What Is THRIVE?
THRIVE is the U.S. National Development Program’s blueprint for supporting the development of American players toward excellence and wellbeing. THRIVE means to grow or develop well; to progress toward or realize a goal despite, or because of, circumstance; and to achieve successful performance. Our intention is to offer support, training, and opportunities for athletes to have the greatest probability to THRIVE in golf and life. The USNDP goal transcends scores, aiming to instill a lifelong engagement with the game, nurturing athletes who contribute to a lasting, inclusive golf community.
| T = Training | Involves the development of technical, or physical, skills as well as tactical, or strategic, application of skills, for athletes to achieve optimal competitive performance; integrates technical development, course strategy, playing skills, statistical analysis, and mutually agreed upon purposeful practice plans that transfer to performance. |
| H = Health | A holistic approach to cultivating physical, psychological, and emotional well-being; creating and sustaining healthy habits and preparing athletes to perform at an elite level. Includes development of skills that enhance performance and sustain wellness such as strength, power, nutrition, psychological flexibility, resilience, confidence, and other actionable health and performance-related skills that enable athletes to flourish in golf and life. |
| R = Relationships | Involves an athlete’s self-awareness and ability to form and maintain quality relationships with key individuals (i.e., parents, coaches, teammates, competitors, officials, caddies, mentors, media representatives), based on solid communication skills, setting appropriate boundaries, and the ability to separate from external influences to achieve self-determination. |
| I = Individual development | By integrating golf’s American Development Model (ADM) and similar frameworks, the USNDP champions the uniqueness of each athlete’s journey. With support from USNDP grants and resources, this approach emphasizes individual ownership of personal and athletic development through goal setting and assessment. Balancing training, health, relationships, values, and equipment needs, a focus on individual development cultivates a fulfilling life both on and off the golf course. |
| V = Values | Beliefs and principles that guide who we are and what we stand for. Values impact our priorities, mindset, decisions, and actions. USNDP values, including competitiveness, sportsmanship, and gratefulness, apply to USNDP athletes and the coaches/leaders supporting them. How to act (daily observable behaviors) on the program’s values may differ (due to the environment) for athletes and coaches/leaders. |
| E = Equipment | All tools and resources in an athlete’s “bag” that accelerate development and best equip them for optimal performance. Equipment includes the tools needed to play the game and other resources and technology leading to long-term excellence and wellbeing, such as club and ball fitting, statistical app/portal, launch monitor, training aids, health trackers, etc. |
For more resources for USNDP athletes and parents, please click here.
