The Sports Institute at UW Medicine
https://thesportsinstitute.com/
Mission
At The Sports Institute, we’re on a mission to make sports and exercise safer and more accessible for everyone.
Core Services Offered
We tackle sports health and safety from every angle through research, innovation, and advocacy. Our work spans the entire lifespan, from youth leagues to professional teams, always with one goal: better health outcomes and fewer injuries. Our game-changing programs include:
• ExerciseRx: A digital platform that brings personalized exercise support from care teams into the home and community settings. Next up? We’re connecting physicians and patients through their electronic health records to make staying active feel achievable, not overwhelming.
• GamePlan Sport Safety Video Series: Our free educational content is reshaping how athletes, sports staff, and coaches learn about injury management. They’ve been adopted as core curriculum in athletic, paramedic, emergency room, and sports medicine training programs nationwide.
• Mentally Strong: Mental strength in sports isn’t optional – it’s essential. This science-based initiative focuses on giving young athletes the tools and support they need to thrive in competitive sports and in life. In partnership with the athletes and coaches themselves, we’re building practical, real-world interventions that can work in any community.
• Sports Legislation Tracker: We monitor federal- and state-level sports safety policies across the country, providing resources that drive advocacy and legislative action.
• Concussion Research: We’re advancing the science behind diagnosis, treatment, and safe return-to-play protocols for athletes at all levels.
Funding Information
Founded in 2015 through a visionary gift from a Seattle-area family, The Sports Institute is proof of what private philanthropy can achieve. Today our diversified funding model includes:
• Private Philanthropy: Individuals, families, and foundations provide flexible funding that powers program development, research, and outreach.
• Grants: Competitive grants support targeted research and scalable initiatives.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with local and national organizations amplify both reach and funding.
Philanthropic support is what makes our bold, cross-disciplinary work possible – and sustainable.
Reporting Structure
Janna Friedly, Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Related UW Entities
• Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
• Department of Neurological Surgery
• Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• MS Rehabilitation & Wellness Research Center
• Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering
• Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering
External Partners
Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, American College of Sports Medicine, National Football League, UPower, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, Adler-Giersch Law, King County Play Equity Coalition, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, and Andy Hill Care Fund.
