SPARKS, Md. — The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced that USA Lacrosse is one of five new members to its USOPC Affiliate Organizations Council. The newly admitted members, whose active status begins effective immediately, are: United States Muaythai Federation, USA Cricket, USA Federation for Sport Cheering, USA Kickboxing and USA Lacrosse.
“We are excited to welcome these organizations to the USOPC Affiliate Organizations Council,” said Bob Meserve, AOC chair. “Through a thorough review of applications, the nominating committee determined these organizations are making outstanding efforts toward increasing interest and programming opportunities in their respective sports. We look forward to partnering with these organizations to further support the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”
“Stepping into the USOPC family means so many more new and positive opportunities,” said Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse. “USA Lacrosse will have access to unique information and resources that will provide an even better experience for USA Lacrosse members and the greater lacrosse community. It’s also symbolic of the rising stature of lacrosse in the United States. This is truly an unprecedented development for our sport and USA Lacrosse.”
“What an incredibly exciting time in our sport as we have been formally recognized by the USOPC,” said Charlotte North, a member of the gold-medal winning 2022 U.S. Women’s National Team. “I am so grateful to be a part of such a special community, one that is working so hard in pushing the sport to the highest level, increasing visibility, exposure and ultimately earning this next step towards being included in the Olympic Games. I am so excited for what lies ahead in our sport – USA all the way!”
“Every lacrosse player wants to play at the highest level, and for us that’s international lacrosse,” said Jack Kelly, a two-time goalie for the U.S. Men’s National Team (2018, 2023) who also competed in Sixes at The World Games 2022. “I’m super excited about this milestone. It’s another step in the right direction as we strive for the pinnacle of all sports – the Olympics. I feel really fortunate to be a small part of this effort to grow the game globally.”
Previously known as the Multi-Sport Organization Council, the AOC is a partnership between the USOPC and nearly 40 community-based, military, adaptive, education-based and recognized sport organizations. The council is comprised of one representative from each affiliate organization.
The AOC’s mission is to support the Olympic and Paralympic movements by increasing interest in and national programming for sports participation through partnerships and collaboration. Its members promote cooperation and communication between the AOC and the Olympic and Paralympic communities by sharing best practices, strategies and information to continuously improve the quality of their services and operations.
The five new members will join the Recognized Sport Organizations category of the AOC. The RSO category is comprised of national organizations that administer a sport not currently on the Olympic or Paralympic program. These organizations are required to have an affiliation with an international federation that is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The five new RSOs will join current members Orienteering USA, the Underwater Society of America, USA Dance, USA Football, USA Ultimate and the United States Polo Association.
More information about the USOPC AOC can be found at https://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOPC/Leadership/AOC.
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport. Learn more about the organization at https://www.usalacrosse.com
