PAADS- Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists Information

The Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists (PAADS) was created from the annual Athlete Development Summit, a concept originally created by the NFLPA and hosted by the NFL in 2002. In conjunction with the NBA, the Athlete Development Summit was expanded in 2003 to include additional leagues and athlete development experts. Since then, the Athlete Development Summit has continued to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and best practices by leaders in the field of athlete development. The growing interest in the Athlete Development Summit was the impetus for the creation of a standing organization to: - Provide organizations and individuals who work with athletes with more opportunity to share information, resources and best practices - Elevate the standards of the athlete development profession through the creation of education, training and certification programs. In early 2011, PAADS was formally created as a non-profit, membership corporation by its Founding Leagues: NBA, NFL, LPGA, WTA, ATP, NCAA and MLS. The Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists (PAADS) brings together the leading thinkers in Athlete Development from the pre-eminent sports organizations in North America.