SWEDISH SPORTS PARENTS ASSOCIATION

Educate. Protect. Empower.

Swedish Sports Parents Association (SSPA) is an independent organization created to educate, protect, and empower young athletes and their families.

Youth sports are becoming increasingly complex. Recruiting starts younger. International opportunities are growing. NIL is changing amateur sports. More agents, advisors, trainers, and other individuals are entering the youth sports space.

Yet parents are often expected to navigate these decisions without independent guidance.

We want to change that.

Our goal is to create a safer, more transparent youth sports environment by giving families access to trusted information, education, research, vetted resources, and a strong independent voice.

WHAT WE DO

EDUCATION

We provide athletes and parents with independent education about the issues that affect their journey — from youth sports through elite competition, international opportunities, U.S. high school and college athletics.

Topics include recruiting, NCAA eligibility, academics, scholarships, NIL, contracts, agents, finances, mental well-being, athlete rights, and life after sports.

CERTIFICATION & VETTING

How does a parent know whether an agent, advisor, coach, trainer, or other professional is trustworthy?

SSPA will develop certification programs that combine education, vetting, transparency, and accountability.

Our first initiative will be the SSPA Agent Certification, including Swedish-specific education, professional background and placement review, contract and business-practice review, references, and standards of conduct.

Certified professionals will be listed in a public SSPA directory.

RESEARCH & DATA

We aim to become the first organization dedicated to researching and understanding the experiences and outcomes of Scandinavian athletes pursuing opportunities in the United States.

We will collect data on NCAA eligibility, scholarships, academic outcomes, NIL, injuries, mental well-being, and why some athletes successfully transition while others struggle.

Our findings will be published annually in:

THE SCANDINAVIAN BASKETBALL REPORT

Research will help us identify problems, improve education, establish better standards, and advocate for evidence-based change.

EVENTS

We will bring athletes, parents, clubs, schools, coaches, agents, and sports leaders together through events including our Annual Conference, Agent Summit, College Summit, Youth Summit, Leadership Forum, Parent Forum, and Awards Gala.

A signature initiative will be our annual Send-Off Weekend, bringing together Scandinavian athletes moving to the United States that fall.

Athletes will learn not only how to prepare for American sports and academics, but how to actually live on the other side of the world — banking, phones, driver's licenses, healthcare, insurance, transportation, finances, cultural differences, mental well-being, personal safety, and what to do when something goes wrong.

They will leave better prepared — and with a network of other Scandinavian athletes making the same journey.

OUR PURPOSE

Better-informed parents. Better-prepared athletes. Higher standards. Safer youth sports.

SSPA exists to make sure families don't have to navigate the increasingly complicated world of youth and international sports alone.