USA Cycling Launches The Olympic Development Academy To Grow Discipline Development Pathways

November 20, 2020

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – On Friday, USA Cycling announced the Olympic Development Academy (ODA), a unique semester-based program to create a new, consistent, and sustainable development model across all cycling disciplines; BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Cyclocross, Mountain Bike, Road, and Track. Athletes enrolled in the academy will be part of a development model that will champion and facilitate growth through world-class coaching, a top-level curriculum, and high-caliber international and domestic competitions.

“We looked at our current development pathways and programs, and wanted to make them consistent across all disciplines, and structure them like a university program,” said Jim Miller, Chief of Sports Performance. “The combination of coaching, curriculum, and competition provides an unmatched opportunity for an athlete to learn and grow technically, tactically, physically and mentally while developing character and leadership skills.”

The Olympic Development Academy is broken down into two semesters; Spring & Fall. Each semester has a combination of high-level fully-supported racing opportunities and training camps with an experienced and professional coaching staff along with experts in sports science, strength and conditioning, personal development, professional development, and other fields. Any interested athletes must apply to be part of the Academy, and once selected will receive the following:

Coaching

• Access to a high-performance coaching staff with various Olympic and World Championships medals to their resume along with years of world-class experience
• One-on-one coaching during competitions, camps and clinics
• One-on-one strength and conditioning coaching during camps
• Premium TrainingPeaks resources with discipline specific training plans and strength and condition plans
• On-going network and collaboration with professional teams and opportunities

Curriculum

• Access to team infrastructure; world-class facilities, coaches, sport scientists, and experts in personal and professional development.
• Training camp opportunities with National Team members
• Performance monitoring with an initial rider assessment and monthly performance assessment
• Nutrition review at beginning of each semester
• DiSC behavior assessment tool and Personal Profile Assessment (PPA)

 Competition

• Top-tier development competition schedule for national and international events
• On-ground support at competitions including housing, food, race venue setup, and full-service by professional support staff
• Develop race day protocols, strategies, nutrition, and proper mindset
• Team competition clothing and casual travel clothing
• NormaTec & Hyperice recovery products
• Helmets
• Access to discounted bikes and other equipment
• Access to other Academy partner products

Support for the Olympic Development Academy is open to USA Cycling partners and will be funded in part through the USA Cycling Foundation. To get involved and support USA Cycling’s next Olympic champions please contact USA Cycling or donate to the USA Cycling Foundation.

For more information on the Olympic Development Academy, click here.

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.

For more information, contact Jim Miller at jmiller@usacycling.org

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Within the United States, USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.

USA Cycling is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020. In 1920, the organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s 100,000+ members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.