23. United States

The sport system in the United States, from its organization to national policy to financing, is unique primarily due to a conscious decision by the federal government to effectively stay out of the development of the country’s sport policy. Nonetheless, sports are an important and lucrative part of American culture as evidenced by the enormous popularity of and resources devoted to professional sports leagues and intercollegiate athletics. The training and development of the nation’s elite athletes are left to the discretion of the United States Olympic Committee, a nonprofit private organization with no dedicated federal funding whose priority is the elite, rather than the recreational, athlete. As a result, opportunities for grassroots participation trickle down to state but mostly local, recreational facilities, and sports clubs that are mostly privately funded.