rqes/about_rqes_journal.aspx (accessed 12 September 2025).

37. ISSA. About the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) [internet]. Available at: https://www.issaonline.com/company (accessed 12 September 2025).

38. ISSA. ISSA Acquisition of Empowered Educations Health Coach Institute and Functional Nutrition Alliance [internet]. Available at: https://www.issaonline.com/blog/post/issa-acquisition-of-empowered-educations-health-coach-institute-and-functional-nutrition-alliance (accessed 12 September 2025).

39. ISSA. ISSA Certification Tracks for Every Fitness Professional [internet]. Available at: https://www.issaonline.com/certification/course-comparison (accessed 12 September 2025).

40. Issa International Ltd [internet]. Available at: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581993703

41. ACSM. ACSM Regional Chapters [internet]. Available at: https://acsm.org/membership/regional-chapters/ (accessed 15 September 2025).

42. ACSM. Get Certified [internet]. Available at: https://acsm.org/certification/get-certified/ (accessed 15 September 2025).

43. ACSM. ACSM Journals [internet]. Available at: https://acsm.org/education-resources/journals/ (accessed 15 September 2025).

44. ACSM. 2025 ACSM. Annual Report [internet]. Available at: https://acsm.org/about/archive/annual-report-2025/ (accessed 15 September 2025).

45. Stanford Medicine. Human Performance Laboratory [internet]. Available at: https://med.stanford.edu/ortho/humanperformance.html (accessed 15 September 2025).

46. Harvard University Health Services. Sports Medicine [internet]. Available at: https://huhs.harvard.edu/get-care/sports-medicine (accessed 15 September 2025).

47. UVA School of Education and Human Development. Exercise and Sport Injury Laboratory [internet]. Available at: https://education.virginia.edu/research-initiatives/research-centers-labs/research-labs/exercise-and-sport-injury-laboratory (accessed 15 September 2025).