Dr. Steven Ungerleider was an accomplished author, sports psychologist, and advocate for sport. He founded The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) in 1996 to leverage the power of sports to enrich lives and make the world a better place.
LOS ANGELES, March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2023
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Steven Ungerleider
A remarkable man of integrity, advocacy, and philanthropy
Los Angeles, CA – Dr. Steven Ungerleider was an accomplished author, sports psychologist, and advocate for sport. He founded The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) in 1996 to leverage the power of sports to enrich lives and make the world a better place.
"We are so deeply heartbroken that Steven lost his eight-month long battle with pancreatic cancer," said David Ulich, Executive Board Member of The Foundation for Global Sports Development. "Today, and forever more, we honor Steven for his vision and the lives he touched through his charitable work."
To this day, Steven continues to receive thank you notes from youth who have been impacted by GSD's generosity and has changed the course of their lives.
Through grants, scholarships, films, and programming, Steven has dedicated his life's work to creating lasting impacts through funding, education, and mentorship. For the last 27 years, Steven has been instrumental in awarding scholarships to high school seniors through GSD's Exceptional Youth Scholarship, donating vital funding to support non-profit organizations via GSD's grant and Humanitarian Award programs, and gifting grants to exceptional athletes who uphold the values of good sportsmanship and fair play both on and off the field.
To spread the impact of his message to millions, Steven co-founded the Foundation's nonprofit production arm, Sidewinder Films. Throughout his career, Steven was nominated for an Emmy for his research on the 2016 documentary short Munich '72 and Beyond, he received two Emmy nominations: Best Documentary and Outstanding Investigative Documentary for At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, and received an Oscar nomination for his work on the documentary short, End Game.
"Steven always fought for what was right, no matter what, especially advocating for those who had been wronged and silenced by institutional failures," remembers David Ulich.
He advocated for survivors and most recently helped to launch the Courage First Athlete Helpline, the first of its kind, to build awareness around sexual abuse in sport and offer confidential support for anyone in the athletic community who are concerned about emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
Steven wrote several books on Olympic topics, including the best-selling Faust's Gold: Inside the East German Doping Machine which examined the 30-year doping activities of the late East German regime. He also served on the Education and Ethics Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the National Advisory Panel of the American Psychological Association. In 2009, he co-founded the Texas Program in Sports and Media (TPSM) at the University of Texas, Austin.
The Foundation for Global Sports Development will continue to honor Steven's memory through its charitable mission, programming, and media division.
About The Foundation for Global Sports Development
Established in 1996, The Foundation for Global Sports Development delivers and supports initiatives that promote accessible, fair, and abuse-free sport for youth, through grants, awards, and educational projects. In 2015, it launched its media division, Sidewinder Films, to inspire and educate audiences through films that highlight remarkable, untold stories of sports and life.
Learn more at https://globalsportsdevelopment.org and https://www.sidewinderfilms.org
Media Contact
Kirra Downing, GSD, (808) 292-7100, [email protected]
SOURCE GSD
Share this article