Case for Support

Sport industry professionals currently lack the high-quality professional development they need to develop the whole human athlete, and the young athletes they coach are paying a high price. A lack of quality training resources, a lack of tools to address athletes’ mental and emotional wellbeing, a lack of oversight, transparency, and accountability practices in sports programs, and a lack of diversity, equity and inclusion training have had dire consequences on our athletes. Higher injury rates, burnout, a reported rise in anxiety and depression, increased athlete abuse incidents, and more team conflict related to social issues are the result.

Despite the existence of sport industry scholars who produce the latest evidencebased body of knowledge that establishes a new higher standard of excellence in education and address these issues, this trusted information is not readily accessible or centralized for the benefit of sport industry professionals.

The Solution

Sport Professional Knowledge Network (SPKN) is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide sport industry professionals with the evidence-based knowledge and tools necessary to develop today’s athletes –mentally,physically,andemotionally.

SPKN was co-founded in 2022 by Meagan Wilson, a former two-sport division I athlete with a Masters in Sports Coaching at the University of Denver and Professor Brian Gearity, PhD, Director of the Master in Sport Coaching program at the University of Denver. SPKN was born from their shared belief that sport has the potential to affect powerful change in the lives of individuals, communities, and societies, when led by adults who have the ability to harness its power effectively.

With the potential to influence over 300,000 career sport coaches1 and 6,000-plus college and high school athletic directors affiliated with 250+ U.S. sports governing bodies, SPKN is the authority on a new higher standard of excellence in knowledge for sport professionals because its content is driven by some of the top academic experts in the field. The focus of the SPKN Sport Knowledge Center is to provide sport knowledge and tools in a variety of accessible formats, including documentaries, docuseries, video series, a research database, a resource center, SPORTopedia glossary of terms and concepts, and podcasts. SPKN's Editorial Board of academic authorities, led by co-founder Dr. Brian Gearity and Board Member Dr. Jay Coakley, will provide peer-review oversight for the entire knowledge platform and continue to review and publish original articles and research submitted through its Editorial Manager portal.

The SPKN's strategic framework is designed to provide practitioners with an enriched knowledge base focused on athletes' holistic development and promote the ongoing development of essential tools and skills, including: Skill Development • Communication & Culture • Sport Psychology, Social Issues & Ethics • Nutrition • Sport Science & Technology, Sport & Family • Career Development.

SPKN’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board members represent an impressive range of sport professional experience who are united in SPKN’s mission and believe that peer-reviewed sport knowledge and accessible scholarship in the hands of sport industry professionals will lead to a better workforce and better athlete experience.

How You Can Help

SPKN is a mission-driven non-profit organization inspired by a vision to give all sport industry professionals access to the high-quality professional development they need to develop the whole human athlete. As such, SPKN is entirely dependent on the generosity of individual donors, corporations, and foundations. SPKN seeks financial support to help it dramatically increase its visibility among sport professionals and scholars, grow content, and deliver high-quality resources to everyone in the field, irrespective of financial means. The SPKNbudget reflects our commitment as we invite you to invest in our mission. Please join us.