At the turn of the New Year, SDM covered the Million Coaches Challenge, which aimed to grow a generation of coaches trained in youth development. Here's a progress report: So far, MCC partners (including NRPA, the USOPC, Little League International and U.S. Soccer) have successfully trained 730,985 coaches, putting them on track to achieve their goal.

Few sports are probably less understood than pole gymnastics. It emphasizes strength, flexibility and creativity, much like traditional gymnastics, figure skating, artistic swimming and breaking (all popular Olympic sports, in their own right). Which is one reason why advocates and participants believe pole gymnastics should be part of the Olympics.

At the outset of the year, Nancy Hobbs, the founder and executive director of the American Trail Running Association, noted the discipline was on an upward trajectory with not only increased participation but a more diverse lineup of athletes as well as events. But now, budget cuts at key public lands agencies are creating concern among event owners.

The IOC continues its search for sports that will attract (or bring back) young viewers to the Olympics. Two new sports, one for the Summer Games and one for the Winter Games, are being suggested. And the IOC hopes event owners will embrace and promote them, creating a deeper bench of potential athletes in years to come. Expect to hear more.

Baseball season has opened and it's already grabbing headlines with postseason predictions. Harness that interest with this opportunity to host the 2026 and 2027 NAIA Baseball World Series. If you have the stadium, NAIA has the event, which brings in more than 20,000 fans. Step up to the plate and find out what you need to host.

There were nearly 16,000 golf courses at 14,000 golf facilities in the U.S. at the end of 2023, according to the National Golf Foundation. The organization also reports about 75 percent of facilities are open to the public. Plus, the sport supports jobs and encourages travel. All that is good news for event owners seeking out new destinations.