Sport’s Power Depends on Credible Rules, Access, and Responsibility
At the Rose Bowl Institute’s Sportsmanship Summit, Aspen Institute leaders and sports executives argued that sport shapes power not automatically but through the rules, access and relationships institutions build around competition. Dan Reed of the Aspen Institute said leagues depend on legitimate governance and fair enforcement, while Scarlen Martinez argued that athletes and other sports figures must recognize the influence their platforms give them. Across examples from women’s and para sport to the Los Angeles Chargers’ work in Greece, the panel made the case that sport’s civic value rests on how people choose to use that influence.
The Aspen Institute·Aug 19, 2026·9 min read
