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    Op-Ed                                                                     JULY 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 12

                  How America’s Sports Systems

              Build Champions and Industries

              Global Sports Mentoring Program alumna Vaidehi Vaidya shares how American schools, sports science,

             and professional support systems help build athletes, industries, and community engagement around sports.

            SYED SULAIMAN AKHTAR,                                                                                 ing and performance management.
                                                                                                                  Analysts, psychologists, trainers, and
            SPAN Magazine
                                                                                                                  other experts work alongside coaches
                  aidehi  Vaidya wants Indian                                                                     to improve athlete performance and
                  sports professionals to think                                                                   strengthen the broader sports industry.
            Vbeyond medals and matches.                                                                              “In  the  United  States,  the  signif-
            Speaking to more than 80 athletes,                                                                    icance of specialized professionals
            coaches, trainers, and sports admin-                                                                  in sports, such as sports analysts and
            istrators  during  a  hybrid  session  in                                                             psychologists, is well recognized for
            Bhopal organized by U.S. Consulate                                                                    their positive impact on athlete per-
            Mumbai, the  Global Sports Mento-                                                                     formance,” she says. “Coaches ac-
            ring Program   alumna highlighted                                                                     knowledge the value these experts add
            how American sports systems com-                                                                      to training and competition, viewing
            bine athlete development, science,                                                                    them as essential members of the ath-
            education, and business to build both                                                                 letic system.”
            champions and industries.                                                                                 She added that this collaborative
                Her session, titled “America’s                                                                    approach encourages innovation not
            Sports Systems and Pathways Shap-                             Vaidehi Vaidya                          only in athlete performance but also
            ing Champions and Industries,” in-                                                                    in the management and organization
            troduced participants to how the   sports leaders with American men-  How America’s sports systems    of sports.
            United States builds long-term sports   tors and institutions to share best   integrate schools and colleges  “Integrating these professionals
            systems through schools, colleges,  practices in sports leadership and   One  of  the  defining  strengths   fosters innovation across organization-
            professional leagues, and specialized   management.                 of the American model is the strong   al, managerial, and technical domains
            support networks. Drawing from        During the exchange, Vaidya   role educational institutions play in   within the sports industry,” says Vaidya.
            her experience in the United States,  observed how research, technical   athlete development. Schools and
            Vaidya says the success of American   expertise, and professional manage-  colleges create structured pathways   How sports venues support
            sports is rooted in systems designed   ment work together across the U.S.  for athletes while also contributing   community engagement
            to support athletes at every level.   sports  sector.  The  experience  of-  to the commercial growth of sports.   During the Bhopal session,
               “The  United States  adopts  a   fered insights into how American or-  “Integrating sports at both school   Vaidya encouraged participants to
            three-pronged approach: structured,  ganizations build long-term systems   and college levels contributes signifi-  think about sports as a community ex-
            scientific,  and  professional,”  says   that support both athletes and sports   cantly to athlete development,” she   perience and an economic driver, not
            Vaidya. “The American sports in-  professionals.                    says. “The sports system in schools   only as competition. She discussed
            dustry is highly organized. Athletes   “Whether in coaching, sports sci-  and colleges is well-established and   how sports venues in the United States
            entering  the  field  typically  have  a   ence, or data analysis, these domains   introduces a commercial element.  often function as gathering spaces
            clear idea of their career path. From   are addressed scientifically and sup-  Many athletes are selected from col-  that bring communities together and
            school teams to national leagues,  ported by research,” she says. “This   lege competitions to participate in na-  expand engagement around sports.
            there is widespread recognition of   methodology contributes to the de-  tional leagues, making this system an   “My goal was for them to grasp
            the importance of performance sci-  velopment of robust technical pro-  effective feeder for national teams.”  how the U.S. school and college sports
            ence.”                            grams and cultivates professionals    She also emphasized the impor-  system operates,” she says. “I also
                The U.S. approach extends be-  who demonstrate a high level of ex-  tance of access to high-quality infra-  wanted them to appreciate the com-
            yond athlete training and includes   pertise in their respective fields.”  structure. Exposure to professional   munity  dimension  of  sports,  where
            long-term investments in infrastruc-  The  program  also  gave  her  op-  facilities at an early stage, she says,  arenas serve as gathering spaces rather
            ture, management, and professional   portunities to connect with sports   helps athletes prepare for higher lev-  than merely stadiums.”
            support systems that strengthen the   leaders and better understand how   els of competition.             She says the session also focused
            sports industry as a whole.       American institutions create net-    “The professional-grade sports   on the importance of building long-
                                              works  that  support  innovation  and   facilities available in educational   term systems that support sustainable
                Global Sports Mentoring       professional growth.              institutions support this growth and   sports development.
                Program shares winning           “I had the opportunity to con-  advancement,” she explains.         “I aimed for them to recognize that
                       strategies             nect with prominent leaders, which                                  success in sports relies on established
                Vaidya participated in the U.S.  significantly  influenced  my  perspec- Sports science and professional   systems, understand the shift from
            Department of State’s Global Sports   tive on personal and professional         support               focusing solely on Olympic sports to
            Mentoring Program, administered   growth,” says Vaidya. “The program    Beyond facilities and competition   fostering sustainable sport ecosystems,
            by the  University  of  Tennessee’s   enabled me to implement effective   pathways, Vaidya says the U.S. system   and view sports venues and events
            Center for Sport, Peace, and Society.  systems that will contribute to estab-  stands out for the way it integrates spe-  through the lens of community en-
            The program connects international   lishing a robust business in India.”  cialized professionals into athlete train-  gagement,” she explains.

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