The U.S. Paralympics announced the launch of the American Development Model (ADM) for Paralympic Sport. The ADM provides local associations across the country a blueprint for optimal athlete development that focuses on age-appropriate training. This Paralympic-specific component of the program is a supplement to the national ADM initiative designed to help Paralympic-eligible athletes realize their full athletic potential and utilize sport as a path from recreational interest up to participation in elite competition.
The ADM for Paralympic Sport integrates training, competition, and recovery with relation to biological development and maturation, while offering equal opportunity for recreation and competition. The five-stage model aims to promote sustained sport participation, improve the well-being of future generations in the United States, and grow the athlete pipeline from which U.S. Olympians and Paralympians are selected.
“Paralympic sport is no different from any other sport; there is a process for growth, education, and training to help an athlete reach his or her potential,” said Rick Adams, chief of Paralympic sport and national governing body (NGB) organizational development. “This supplement to the ADM allows Paralympic-eligible athletes and their coaches to [tailor] their own athlete success plan. The ultimate goal is to provide a resource to enable more athletes to participate in Paralympic sport at all levels and, hopefully, to spur continued growth of the movement throughout the U.S.”
