Rick Jordan
Rick Jordan is Vice President of The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, where he leads foundation work focused on youth sports access, community impact, and Sports Matter initiatives. He previously held human resources roles across organizations including Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Zappos, and UPMC.
Youth Sports Campaign Targets Coach Training to Reduce Early Dropout
DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation and GameChanger are using their Most Valuable Coach announcement to argue that youth sports retention depends heavily on the adults leading teams. Rick Jordan of the foundation and Rebecca Wasserman of GameChanger frame the campaign around a coaching gap: children are more likely to keep playing when coaches are trained to create safe, predictable and supportive environments. The effort positions healing-centered coaching as practical sideline behavior, not therapy, with resources aimed at volunteer coaches who shape whether children stay in the game.
Youth Sports Participation Rebounds, but 63% Goal Requires System Change
At an Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program session on the 63x30 challenge, Ashleigh Huffman said youth sports participation has rebounded from its COVID-era low but remains constrained by a system built to “weed folks out.” Rick Jordan of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation and Steve Tanner of PGA of America argued that reaching 63% participation by 2030 will require more than new programs: longer community investments, coordinated sport pathways, practical access to facilities and equipment, and coaches who make children want to return.