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A hub for
athlete
development
specialists

in the professional and collegiate sport industry.

Athlete Development Specialists

The Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists (PAADS) brings together sport leaders and organizations that are committed to holistic athlete development

Keeping up to date on the research and best practices for athlete development can be overwhelming when done alone. As part of a community focused on athlete development, you can keep learning and growing in a way that helps your athletes do the same.

By becoming a PAADS partner, you join yourself with the best athlete development specialists around the world in a supportive network dedicated to education, connection, and innovation.

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our global partners

Choose the Membership that’s right for you

As the world’s premier athlete development network, we bring people and ideas together in an accessible global network of excellence. Working with major sports leagues, universities and colleges and like-minded individuals around the world, we ensure you are always at the cutting edge of innovation in athlete development.

GLOBAL PARTNER

Sports leagues and governing bodies with a demonstrated interest in athlete development

EDUCATIONAL PARTNER

Universities with sports management or similar programs that provide coursework leading to a PAADS Athlete Development Specialist certificate

PLAYER ASSOCIATION PARTNER

Player associations and similar organizations with a demonstrated interest in athlete development

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER

Corporations, non-profit institutions, and other organizations with a demonstrated interest in athlete development

INDIVIDUAL PARTNER

Individuals who work or aspire to work in the field of athlete development or with athlete development specialists

The Value of Paads

PAADS equips its partners and members to create programs that better their organizations and have a measurable impact in their athletes’ lives. 

Through education, networking, and forums for the exchange of ideas, PAADS members and partners are given opportunities to enhance both their professional skill and their reputation as elite athlete development specialists. 

Here’s How

Athlete Development Summit, New York

Athlete Development Summit (ADS)

The annual ADS provides athlete development specialists with the opportunity to hear from experts and to connect with other athlete development specialists from around the world, to share best practices and ideas related to athlete development.

Online Certificate program for Junior Athlete Development specialists

Professional Level Certificate Program

In partnership with the University of Florida’s online Master’s Degree in Sport Management, PAADS offers a certificate program for entry-level or junior athlete development specialists and is seeking additional universities to partner with in offering this program.

Athlete development research symposium

PAADS continues to pursue an evidence-based approach to athlete development. To that end, we launched the Athlete Development Research Symposium. The symposium provides a forum for academics, students, and other researchers to share research and to interact with leagues, player associations, and professionals who regularly work in the field of athlete development.

Athlete Development Research Symposium for academics, students, researchers
Athlete Development Summit 2024
Athlete development Summit New York New York

what people are saying about the summit

  • The 2023 PAADS Symposium and Summit was one of the professional development highlights of my career to date. As an international guest I found the balance between the research presented, the industry updates, networking opportunities and visits to some of the local league headquarters perfect. It was a very valuable, uplifting and inspiring experience and I would recommend it to anyone working in sport! Not just in player development!


    - Sheridan Hawkins (she/her)
    Careers and Education Manager, Sydney Roosters

  • The PAADS Athlete Development Summit is great because it gives me access to different leadership skills, mentoring skills, and athlete development, aside from just the “sets and reps and weights,” which is my medium of work. It helps make me a more complete coach and mentor to my athletes, so I highly recommend it.

    - Jim Malone

  • Attending the PAADS Research Symposium and Summit was invaluable exposure for me! I stepped into a whole new world filled with passionate student-athlete development specialists and impact-makers. The event seamlessly blended practical insights with research, offering me the perfect mix for my professional role as a professor. Plus, the networking opportunities were gold! I connected with like-minded individuals, laying the groundwork for future collaborations that I'm truly excited about. It served as a platform for learning, teaching, and the exchange of ideas, all within the backdrop of the vibrant sports culture of the host city.


    - Brandon Crooms
    Assistant Professor in Business Administration-Sports Management at Trinity University (San Antonio, TX), Founder and CEO of Crooms Collective LLC.

  • I attended the PADDS conference as an international guest. Just “Wow”, what a fantastic experience. To meet with representatives from the NFL, NBA and MLB was both incredibly informative and validating on the great work that the Wellbeing and Education staff are committed to. The research symposium highlighted trends and future directions for the athlete wellbeing, education, and development space, while the guest speakers were engaging in sharing a wealth of knowledge from across the globe. The networking opportunity afforded me with wonderful new connections, and the ability to reconnect with other global friends in the wellbeing and education space. The overall PAADS experience and exploring NYC with all it has to offer was a sporting persons dream! I would go again in a heartbeat!

    - Ceran Nilsen
    Wellbeing & Education Manager ‐ NRLW & Academy, Brisbane Broncos

Don’t miss your opportunity to attend our 2024 Summit - limited space is available!

What are Athlete
Development Specialists?

AD Specialists focus on creating opportunities for athletes to excel in their sport while mitigating the challenges and issues many aspiring elite or professional athletes face during their playing careers and after.

AD Specialists come from a wide range of educational backgrounds and athletic experiences. AD Specialists have degrees in Psychology, Business, Engineering, Social Work, Sports Management, and many more. AD Specialists also aren’t all former professional athletes. Many have played high school or collegiate level athletics and some have never participated in elite-level athletics.

The common denominator for AD Specialists is a desire to see athletes shine in all facets of their lives.

athlete development specialists, AD Specialists

become a more complete specialist with support, expertise and education from a community of experts who share your goals.

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