Talent ID Returns – Your Chance to Earn Academy Status!

(February 11, 2022) - On March 25-27, 2022, U.S. sparring athletes will have the unmissable opportunity to train with the National Academy in Colorado Springs and be assessed by National Team Coaches Paul Green and Gareth Brown, with the best of the best being handed Academy Scholarship Athlete status on the spot – providing them unlimited training opportunities with the incredible Academy athletes and the possibility of funded participation in international events, traveling with the Academy athletes and coaches! 

USATKD High Performance staff will work with the chosen athletes, their personal coaches, and their families to ensure they have a personal development plan that will maximize their potential for future success.

The top female athlete and the top male athlete will be named Best of Camp and given this much sought-after status at the end of the camp.

Athletes will be put through a rigorous testing program over the weekend, including Taekwondo technical training with Olympic Coaches Green and Brown, Strength & Conditioning training and Education with Olympian Stephen Lambdin and metrics testing to benchmark raw physical ability.

The categories each athlete will be assessed on include abilities in the clinch, leg control, cover, pattern changes, proactivity, mental toughness, knowledge of modern techniques and each athlete’s own individual x-factor (a strength unique to them which makes them stand out). 

It is recommended but not required for athletes to consider taking related courses at https://usatkdu.thinkific.com in order to be as prepared as possible to show what they can do.

Athletes will be separated into groups defined by age and will train and compete in those groups throughout the weekend. Check-in for the camp will be between 5 and 8pm on Friday evening, during which session athletes will register, be weighed, and have their height measured, and complete mental toughness testing. Training will run throughout Saturday and Sunday with the camp ending mid-afternoon to allow those who need to travel home Sunday night the opportunity to do so.

The Talent ID Camp is open to all U.S. Black Belt athletes, cadet and older (born 2010 or earlier). We will be running Talent ID for younger athletes at a regional level later in the year.

• Be seen and evaluated by World Class coaches leading to a potential spot in the USA Taekwondo Academy for Best of Camp athletes
• Learn current drills to add to your training arsenal
• Complement the courses learned at the USATKD University
• Being selected to phase 2 will earn elite camp and seminar opportunities

USATKD Technical Director Paul Green said: “Before Covid we were really gaining momentum with the Talent ID program and broader Academy structure, and it was hugely frustrating that we had to pause, but we’re back now and I can’t wait to see who’s out there. It was really encouraging to see the vast amount of talent out there last time, and with almost two years having passed due to covid I have no doubt there are many new gems to discover this go around. I can’t wait to get going.”

Strict Covid protocols will be in place for the health and wellbeing of all in attendance and will be detailed to all participants closer to the event. Currently, participants will need to provide evidence of either vaccination status, or a negative covid test within 72 hours of the beginning of the camp, but this may change so make sure you check nearer to arrival.

Registration is open NOW through Sport:80 – click here to secure your spot! Please note places are strictly limited so sign up as soon as you can.

The host hotel is Alta, and you can find details of how to reserve your room(s) when you register.

For those athletes who miss out this time, there will be further opportunities later in the year. We intend to greatly expand the Academy over the next couple of years, with opportunities for both full and part time residency as we accelerate our mission to Dominate in ‘28! 

USATKD is here to help athletes of all ability levels, and to ensure we identify and support in every way possible those who can bring home the gold for Team USA.