Who We Are
About The Huddle
The Huddle is a team of former athletes and expert practitioners dedicated to facilitating meaningful conversations on challenging topics. For over 40 years, we have partnered with sports organizations, academic institutions, and corporate partners to address the most pressing issues in sport and society, with programs focused on gender-based violence prevention, leadership, and inclusion, both in the United States and abroad. Our goal is to empower athletes to make positive changes for themselves, their teams, and their communities.
History
Since its inception in 1985, the Huddle (formerly known as the Institute for Sport and Social Justice) has been an innovator in using sport as a platform for social change, launching groundbreaking initiatives like the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program (1987-2018) and Huddle Up, which integrated MVP and the TEAMWORK Leadership Institute (TLI). The Huddle has earned notable recognition, including the Peter F. Drucker Foundation Award and the distinction of MVP being named the “most innovative gender violence prevention program” by the Clinton Administration.
Partners
We have partnered with sports organizations, at all levels, to address the most pressing issues in sport and society, with programs focused on gender-based violence prevention, leadership, and inclusion, both in the United States and abroad.
Founding Story
Lapchick is a human rights activist, pioneer for racial equality, internationally recognized expert on sports and social issues, scholar and author.
Human rights activist, Dr. Richard Lapchick, founded The Huddle (previously known as The Institute for Sport and Social Justice and National Consortium for Academics and Sports) in 1985, initially to establish a unique Degree Completion Program (DCP) for former student-athletes alongside a community service initiative. Dr. Lapchick's passion for both sport and social justice has guided the organization's mission to create transformative programs that integrate athleticism with social impact. Over the years, the Institute has made significant contributions to the sports industry and society, including the creation of National STUDENT-Athlete Day (1987), celebrated annually on April 6, and the TEAMWORK Leadership Institute (TLI), a diversity and inclusion training program which ran from 1990 to 2020.
