LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 16, 2026) – University of Kentucky College of Social Work’s (CoSW) Matt Moore, Ph.D., has been selected to serve on the U.S. Center for SafeSport (Center) Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) Advisory Committee.
The Center is an independent nonprofit committed to building a sport community where participants can work and learn together free of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and misconduct. In 2017, the Center was identified as the nation’s safe sport organization for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement in the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act.
Each National Governing Body within the Olympic and Paralympic movement is required to implement the mandatory components of the Center’s model MAAPP.
Every three years, the Center makes updates to its model MAAPP and Moore, CoSW associate professor and associate dean of academic and student affairs, has been selected to serve on the external advisory committee that will help inform updates to the Center’s model MAAPP.
“Creating safe, healthy sport environments requires ongoing collaboration between researchers, practitioners, policymakers and those with lived experience,” Moore said. “I’m honored to contribute to this process and help ensure that safeguarding policies continue to evolve in ways that protect athletes, promote accountability and support positive sport experiences at every level.”
This committee is comprised of stakeholders with experience in Safeguarding, compliance, governance, sport administration, sport medicine, policy implementation as well as athletes and survivors to provide feedback and recommendation. The committee will review proposed revisions and help identify considerations that support both athlete safety and effective implementation across sport organizations.
Moore, a nationally recognized sport social worker and director of the CoSW’s International Institute for Sport and Behavioral Health (IISBH), will serve as a subject matter expert as the Center develops the 2028 MAAPP.
Honored with the Sport Social Work Legacy Award in 2024, Moore’s innovative approaches and commitment to the field of sport social work have been pivotal in advancing the profession. He currently serves as the president of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS) and is also the founder and editor of the Sport Social Work Journal.
During his time at the College of Social Work, Moore helped launch the Sport Social Work Collaborative – a partnership between ASWIS, the Sport Social Work Journal and the college’s Sport Social Work Research Lab. He has also been an integral partner to Survivors for Change, working to create curriculum designed to support positive youth development, focusing on holistic approaches within sports settings.
As the Center begins its review process, Moore and the committee’s recommendations will help inform future updates to the MAAPP, ensuring the model continues to meet the evolving needs of athletes, organizations and communities across the Olympic and Paralympic movement.