Disabled Sports USA Youth Sports Mentoring Program
           Serving Youth Through Sports

DS/USA Youth Sports Mentoring Program Models

The DS/USA Youth Sports Mentoring Program offers chapters a number of suggested mentoring models. These models listed below are very flexible to help chapters identify how mentoring may fit into their adaptive sports/recreational programming. Several of these models may overlap or be combined with one another.

1. Sports Trainer Model
This model entails matching a youth with a disability with a volunteer adaptive sports instructor who will serve as a mentor to the youth during lessons with at least six face-to-face meetings over at least a six week period. The instructor will have completed the mentor training conducted by DS/USA or local chapter and will have periodic correspondence with the youth outside of the lessons. Group mentoring may take place here as one instructor may be assigned to mentor up to five mentees. DS/USA headquarters will provide chapter staff with training, tools and ongoing support while chapter staff will be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, risk management and evaluation).

2. Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Program Model
This model structures a one-on-one mentoring match between an adult mentor (at least 18 years of age) with or without a disability and a youth with a disability around the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) that tracks and rewards physical activity over a 6-8 week period. To earn the PALA, a youth with a disability needs to participate in a physical activity (over 100 to choose from) at least five days a week for six weeks with at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. DS/USA headquarters will provide chapter staff with mentoring training, tools and ongoing support while chapter staff will be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, risk management and evaluation).

3. Event Mentoring Model
This model entails training Wounded Warriors and/or high profile disabled athletes such as Paralympians to mentor a youth with disabilities (one-on-one) throughout the duration of a DS/USA chapter event. Each event mentor is encouraged to keep in touch with the mentee via two correspondences (phone or e-mail) after the event. DS/USA headquarters, in coordination with the host chapter, is responsible for administering the matches (promoting, recruitment, risk management and evaluation).

4. Seasonal/Year-Round Model
This model entails establishing an ongoing one-on-one match between a youth with a disability and an adult mentor (with or without a disability) with the relationship having a focus on participating in year-round or seasonal adaptive sports programming. The relationship may develop outside of sports programming with continuous year-round correspondence. DS/USA headquarters will provide chapter staff with mentoring training, tools and ongoing support while chapter staff will be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, risk management and evaluation).

5. Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Model
This model focuses on matching an older, more experienced youth with a disability (ages 13-17), with a younger, less experienced youth with a disability (at least 6 years of age) within a sport setting with the goal being to use the mentor’s experience and knowledge to influence the mentee in a positive way. The relationship would most likely take place during camps and ongoing programs conducted by DS/USA chapters. DS/USA headquarters will provide chapter staff with mentoring training, tools and ongoing support while chapter staff will be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, risk management and evaluation).

6. Partnership Model
This partnership will take place between a DS/USA chapter and a local community youth organization, such as a school, hospital, Big Brothers Big Sisters and/or like organization. DS/USA can offer its disability expertise to community organizations and help them expand their programming by extending sports and recreation opportunities to more youth with disabilities. The chapters and community organizations will serve as a referral source for one another while chapters can offer their adaptive sports programs as venues. The mentor-mentee match may follow any of the DS/USA Mentoring Models and would participate in the chapter’s adaptive sports programs together. The partnership configuration will be determined on a case-by-case basis.