Steve McNally: LA28, SafeSport, AAU, and the New Political Landscape of USA Taekwondo

In an exclusive interview with MASTKD, Steve McNally—CEO of USA Taekwondo and Vice President of PATU—laid out his strategic vision on the road to Los Angeles 2028: the United States’ continental role, the effort to build a Pan American coalition, the continued professionalization of high performance, and a “zero-tolerance” approach to athlete protection. McNally also addressed the AAU controversy and the non-disparagement understanding between organizations, drawing a clear political message about governance, culture, and power in modern Taekwondo.

MASTKD ESPAÑOL

Below is the full interview Steve McNally gave to MASTKD

From UK to Colorado Springs to Charlotte: Could you share with us your personal and professional journey that led you to become the CEO of USA Taekwondo and, most recently, Vice President of PATU?

My journey to USA Taekwondo began during one of the most difficult periods of my life. I was working in professional sport in the UK when my family went through an incredibly hard time – we lost my mum, dad, and sister all within two years. My wife is from Pennsylvania, and we’d always planned to eventually move to the US, but that loss made it clear that the time was now.

When my visa came through, I started looking for opportunities in professional sport. I saw that USA Taekwondo was advertising the position of Director of Marketing and Communications, and it felt like a good fit. What really drew me to the role was the chance to work in the non-profit sector – to do work that actually matters, that serves a community, rather than trying to line shareholders’ pockets. That mission-driven focus has kept me energized ever since.

As for my role as Vice President of PATU, that’s been one of the greatest honors of my career. I have tremendous respect for PATU President Juan Manuel López Delgado – he’s an exceptional leader, and when he asks you to do something, it’s very difficult to say no. But beyond that, being entrusted with continental leadership means everything to me personally. Even though I’m a U.S. citizen now, you can still be seen as an outsider, so to be given that trust to help lead within my adopted continent is deeply meaningful.

I’m also honored to have just been appointed Chair of the Pan American LA2028 Olympic Games Committee, and I’m working on putting together a strong coalition of countries to serve on that with me. This is the first Olympic Games on U.S. soil to feature taekwondo, and I want to ensure that everyone across our continent feels part of that historic moment. My goals are clear: build a lasting legacy for all PATU member nations from these Games, and help our continent achieve record-breaking results in Los Angeles.

Long-term leadership: You recently extended your contract through Los Angeles 2028, with the possibility of continuing through Brisbane 2032. What concrete projects do you hope to see fully realized during this period?

I was considering my options post-Paris Games and had been transparent with the board about that. But the board asked if anything could change my mind about staying, and as I reflected on that question, I realized there was significant unfinished business.

The most important piece is athlete safety from sexual abuse. We’ve worked incredibly hard to rebuild trust in USA Taekwondo as an organization where young athletes are protected from sexual predators. We’ve built systems to keep athletes safe from sexual abuse, become much stricter about who we put in positions of authority over young athletes, and fundamentally shifted the culture. But institutional memory matters. I didn’t want to walk away and risk the next leader either not understanding the dangers or not being willing to make the hard calls necessary to protect athletes.

I can’t discuss specific cases, but here’s the reality: sometimes there are allegations that never reach formal proceedings – often because victims understandably choose not to go through a legal process that can be retraumatizing. There’s no ban, no legal finding, but there are unresolved concerns that warrant careful consideration and an abundance of caution.

In situations like these, where there are reasonable concerns even without legal findings, my answer is simple: we don’t appoint those individuals to positions of authority over athletes. We’re not a court of law – we don’t need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to make employment or appointment decisions. Courts and the U.S. Center for SafeSport decide if someone should lose their liberty or face legal or sporting penalties. We’re deciding who gets the privilege of working with young athletes in positions of trust and authority. Those are completely different standards, and they should be.

If there’s information that gives me reasonable concern about someone’s suitability for positions of authority over athletes, I will always err on the side of caution in my appointment decisions. That’s within our power to do, and it’s the right thing to do. You will never hear me apologize for being cautious around that.

Beyond that, there are concrete organizational transformations I’m committed to completing. First, delivering meaningful competition through events run to world-class standards – our athletes and coaches deserve nothing less. Second, achieving genuine financial security, both for the organization itself and for our elite athletes. And of course, there’s the historic opportunity of LA 2028 – the first Olympic Games on U.S. soil to feature taekwondo. That’s not something you walk away from lightly.

So I stayed, extended my contract through Los Angeles, with the possibility of continuing through Brisbane 2032 if the work isn’t complete.

You mentioned situations that never reach formal proceedings – can you give us some examples of how you navigate those gray areas?

As I said, I can’t discuss specific cases but let me give you a framework for how we think about these situations.

Sometimes there are serious sexual allegations that never make it through formal proceedings, and there’s no legal finding one way or another. Sometimes a coach might demonstrate judgment so poor around athlete safety from sexual abuse – whether it’s failing to report sexual assault concerns, violating policies designed to protect athletes from predators by forcing minors to drink alcohol, or showing they can’t be trusted to prioritize athlete protection by getting blackout drunk around athletes on a National Team trip – that we simply can’t – or certainly shouldn’t – trust them in positions of authority. In some cases, they might not be accused of sexual misconduct themselves, but their actions show they can’t be relied on to protect athletes from it.

These situations used to happen more often than people realize. In cases like these, where there are reasonable concerns without legal findings, we choose not to appoint those individuals to positions of authority over athletes.

We’re not banning anyone from the sport, we’re not preventing them from coaching at their own clubs, we’re not making public accusations – those all fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. We’re simply exercising our responsibility and our right to choose who we put in positions where they’ll have authority over athletes in our programs and on the National Teams. That’s not punishment – that’s prudent judgment. We just don’t put athletes in that room with them – we have a choice who we work with, athletes often don’t – and we won’t work with other organizations that don’t match our energy on that.

Now, in cases where there hasn’t been due process, we absolutely protect the rights of the accused – we’re not permitted to, and don’t, disclose details, we don’t make public accusations, and we aren’t allowed investigate matters involving sexual abuse allegations. We just quietly make sure we’re acting with an abundance of caution. This can be incredibly frustrating when there’s online discourse about our decisions from people who don’t have access to the information we have. You just need a thick skin and a stiff spine to keep doing the right thing.

I don’t find it difficult though, because the alternative – being in charge when someone you put in place sexually assaults someone – is much, much more difficult than ignoring uninformed or agenda-driven speculation. Getting mean comments online is distinctly preferable to knowing a decision you made ruined a young athlete’s life.

I’ve never made a decision because I don’t personally like someone, and I’ve never knowingly appointed someone to a position of authority over athletes when I had reasonable concerns about athlete safety from sexual abuse, and I never will. That’s what matters, to me at least, and I sleep well at night, comfortable my decisions were made with the right intentions.

The weight of LA 2028: Hosting the Olympic Games at home is a historic opportunity. What legacy would you like to leave for U.S. Taekwondo after Los Angeles 2028?

I’ve always believed taekwondo needs heroes to inspire the next generation. It’s why our initial focus was on rehabilitating our reputation on the international stage. When I took over, the team would travel to international events and most would be sightseeing by lunchtime due to early exits – and that wasn’t the athletes’ fault, or the coaches’ fault. It was a failure of the system. Taekwondo globally had progressed from a truly amateur sport to one of professional programs with athletes behaving like professionals. We hadn’t made that transition.

LA 2028 is different from anything we’ve experienced before. American athletes have won Olympic medals in taekwondo, but never at home. I witnessed firsthand what a home Games can do when I was in the UK for London 2012. British Olympians who were relatively unknown became genuine superstars overnight – household names, cultural icons. That had never happened to that extent before, and it happened because the entire nation was watching, invested, celebrating together. The media coverage is different, the cultural moment is bigger, the visibility is exponentially greater when the Games are in your country.

That’s what LA 2028 can do for American taekwondo athletes. Kids won’t just watch it on TV – they’ll see American athletes on every news channel, every newspaper, every social media feed. Some of them might even get to be there live in the venue, watching it happen in person. They’ll see the stadiums, the flags, the celebrations happening in their own country. That creates a connection and inspiration that’s impossible to replicate when the Games are halfway around the world.

At our recent youth talent identification event, the team came up with the genius idea to hand out stickers that said, «I’m the next CJ» and «I’m the next Kristina» – and the excitement was palpable. That’s what we want, and that’s what all the school owners should want, because that’s what drives the next generation through the doors of dojangs around the country.

Beyond medals, the legacy I want to leave is one of unity and positivity, which sometimes feels like the hardest task given the politics and personal agendas that plague the sport. We have a great, whole-life sport to get behind, but we keep tripping over our own feet. In the U.S., there’s a small group of detractors who make their whole personality, their reason to exist, about being negative and pulling down athletes, parents, coaches, referees and staff. They cast a long but narrow shadow over the sport, but I’d urge everyone to just step outside of it into the sun.

USA Taekwondo is not perfect, and never will be whoever is in charge, but we’ll make progress much quicker if we all work together.

Athlete development and academies: USA Taekwondo has launched initiatives such as the Athlete Academy and the Elite Regional Academies. How do you evaluate this model compared to more traditional club and national team pathways?

We’re working to build a regional structure that can support elite athlete development across the country, and we have some imminent announcements about exceptional people who will help lead these efforts because we can’t do it alone, it’s just too big a task. The concept is straightforward but vital: America is massive. If we want to identify and develop the best talent, we can’t expect every promising athlete to uproot their life and move to Charlotte or Colorado Springs. That approach limits our talent pool to families with the means and willingness to relocate. We need to bring elite-level training to athletes where they are.

But getting there requires building the right foundation. We’re identifying the right people, establishing standards, and creating a sustainable model. This has to be deliberate – we can’t just plant flags in cities and hope for the best. For the first time in my eight years in charge I feel like we’re in a position to do it properly. Each location needs coaches who meet our standards, not just in technical ability, but in character and their commitment to athlete wellbeing and development. We’re making progress, but there’s still work to do to get the regional infrastructure where it needs to be.

The relationship between traditional clubs and regional training centers isn’t competitive – they work together. Clubs remain the foundation of our sport, the places where young people discover taekwondo and fall in love with it. Regional centers represent the next tier for those who want to pursue elite competition. As we build this network, we’re also expanding the diversity of thought that informs our approach. More perspectives, more ideas, more innovation. Paul Green’s brilliance lies in his ability to take all that input and figure out what actually matters. He’s simply the best in the business at what he does.

International taekwondo has professionalized. Athletes who compete successfully at the elite level are training full-time, daily, alongside world-class training partners with access to elite coaching and support services. That’s the new standard.

A potentially great athlete training a few hours a week at a local club with recreational level athletes – even with an exceptional coach – simply can’t replicate that environment. That’s not a criticism of club coaches, many of whom are outstanding at what they do and play a crucial role in developing young athletes. It’s just recognizing that part-time training can’t match full-time professional preparation and support in all but the most exceptional cases.

We either build infrastructure that gives our athletes access to that level of training and support, or we accept falling behind internationally. Consistent high-level training, elite coaching, quality sparring partners, and the financial support to compete internationally – these aren’t luxuries anymore, they’re necessities for competing at the highest level.

What makes me proudest about our athlete development programs is watching the athletes grow – both those who are still with us and those who’ve moved on to other pursuits. This path isn’t easy, and it’s not meant to be. But the dedication, the work ethic, the resilience these young people demonstrate every single day – that’s what inspires me to keep pushing forward.

High Performance vs. Participation: How do you balance the objective of winning Olympic medals with the need to grow participation and increase the number of schools and practitioners across the United States?

I don’t see these as competing priorities – I see them as two sides of the same coin. Olympic success and grassroots participation feed each other. When one grows, the other benefits.

Think about those stickers at our youth talent identification event – «I’m the next CJ» and «I’m the next Kristina.» That’s the power of heroes. When kids see American athletes winning on the world stage, standing on Olympic podiums, that’s what inspires them to walk through the doors of dojangs across the country. Olympic, World and Pan American medals are the single best marketing tool our sport has. You can’t buy that kind of inspiration.

But you need the infrastructure in place to capture that interest when it arrives. We need thriving clubs, accessible competitions, clear pathways for development, and a community all pointed in the same direction. If a kid gets excited about taekwondo after watching the Olympics but can’t find a quality program nearby, or can’t afford to participate, or doesn’t see a pathway to pursue their goals, we’ve wasted that opportunity.

When I started, we had work to do on both fronts. Our international performance needed improvement, and our domestic infrastructure wasn’t serving athletes as well as it should. We’ve made significant progress – our elite athletes are now competitive on the world stage, and we’re rebuilding the systems that support participation and development at every level. But there’s still a lot of work to do.

The financial reality supports this integrated approach. Elite performance attracts sponsors, media attention, and funding that benefits the entire ecosystem. Our financial trajectory has been pretty consistently trending upward post covid – we’re clear of scandal and improving competitively. Sport is unpredictable, with good days and bad days, but the organization’s direction of travel is stable and clear.

When USA Taekwondo is successful on the international stage, it raises the profile and resources available to the whole sport, not just the elite level.

I genuinely believe school owners should see Olympic success as good for their business, not separate from it. When Team USA wins medals, enrollment in dojangs across America surely goes up. The challenge is making sure grassroots clubs feel connected to and invested in that success – that they see themselves as part of the same mission, not on the outside looking in, and our membership department has some really exciting initiatives coming up this year to foster that feeling.

We’re working to make competition more accessible and meaningful at every level, to create clear pathways from local clubs all the way through to the elite level. We want every coach and athlete to see themselves as part of Team USA’s story.

The balance isn’t about choosing between elite and grassroots – it’s about ensuring they work together. Strong clubs create the talent pool. Elite success inspires the next generation. Better infrastructure supports both. It’s not a zero-sum game.

Follow-up question: Recently, two U.S. coaches were suspended from AAU Taekwondo following controversial statements made on a podcast. Was USA Taekwondo involved in that decision, and how do you view this situation? What does it say about the broader culture within the sport?

This is an AAU Sport Compliance matter. USA Taekwondo wasn’t involved, we haven’t been shown the documentation related to the suspensions, and despite speculation you might see online, we don’t run AAU. I had no role in those decisions whatsoever.

I’m broadly aware of what happened through third-party information – I haven’t listened to the podcast in question and haven’t heard the comments firsthand. But from what I understand, if the reports about the nature and tone of what was said are accurate, I can understand why AAU felt action was necessary.

To be clear: robust criticism of organizations, leaders, and policies is healthy. It’s part of any sport. Disagreement, even strong disagreement, is fine. But there’s a meaningful difference between criticism and conduct that crosses into threats, harassment, or discriminatory language. If the reports are accurate, it sounds like that line was crossed.

No one has ever been suspended from USA Taekwondo for comments made about our organization during my tenure. We have our own processes for handling conduct concerns when they arise. Each organization has to set its own standards for acceptable behavior and discourse based on their values and the regulatory framework they operate under. AAU has made its decision based on theirs. I respect that.

My experience working with Mr. Oh and Mr. Mirza tells me they’re committed to advancing taekwondo and have a clear vision for AAU Taekwondo’s future. They’ll make the decisions they believe serve that vision. People can form their own conclusions about both the original behavior and the response to it.

What does concern me is what this reflects about broader culture. Taekwondo is founded on respect – it’s literally one of our core tenets. I understand people get frustrated with organizations and leaders. That’s natural. But there’s a way to express that frustration that honors the values of our sport. If someone is threatening confrontation, resorting to personal attacks based on race, origin or physical appearance, or making sexualized comments about people in leadership positions – that’s not advocacy for change. That’s behavior fundamentally at odds with what we claim taekwondo represents.

Alongside the suspensions controversy, there’s been discussion about a non-disparagement agreement between USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo that was signed late last year. There have been allegations that it was done in secret and targeted at specific individuals. Can you address that?

I can. For decades, USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo have been uneasy partners – and at times, in open conflict. That doesn’t serve the community well. The most common comment I’ve heard, about any taekwondo related topic over the years is, ‘why can’t the two organizations find a way to work together?’.

So we did.

When AAU’s leadership transitioned, I reached out to see if we could find common ground. From our very first conversation, it was clear the new leadership wanted the same thing: to move past the hostilities and build something constructive over time.

In that discussion, we acknowledged that decades of bad blood wouldn’t disappear overnight. So we agreed on a straightforward principle: our organizations won’t publicly attack each other. No taking shots on social media, no public criticism, no undermining each other in statements or interviews. If issues arise – and they will – we handle them professionally and privately. That commitment extends to how our organizations and the people who represent them conduct themselves publicly.

That’s the agreement. Nothing unusual – it’s standard practice when two organizations commit to working together professionally.

I’ve heard there’s speculation that this was drafted in response to World Championships results. The timeline doesn’t support that narrative – the conversations and drafts predate that event. This wasn’t a secret agreement targeting individuals. It was two organizations saying, «Let’s try working together instead of fighting publicly.» After all these years, that seemed worth attempting.

I’m excited and hopeful that the ceasefire will hold this time.

Governance models in sport: USA Taekwondo is often cited as a case study in governance among National Governing Bodies. What do you consider your most significant contribution to the professionalization of the institution?

When I stepped into this role, the entire Olympic movement was in crisis. Sexual abuse scandals were dominating headlines, NGBs were (rightly) under unprecedented scrutiny, and there was a genuine reckoning happening across American sport. It was impossible to assess USA Taekwondo’s governance in isolation from that broader chaos – everything was being examined, challenged, and rebuilt simultaneously.

The transformation since then has been dramatic. We’ve gone from being one of the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s most frequent cases to one of its least active files. World Taekwondo has recognized us as the #1 Member National Association globally for two consecutive years. But I need to be crystal clear: this wasn’t a one-person show. This was an iterative organizational transformation that required everyone – paid staff, volunteers, athletes, parents, coaches, the board – to commit to fundamental change and to learn from mistakes along the way with open minded humility.

Our team deserves enormous credit. They didn’t just implement policies; they embraced a cultural shift that said, «not in our sport, not on our watch.» That kind of commitment can’t be mandated – it has to be genuine. The USOPC provided the framework and resources that made systemic change possible across all Olympic sports. The U.S. Center for SafeSport, despite facing its own challenges, gave us the tools and accountability mechanisms to protect athletes rather than just talk about it.

My timing was a paradox. On one hand, the pressure was crushing – knowing that governance failures could result in extinction, that the world was watching, and that there was no margin for error. On the other hand, I inherited a moment when change was not just possible but demanded. Resources were available. Political will existed. The old excuse of «this is how we’ve always done it» no longer worked.

If there’s a contribution I’m genuinely proud of, it’s refusing to treat athlete safety from sexual abuse as a public relations problem or a compliance exercise. It’s easy to approach SafeSport requirements as boxes to check so we can say we’re in compliance, and as a shield to protect from scrutiny. We approached it as an existential question: are we willing to make hard decisions – the unpopular decisions, the decisions that cost us relationships or revenue – to ensure athletes are safe from sexual predators? Because if the answer was no, we had no business running a youth sports organization. Thankfully, everyone stepped up.

That philosophy guided everything: hiring decisions, coach appointments, policy development, resource allocation. It meant having uncomfortable conversations, making enemies, taking criticism from people who thought we were overreacting or who didn’t understand why we couldn’t overlook their red flags when it comes to protecting kids from sexual predators.

But it also meant building an institution where parents can trust that their children’s safety from sexual abuse comes first, not fourth or fifth behind competitive success or political considerations.

The professionalization of USA Taekwondo isn’t about having better letterhead or running slicker events – though we do both now. It’s about operating with the seriousness and rigor that our responsibility to young athletes demands. It’s about building systems that outlast any individual leader. It’s about creating a culture where doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, is the default rather than the exception.

Relationship with World Taekwondo: Having observed the international dynamics up close, how do you evaluate the current relationship between WT and its member federations? What changes, in your opinion, are necessary to make global Taekwondo governance fairer and more transparent?

I don’t think it’s recognized enough what a phenomenal job Dr. Choue has done for taekwondo as an Olympic sport. Want the biggest indicator of his success? Three or four years ago, critics were constantly using the threat of removal from the Olympic Games as ammunition against him. You don’t hear that anymore. Taekwondo is now one of the more secure sports in the entire Olympic program, with what appears to be an expansion on the horizon.

The international politics involved in maintaining and growing an Olympic sport are staggering – the diplomacy, the competing interests, the complex IOC dynamics. World Taekwondo headquarters navigates all of that with consistent poise and professionalism. That doesn’t happen by accident. My respect for them has grown tremendously over the years.

From USA Taekwondo’s perspective, our voice has grown significantly louder and more valued on the international stage. We have people in key positions both continentally and globally, which reflects the credibility we’ve rebuilt. Jay Warwick, our COO and Secretary General, deserves particular recognition – he does incredible work with remarkable humility. We’re genuinely fortunate to have him in that role.

Overall, I think World Taekwondo does an excellent job on governance. Are there areas where I’d like to see stricter enforcement? Sure – blatantly fraudulent transfers between countries being the main one – but I don’t want to dwell on that right now. No organization is perfect, and criticism from the sidelines is easy. The bigger picture is that we have a sport and an international federation to be proud of. The governance is strong, the sport is growing, and our Olympic future looks bright. That’s the work of good leadership.

Pan-American perspective: As Vice President of PATU, what role do you see yourself playing in balancing political dynamics across the continent, and how do you envision strengthening ties between USA Taekwondo and other national federations?

My role as PATU Vice President and now as Chair of the Pan American LA2028 Olympic Games Committee gives me a unique opportunity to build bridges across our continent. The Americas represent incredible diversity – in resources, competitive strength, infrastructure, etc., and that disparity can create tension if not managed thoughtfully.

I’m acutely aware that I come from arguably the largest and best-resourced country in the region. That could easily breed resentment if approached the wrong way. My job isn’t to lecture smaller federations or impose U.S. solutions on different contexts. My job is to listen, to learn what challenges our continental partners face, and to find ways we can support each other’s growth.

LA 2028 represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the entire Pan American region. This is our Games – not just the United States’ Games. I want every federation across North, Central, and South America to feel invested in that success and to benefit from it. That means sharing resources, sharing knowledge, and creating pathways for athletes across the continent to train, compete, and excel together.

President Juan Manuel López Delgado has been an exceptional leader for PATU, and working alongside him has taught me a great deal about continental politics and the art of bringing diverse nations together around common goals. His vision for PATU is inclusive and forward-thinking, and I’m honored to support that work.

Practically, strengthening ties means more than handshakes at conferences. It means creating real opportunities for collaboration – joint training camps, coach exchanges, shared competition opportunities, and technical support where it’s needed. It means USA Taekwondo using our position not to dominate but to elevate. When our continental partners succeed, we all succeed. A stronger PATU makes every federation better, including ours.

My hope is that when we look back on LA 2028, we see record-breaking results not just from Team USA, but from the entire Pan American region. That’s the legacy worth building.

Inclusivity and compliance (Athlete Protection Guidelines): USA Taekwondo recently announced the implementation of revised Athlete Protection and Gender Participation Guidelines, following federal directives and USOPC mandates. How do you see these measures shaping the future of inclusivity, fairness, and safety within U.S. Taekwondo competitions?

This is one of the most complex and emotionally charged issues in sports today. USA Taekwondo operates within a framework of federal directives and USOPC mandates. Those policies now provide the guidance we need to implement, which honestly removes some of the political pressure from individual sports organizations.

What I will say is this: we’re committed to being inclusive and respectful of everyone who wants to participate in taekwondo, while also maintaining our fundamental responsibility for the physical safety of all competitors in what is, at its core, a full-contact combat sport. This is a sport that has the power to transform lives, build confidence, and create community – and those benefits should be accessible to all.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the fundamental nature of what we do. Taekwondo is a combat sport. The original and primary consideration in competition has always been the physical safety of competitors in the ring. That’s not a political statement – it’s a recognition of the reality that people are striking each other, and we have a responsibility to ensure those competitions are conducted as safely as possible.

These guidelines attempt to balance those considerations – inclusivity, respect, fairness, and physical safety – in a way that aligns with federal requirements and USOPC policy. Are they perfect? Probably not. Will everyone agree with them? Definitely not. But they provide the clarity we need to move forward and ensure our competitions meet the standards required of us.

I understand this issue generates strong feelings on all sides. My hope is that we can implement these policies with respect for everyone involved, continue to welcome people into our sport, and maintain the safety and integrity of competition. That’s the balance we’re trying to strike.

Beyond the sport: What personal qualities or experiences outside of Taekwondo most influence your leadership style within the organization?

I was raised in a fairly strict Roman Catholic household, and while I’m not particularly religious myself as an adult, the morals from that upbringing really stuck with me. I genuinely want the best for everyone, and I hold people – including myself – to the highest standards of behavior. But that doesn’t mean I expect perfection. Forgiveness and rehabilitation are core principles for me – as long as people haven’t crossed certain lines. There’s no way back for sexual abusers. But for other mistakes, people deserve a chance to learn and do better, including me.

I’m stubborn – anyone who knows me will tell you that immediately. I wouldn’t say I’m fearless, because fearless people are stupid people. But I’m not afraid to be afraid, if that makes sense. I’ll acknowledge when something is difficult or uncertain, but I won’t let that fear stop me from doing what needs to be done. I never duck a difficult conversation. Never. If something needs to be addressed, I’d rather have that uncomfortable discussion directly than let it fester.

I don’t take offense easily, and I’m direct in my communication. I prefer when people are the same way with me. Tell me what you think, even if you think I won’t like it. I can handle disagreement. What I struggle with is passive aggression or people saying one thing to your face and another behind your back.

My background in professional rugby taught me a lot about team dynamics, about managing egos, about the difference between confidence and arrogance. Sport at that level is brutal – not just physically, but in terms of honesty. If you’re not performing, people tell you. If you need to improve something, it’s addressed directly. I’ve tried to bring that clarity to USA Taekwondo while balancing it with the understanding that we’re dealing with young athletes who need support as much as they need honesty, and staff who are juggling their work responsibilities with all the pressures of life. Work-life balance is something I place high value on – pushing people to excellence doesn’t mean burning them out.

Experiencing significant personal loss fundamentally changed my perspective on what matters. Petty grievances and organizational politics seem trivial in the broader context of life. That’s not to diminish people’s concerns or frustrations, but it does help me keep perspective on what’s actually important: are we keeping kids safe? Are we giving athletes the best chance to succeed? Are we building something sustainable that will outlast all of us? Those are the questions worth focusing on.

I’ve developed a complicated relationship with social media, particularly how it’s used in our sport. I used to engage with it constantly, but I’ve pulled back significantly to the point where the only things I see are the things that people text to me – and I’ve trained most people not to send me stuff. Too often it amplifies the worst of us – public grievances, personal attacks, controversy for its own sake. It’s not constructive. Its best feature is undoubtedly the block button, and I use it ruthlessly.

If you have a problem with me, with the organization, with a decision we’ve made – reach out directly. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Let’s have an actual conversation. I’m not hard to reach. Fighting battles publicly might get you the attention you crave, but not from me, and it rarely solves anything. It damages our sport’s reputation. More importantly, I think it damages us as people, and frankly my eyes get tired from all the rolling if I allow myself to scroll.

At the end of the day, leadership in sports isn’t that different from leadership anywhere else. You need integrity – doing the right thing even when it’s hard or unpopular. You need clarity – people deserve to know where they stand and what’s expected. You need accountability – both holding others to standards and holding yourself to them. And you need genuine care for the people you’re leading. If you don’t actually care about the athletes, coaches, staff, and community you’re serving, you’re in the wrong job.

Personal legacy: If you had to summarize your mission for athletes and coaches looking to you for guidance during this cycle toward LA28, what would be the one message you would like to leave them with?

Honestly? I don’t care about my personal legacy in terms of people remembering me. I genuinely don’t. That’s not what drives me, and it’s not what should matter. People should look within for guidance – follow your heart, be a good person, ask for advice sure but make good choices for yourself and your journey will be rewarding. Give in to conspiracy, suspicion and the whims of bad people, and things probably won’t go too well.

What I want to leave behind is an organization so fundamentally changed, so solid in its foundation, that the systems and culture we’ve built will endure regardless of who leads it next. I want the standards we’ve established – especially around athlete safety – to be so deeply embedded that they become permanent. I want athlete safety from sexual abuse to be non-negotiable regardless of who’s sitting in this chair. I want excellence to be the expectation, not the exception.

I don’t want to be remembered. MasTKD knows as well as anyone how hard it is to get me to give any kind of interview – I don’t seek the limelight. I want people to remember the athletes and coaches and their accomplishments. I want them to remember CJ Nickolas, Kristina Teachout, and all the incredible competitors who represent the United States with pride and skill. I want them to remember the coaches who dedicated their lives to developing the next generation. I want them to remember the moments – the medals, the breakthroughs, the performances that inspired kids across the country to walk into a dojang for the first time.

My mission for this LA28 cycle is simple: maximize the opportunity for everyone, safely and successfully, always. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to showcase taekwondo on home soil, to inspire a new generation, to achieve results that seemed impossible a decade ago. But we’ll do it the right way – protecting our athletes, supporting our coaches, building something sustainable.

If I’ve done my job right, when I eventually step away, USA Taekwondo won’t miss a beat. The organization will be stronger than any individual. The athletes will continue to excel. The community will continue to grow. And the protections we’ve put in place will continue to keep kids safe.

That’s the legacy worth leaving. Not my name on a plaque, but a foundation that can’t be shaken.

MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.

 

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