By Paul Carson, Director, Development /
Sport Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is primarily based on the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive development of children and adolescents. It is the belief of Sport Canada that the health and well-being of a nation and the medals won at major Games are simply by-products of an effective sports system.
“A Long Term Athlete (Player) Development model is essential for the development of our game,” says Dean McIntosh, manager of coaching for Hockey Canada. “It ensures that we are doing the right things at the right time with young players and that we build the base of skills so players will remain in the game for life.
The ultimate success of a Long Term Player Development model will hinge on Hockey Canada membership being educated on what developing a player really means.”
The LTAD model provides a seven-stage framework for Long Term Athlete Development that is a training, competition, and recovery program based on developmental age – the maturation level of an individual – rather than on chronological age.
The model is athlete-centered, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported. Athletes who progress through the LTAD model experience training and competition in programs that consider their biological and training ages in creating appropriate plans specific to their development needs.
The first of the seven stages in the model is called “Active Start” where girls and boys from birth until the age of six focus their energy and time on fun daily activities. This includes basic movements and skills such as running, jumping, kicking, catching and throwing. In this stage of the model, children should also be interacting with other young children and building on their interpersonal skills which can be carried to adulthood.
The second stage of the model is called the “FUNdamentals” stage where males ages 6 to 9 and females ages 6 to 8 focus on fun and participation with a concentration on more extensive developmental skills such as agility, balance, coordination and speed as well as running, jumping, wheeling and throwing. It is also at this stage that ethics may be introduced to the sport or activity. Natural abilities may also begin to surface during this stage of participation.
The next step is the “Learning to Train” stage where males ages nine to 12 and females eight to 11 begin to develop their sport skills and competencies often referred to as athleticism. This stage is important for establishing development in a variety of sports before moving onto a specialization. This stage also integrates mental, cognitive, and emotional development of the athlete.
The “Training to Train” stage usually includes males ages 12 to 16 and females ages 11 to 15.
The focus of this stage is on physical development or “building the engine” and on strengthening sport-specific skills. Serious athletes start to train six to nine times a week if they wish to be prepared for the next stage of the model that focuses on highly competitive athletics.
“Training to Compete” is the fifth stage and includes males ages 16 to 23 and females ages 15 to 21 who are now engaged in more physical and technical conditioning along with a more advanced mental capacity and sense of concentration. Tactical, technical and fitness training for these athletes will increase to nine to 12 times a week.
When athletes finally arrive at the “Training to Win” stage, the focus is on performance development -– “Maximizing the Engine.” Physical, technical, tactical (including decision making skills), mental, and personal and lifestyle capacities are fully established. Athletes are now competing at higher levels and often performing on the international stage. These athletes are now training nine to 15 times per week in order to achieve their specific goals as athletes.
The final stage in the LTAD model is “Active for Life.” Sport serves as an important activity that promotes good mental, emotional and physical health. Adults may choose a routine that consists of 30 to 60 minutes of high to low impact fitness activities in their daily routine adulthood in order to sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. At this point in the model, adult athletes are considered physically literate and participants in healthy competitive and recreational activities.
For more information on Sport Canada’s – Long Term Athlete Development initiatives, visit www.ltad.ca. Sport Canada and the LTAD Resource Group have developed a number of excellent sport generic resources to guide Canadian sport organizations in the development of sport-specific LTAD models. Hockey Canada is in the final stages of developing the model for grassroots to elite level hockey in Canada. |