National Olympic Academy of United States of America

Foundation Date : 1976
Operation Date : 1977
Director : Mr. Curt HAMAKAWA
Address : International Relations Division, U. S. Olympic Committee, One Olympic Plaza,
Colorado Springs , Colorado 80909 , USA
Tel. : 001-7198664705
Fax : 001-7198664684
E-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Modelled after the International Olympic Academy in programme, structure and spirit, the United States Olympic Academy (USOA) was founded in 1976 under the leadership of Harold T. Friermood, chair of the Education Committee of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The first USOA session was convened in 1977 in Chicago at the University of Illinois , attended by 50 participants.

Convened in annual sessions through the early 1990s, the USOA was highly academic in nature, although it always included speakers and participants from the athletics side (i.e., administrators and athletes) of the Olympic Movement. In the 1990s, the format was changed to emphasize youth participation through a sport-oriented youth camp, as opposed to Olympic-themed lectures presented at academic conferences.

In the original and modified formats, the USOA was held in various locations throughout the United States through 1999, when it became a victim of organizational changes and a shift in priorities resulting in its current dormancy. Recent efforts to promote Olympic education and Olympic ideals in the United States have been well received, and bode well for the revival of the USOA in the not-too-distant future.

As far as publications are concerned, the USOC/USOA does not directly publish Olympic-themed material; rather, such materials are published by third parties under license from the USOC.