Disabled Sports USA Youth Sports Mentoring Program
           Serving Youth Through Sports

Mentoring Models

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.

Sports Trainer Model

This model revolves around matching a youth with a disability with a volunteer adaptive sports instructor or coach who will serve as a mentor to the youth during lessons. The instructor will have completed the mentor training conducted by either DS/USA or the 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. Chapter staff would be trained by DS/USA headquarters and then be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, interview/screening, matching, risk management, evaluation & follow-up).

Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Program

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. This incentive program would fit seamlessly into the Sports Trainer Model listed above. 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 each activity lasting at least 60 minutes. Chapter staff would be trained by DS/USA headquarters and then be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, interview/screening, matching, training mentors, monitoring/follow-up, risk management).

Event Mentoring

This model entails training Wounded Warriors and/or high profile disabled athletes such as Paralympians to mentor youth with disabilities (one-on-one) during a DS/USA chapter event. Each event mentor is encouraged to keep in touch with the mentee with at least 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, interview/screening, matching, training mentors, monitoring/follow-up, and risk management).

Big Brothers Big Sisters (for like organization) Partnership

This partnership will take place between a DS/USA chapter and its local BBBS agency or like organization, where DS/USA headquarters will work with the chapter and the BBBS agency to explore possible ways in which they can partner. DS/USA can offer disability awareness training to BBBS and help them expand their programming to include more youth with disabilities. The chapters will serve as a referral source to BBBS (for mentees and mentors) and offer its adaptive sports programs as venues. BBBS can offer its mentoring expertise while administering the match. The mentor-mentee match would most likely follow the BBBS long-term, one-on-one model and would incorporate the chapter’s adaptive sports programming within their planned activities. The partnership arrangement will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

Seasonal/Year-Round Programming

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. Chapter staff would be trained by DS/USA headquarters and then be responsible for administering the mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, interview/screening, matching, training mentors, monitoring/follow-up, risk management), unless a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters can be established.

Peer Mentoring

This model focuses on matching an older, more experienced youth with a disability with a younger, less experienced youth with a disability 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 conducted by DS/USA chapters. Chapter staff would be trained by DS/USA headquarters and then be responsible for administering the peer mentoring program (promoting, recruitment, interview/screening, matching, training mentors, monitoring/follow-up, risk management).

E-Mentoring

Electronic mentoring or e-mentoring may be utilized within many of the models listed above where matches may use e-mail as the primary communication vehicle between face-to-face meetings at events. While e-mentoring can limit the depth of the relationship shared between the mentor and mentee, it also offers advantages in terms of time commitments and flexibility.