February 14, 2024
Kansas City, MO – theBMSproject.org, a dba of The BMS Project, Inc. (“BMS”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and Triple Crown Sports (TCS) recently announced their planned 2024 association and joint efforts to contribute to the safety and well-being of amateur athletes of all ages.
BMS’ mission is to assist sports advocates to create and maintain positive, safe, competitive environments and experiences for athletes and their families; as well as to promote mental health awareness and contribute to suicide prevention. BMS Project’s mission aligns perfectly with the goals and efforts of TCS. BMS pursues its mission by providing “getting started” suggestions and resources to assist sports advocates (athletes, parents, coaches, mentors, officials, sports organizations and schools) to create positive, safe, competitive experiences and to be able assist sports advocates when confronted with a myriad of well-being and safety matters that plague all of sports and today’s society. In addition, BMS then suggests next-step, more in-depth resources to point users forward as they continue to seek solutions to their individual needs.
All of BMS’ proprietary programs carry messaging emphasizing “how to find and vet therapists and counselors,” as well as publicizing the existence and use of the 24/7/365 “988” national suicide lifeline. Additionally, included in its messaging are other early-step suggestions for reporting incidents of sexual misconduct, child abuse, bullying/hazing and violence threat warning signs; as well as guidance on warning signs of possible self-harm risk; and resources to assist with dealing with substance abuse/addictions. In 2024, additional resources are being developed to provide early-step suggestions to respond to athletes’ safety and well-being in regards to various physical concerns such as common sports injuries and concussions.
BMS currently utilizes two programs to deliver its messaging to sports advocates nationwide: The BMS Community Outreach Program and their new, 2024 Play Safe 2Day initiative. TCS will participate in the BMS Community Outreach Program which involves placing the BMS Project’s logo on TCS’ baseball, softball, volleyball, and basketball websites and on the TCS all sports website. By clicking on the logo, visitors will be transported to BMS’ “By Sport Resource Directories” hosted on theBMSproject.org. BMS’ By-Sport Resource Directories list and provide links to curated positive athlete safety and well-being resources available for each sport.
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 40 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Anchored by the 1,100-team Colorado 4th of July event, TCS fastpitch tournaments draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 650-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 575 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.
“Sports, when done in a safe mental and physical environment, is key to suicide prevention,” said Triple Crown Sports CEO Keri King. “Triple Crown shares the safe environment value with BMS and we are grateful for their work.”
Bob Martin, Founder of BMS, commented, “We are very grateful and appreciative that TCS has elected to join in our efforts to protect the integrity of our sports and to invest in the welfare and safety of athletes and their families. There simply isn’t a higher calling that I can imagine. BMS’ top two priorities are to ensure the strengthening of every athlete's self-esteem; and encouraging athletes to talk to those that they trust about their problems. We consider our association with TCS to be an important step forward to contribute to the safety and well-being of athletes of all ages.”
Formed in January 2022, BMS recently developed and presented behavioral health presentations for the Kansas City Royals’ Sports Development Group – including its recent 2023 Youth All Sports Expo. BMS has also worked closely with other prominent organizations concerned about athletes’ well-being and safety such as Challenger Sports (largest organizer of youth soccer events in North America), Top Gun Events (a leading youth softball event organizer) and The Center for Clinical Training (located in Nashville, TN – accredited continuing education provider for professional, licensed therapists and counselors). BMS is actively engaged in aligning and affiliating with other sports organizations throughout the nation. TheBMSproject.org works through leagues, youth organizations, businesses and other non-profits, as well as with mental health service providers in pursuit and accomplishment of its athlete safety and well-being efforts. Together… here for our youth
