Safety and Risk Management expert coupled with key partnerships advance a more connected, consistent approach to athlete safety.
April 29, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WOBURN, Mass. — April 29, 2026 — 3STEP Sports, the nation’s largest and most connected youth sports organization, is continuing to modernize youth sports by advancing a more connected, consistent standard for athlete safety through the addition of a Head of Safety and Risk Management, and strategic partnerships.
Head of Safety and Risk Management
3STEP has engaged Dr. Kelly Morgan, an expert in health, safety and risk management, as part of its ongoing commitment to advancing athlete health and wellbeing. An emergency physician and medical director for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Morgan brings deep experience supporting elite athletes through USA Taekwondo and the Women’s Rugby World Cup. At 3STEP, she will guide the continued evolution and alignment of 3STEP’s safety standards and operational practices, enhancing medical, behavioral and facility-related protocols —ensuring a standardized, scalable approach that supports athletes, families, coaches and operators across the ecosystem.
“As youth sports continue to grow, we stay focused in our responsibility to protect the athletes at the center of it,” said Chad Gruen, CEO of 3STEP Sports. “At 3STEP, safety is foundational to everything we do, and we are committed to continually raising the standard for our athlete community.”
A Connected System for Athlete Safety
3STEP’s athlete safety model is embedded across all sports programs and is built around three essential layers: on-field care, comprehensive protection, and operational oversight delivered through trusted, purpose-built partners. This integrated approach helps ensure a safer, more consistent experience for athletes and families across 3STEP clubs, camps, leagues, facilities and events nationwide.
- Elite 7 Sports Medicine — On-Site Medical Care
Elite 7 serves as 3STEP’s preferred athletic training partner, providing high-quality, on-site medical coverage and injury response at events nationwide. Built to address gaps in youth sports care, Elite 7 delivers continuity from initial evaluation through return-to-play guidance. With its Virtual Athletic Training Room (VATR), athletes gain direct access to certified athletic trainers for injury evaluations, personalized recovery plans, concussion support and ongoing care beyond the event setting.
- Players Health — Coverage & Safety Guidance
Players Health, an insurance and risk management provider for youth sports, supports 3STEP with coverage designed for the demands of competitive play. Players Health integrates athlete safety into its underwriting and risk management approach and provides data-informed guidance to help strengthen safety policies and procedures across the network. This approach helps 3STEP identify risk and continuously improve safety across its programs and events.
- Ankored — Compliance & Operational Oversight
Ankored provides a compliance platform built specifically for youth sports organizations. Ankored centralizes and tracks background checks, training, and certification requirements into a single secure system, offering 3STEP real-time visibility into the safety status of coaches and staff across its vast network. This helps ensure required safety standards are met before stepping onto fields and courts.
“In youth sports, safety must be built into the experience, not added later,” Gruen added. “These partnerships allow us to support athletes and families at every step of the journey, with the consistency they can trust.”
ABOUT 3STEP SPORTS
3STEP Sports is the nation’s largest and most connected youth sports organization, serving nearly 2 million athlete participants across seven sports in more than 40 states. By connecting the athlete journey through competitive clubs, elite events and its proprietary PlayerFirst™ platform, 3STEP is building a next-generation foundation for youth sports—empowering athletes, families and communities through sport.
