Sports Diplomacy – United States Department of State

Table of Contents

Overview

Exchange Programs

Coordination for International Athletics

Overview

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’s (ECA) Office of Sports Diplomacy leads Department of State efforts to use sports as a foreign policy tool, including implementing sports-based exchange programs and leveraging the Decade of Sport in America (2024 to 2034) as a platform for public diplomacy and diplomatic engagement.  The office partners with U.S. embassies and consulates to engage participants and alumni, showcasing American excellence and leadership and advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities through the universal language of sports. 

The office strategically advances the following Administration priorities: 

• Promote U.S. leadership, excellence, and culture to reinforce the United States as a global leader and convener 

• Counter malign influence and promote open information in the international sports diplomacy space 

• Attract foreign investment and tourism to boost U.S. businesses, infrastructure development, and job creation by leveraging the Decade of Sport in America to showcase American innovation, sports, and culture 

• Foster closer foreign relations by elevating sports diplomacy as a uniquely effective tool of foreign policy

 

Exchange Programs

The Office of Sports Diplomacy uses sports as a platform to showcase American culture and excellence to foreign participants while establishing links with U.S. sports professionals and peers.  Sports diplomacy, which includes early initiatives such as Babe Ruth’s 1934 tour of Japan, advances U.S. foreign policy priorities in a uniquely strategic way.  Sports diplomacy overcomes political sensitivities and transcends linguistic and socio-cultural differences to create and build stronger ties between people, communities, and governments. Sports-based exchanges are implemented through cooperative agreements with U.S.-based non-profit organizations that respond to notice of funding opportunities on grants.gov. The Office of Sports Diplomacy coordinates closely with Department of State regional bureaus and Public Diplomacy sections at U.S. embassies and consulates to identify international exchange participants, design and support exchange programs and follow-on activities, and ensure a strong focus on foreign policy goals.  ECA sports-based exchanges have taken place in over 150 countries and across over 40 different sports to date. The following are the four flagship sports-based exchange programs that fulfill the mandate outlined in the 1961 Fulbright-Hays Act and highlight American excellence and leadership in sports: 

The Sports Envoy Program sends current and former American professional athletes and coaches overseas on weeklong programs to build cultural connections, engage key communities that are often difficult to reach through traditional approaches, and showcase American excellence and leadership through sport. Sports Envoys lead youth clinics and team building activities, conduct community outreach and media engagements, foster dialogue with government leaders, and meet with other U.S. embassy contacts to advance U.S. foreign policy.

The Sports Visitor Program brings together American and international non-elite youth athletes and their coaches for two-week thematic sports-based exchanges in the United States and overseas.  The program demonstrates American innovation in sports training, technology, and coaching methodologies, builds lasting bilateral ties, and develops leaders who will positively impact their communities across the globe.   

The Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) is a five-week, immersive mentorship-based exchange program bringing emerging and established international sports leaders to the United States for mentorships with top executives in the American sports sector. There are two program tracks: Women in Sports, a public-private partnership with espnW; and Sport for Community, a program for professionals working in disability and adaptive sports. Both programs highlight landmark U.S. legislation – Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – to inspire international participants to take these lessons worldwide.

The International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) is a 10-day exchange program that promotes coaching and administrative skills and creates connections with U.S. sports organizations.  The theme and sport of each exchange is chosen by U.S. embassies and consulates to strategically advance U.S. foreign policy goals within the country context. 

Coordination for International Athletics

In addition to managing sports-based exchange programs, the Office of Sports Diplomacy facilitates the implementation of sports diplomacy strategy across relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices of the Department of State.  This includes serving as the Department’s Coordinator for International Athletics (DCIA) to optimize cross-functional public diplomacy efforts across the Department focused on international athletics, while serving as the Department’s single point of contact for private-sector engagement on global sports. 

This coordination role is especially important during the Decade of Sport in America during which the United States will host nearly a dozen major international sporting events providing an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate our Nation’s pride and hospitality.  To effectively leverage these mega sporting events for U.S. interests and support sports-based exchange programs, the Office of Sports Diplomacy builds and maintains relationships with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, U.S. National Governing Bodies for sport, American sport leagues and teams, and other sport industry professionals.  In some cases, these relationships develop into public-private partnerships that bolster cooperation on sports diplomacy initiatives, such as the Department’s partnership with the National Football League. 

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For inquiries, contact sportsdiplomacy@state.gov