COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Feb. 18, 2026) – Positive Athlete, a leading character development organization dedicated to recognizing, empowering and connecting student-athletes through the power of sports, together with the USA Basketball Foundation, are announcing a new strategic alliance. The USA Basketball Foundation harnesses the power, influence and global reach of USA Basketball to grow the game beyond the court.
Together, Positive Athlete and the USA Basketball Foundation are converting the power of basketball into pathways for leadership, education and service. The strategic alliance affirms a shared commitment to recognizing young athletes for the character and skills forged through sport and how they use those skills create positive impacts on and off the court.
“We are absolutely thrilled to enter into a strategic alliance with the USA Basketball Foundation. Basketball is a significant piece of the fabric of our country and a sport in which many of our future changemakers and leaders participate. With USA Basketball Foundation’s mission of using the power of basketball to strengthen and connect our communities, we are perfectly aligned to empower young basketball athletes that are making an impact that transcends sport,” said Positive Athlete CEO Scott Pederson.
This strategic alliance will grow nationwide nominations of high school basketball players to Positive Athlete, giving nominees access to scholarships and free lifetime resources through the group’s desktop and mobile app. Included are tools in character development, career readiness, opportunities and more, with a national network of like-minded individuals, all to help these players grow beyond sport.
The Positive Athlete nomination season will culminate with the USA Basketball Foundation and Positive Athlete naming an All-American team of five girls and five boys selected from high school nominees who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools or communities, and/or shown a positive attitude that lifts those around them. To celebrate these student-athletes, the USA Basketball Foundation and Positive Athlete will jointly provide each honoree with a letter of recommendation to support their future pursuits.
"The USA Basketball Foundation’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of young people and the communities around them. The strategic alliance with Positive Athlete gives us the opportunity to recognize high school athletes whose character, resilience and leadership stand out among their peers,” USA Basketball chief development officer Jennifer Lynne Williams said. “We are excited to celebrate young people who demonstrate excellence on and off the court.”
For consideration for the joint USA Basketball Foundation and Positive Athlete All-American team and to access Positive Athlete’s resources, nominate boys and girls basketball student-athletes in grades 9-12 who lead with character, inspire others and make a positive impact on their communities.
The Positive Athlete nomination deadline is April 15, 2026 so nominate now. For more information or to nominate, click here.
About Positive Athlete
Positive Athlete is a national organization dedicated to promoting positivity among young athletes nationwide. The organization achieves its mission through three key pillars: recognizing outstanding student-athletes with awards and scholarships, providing leadership and personal development programs, and creating connections between student-athletes, professional athletes, and coaches across the country. Over the past 12 years, Positive Athlete has honored over 72,000 student-athletes throughout the United States and distributed more than $650,000 in scholarship funding. For more information about Positive Athlete, their foundation, and its programs, visit www.positiveathlete.org.
Positive Athlete is a national organization dedicated to promoting positivity among young athletes nationwide. The organization achieves its mission through three key pillars: recognizing outstanding student-athletes with awards and scholarships, providing leadership and personal development programs, and creating connections between student-athletes, professional athletes, and coaches across the country. Over the past 12 years, Positive Athlete has honored over 72,000 student-athletes throughout the United States and distributed more than $650,000 in scholarship funding. For more information about Positive Athlete, their foundation, and its programs, visit www.positiveathlete.org.
About USA Basketball Foundation
The USA Basketball Foundation is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power, influence and global reach of USA Basketball to grow the game beyond the court. The Foundation impacts children, athletes, coaches, students and young professionals through programming that includes mentorship and scholarship opportunities, community outreach, court improvements and more. Formed in 2019, the USA Basketball Foundation is a 501(c)3 supporting organization founded to conduct programming and generate support for USA Basketball, a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for the sport of basketball in the United States.
The USA Basketball Foundation is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power, influence and global reach of USA Basketball to grow the game beyond the court. The Foundation impacts children, athletes, coaches, students and young professionals through programming that includes mentorship and scholarship opportunities, community outreach, court improvements and more. Formed in 2019, the USA Basketball Foundation is a 501(c)3 supporting organization founded to conduct programming and generate support for USA Basketball, a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for the sport of basketball in the United States.