LESSON WORKBOOK DR. STEVE NORRIS AGES 12 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development
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Long Term Athlete Development
• Longtermathletedevelopment(LTAD)isaprocessthattakesmanyyears.Itisnon-linearandhighlyindividualized.
• LTADisalsoanongoingprocessthatfocusesoncontinualdevelopmentofskillsandcontinualunderstandingofthegame.Coachesinthisprocessareultimatelypreparingplayerstomoveuptothenextstageofdevelopment.
• Childrenarenotminiatureadults.A6-year-oldisnothalfofa12-year-oldor1/3ofan18-year-old.Theoverallaspectofgatheringexperienceovertimeisanimportantpartofthedevelopmentalsteps.
• Agreatchallengeforcoachesistounderstandhowdifficultthisprocessis.Athletesaredealingwithmassivechangessuchasbrainfunction,skilllevels,socialinteractioncapabilitiesandcommunicationstyles.Thecoachhastomanageallthisinstride,whilestressinghardworkinapositiveandencouragingenvironment.
Learn to Train Stage• Thisisacrucialperiodoftimeforphysicaldevelopment,skilldevelopmentandenhancementoffundamental
movementskills.Individualdevelopmentwithintheteamsettingremainsamajorfocus.• Complementarysportparticipationisimportantwhileoff-icetrainingplaysabiggerrole.Specializingorlimiting
tooneortwoactivitiesatthisyoungagemayactuallylimittheultimateoutcomeandpotentialoftheathlete.Inlatespecializationsports,mosthighperformersdonotspecializeuntiltheageof14or15.
• Overallathleticism(agility,balance,coordination,speed)willsupporthockey-specificskills.Bytheendofthisstage,physicalliteracyshouldbedevelopedallowingaseamlessmovetomoreadvancedformsoftraining.
• Theuseofage-appropriateequipmentandplayingsurfacesshouldcontinue.Playingonasmallersurfacewillleadtoimproveddecision-makingskills,increasedspeedofexecutionanddevelopmentofspatialawareness.
• Timeontaskisveryimportantforsport-specific(hockey)skills.Thinkabouthowmuchtimeyourplayersareactiveduringasession.Theyneedtobeworkingwiththepuckandmakingdecisionsontheice.Encouragecreativitywhileallowingyourplayerstoexperimentwiththepuck.
• Genderdifferencesbecomemorepronouncedduringthisstageofdevelopment.Thegendersplitisrelatedtogrowthandmaturity.Althoughrapidgrowthwilloccurinbothgenders,femalesaredevelopmentallyaheadofmales.
Age Group Coaching • Thecoachhasahugeinfluenceonathletedevelopment.• Encourageplayerstobecomebetterproblemsolvers.Playercreativitythroughunstructuredplaycanplaya
largerole.• Thinkoftheanalogyofaskateboardpark.Thereisoftennocoachandthemainfocusisfun.Thereisno
standardcurriculum.o Thereisheavypeerinfluenceandtheathleteslearnthroughmimicryandpeerdemonstrations.
• Athletedevelopmentisaboutraisingstandardsacrosstheboardforeveryoneinvolved.o Programcontentisconstantlybeingrevisedandenhanced.o Thereisahighstandardofathletecompetencyandrateofprogress.o Coachesareheldtoahighstandardindeliveringthepropermessages.o Parentsshouldbeeducatedaccordingly.o Weallmustraiseourgame!
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Long Term Athlete Development
A PLAN FOR LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT TheADMwasendorsedbytheUSAHockeyBoardofDirectorsatits2009WinterMeetingandhasalsobeenendorsedbytheNationalHockeyLeague.TheADMfurthersourgrowthanddevelopmenteffortsasitwillprovideourmemberassociations,forthefirsttimeever,anoptimaldevelopmentblueprintforyouthplayersthatwillleadtoabetterexperienceforourcurrentplayersandalsohelpattractnewplayerstooursport.
“It’s hard to put into words the excitement and buzz that has been and will continue to be generated by this new initiative. It will take time for local associations around the country to educate their constituents on the merits of adopting the American Development Model, but there’s no doubt that the principles of the program are right for kids.” —RonDeGregorio,USAHockeyPresident
AsAmericans,weareacompetitivepeopleandourcountryplacesatremendousimportanceonwinning.Insomecasesitistoourdetriment,buttherecanbenodoubtthatoursocietyrewardsandcherishesexcellence.Inicehockey,wehavegrownfromourseatatthekids’tabletoonewiththegrown-ups.Asahockeynationwearenowcompetitiveateveryeventthatweenter.YetforAmericans,secondbesthasneverbeengoodenough.Ourenrollmentnumbersarethesecondmostamongallhockey-playingnationsandyetwehavenotgrownintoourfullpotential.
ThedevelopmentalsystemintheU.S.hasevolvedovertime.Ourcurrentstructureisnotonethatwasplanned;itisonethatevolvedintoamulti-facetedorganizationwithmanydifferentavenues.Whilediversityisoneofourgreatattributesasanation,aclearpathwaytoexcellencehasneverbeendefinedbyUSAHockey.Overadecadeago,toaddresssomeoftheissueswithinoursystem,USAHockeytookaboldstepwiththecreationoftheNationalTeamDevelopmentProgram(NTDP).TheNTDPhasraisedthebaroneliteplayerdevelopmentwithintheUnitedStates.Tenyearsagoonerarelyheardtheword“development”withinthehockeycommunity,butnowitisthebuzzword.TheNTDPhasplayedanimportantroleaswehavegrownintoachallengerateachevent.However,asAmericanswearenotcontentwithsecondplaceanditisnowtimetomovefromchallengertochampion.
Changeistheonlypaththatwillmoveustowardsourgoal.Astheoldsayinggoes,“Ifyoualwaysdowhatyouhavealwaysdone,thenyouwillalwaysgetwhatyouhavealwaysgot.”
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Long Term Athlete Development
Rationale Behind the American Development Model USAHockeystartedwithareviewofresearchthathastakenplaceinchildandathleticdevelopmentaroundtheglobe.Eliteperformancestudiesfrommultiplesportbodies,governmentsaswellasotherendeavorssuchasmusicandtheartswereevaluated.Throughthereviewofcurrentresearch,itwasquicklyconcludedthattotrulyaddressplayerdevelopment,acompletelynewwayoflookingatUSAHockey’sstructuremustbeundertaken.Criticaldevelopmentbeginsataveryearlyage.Aschildrenmature,theyeachprogressduringthesamedevelopmentalstagesthroughthegrowthandmaturationprocess.Alongthispath,certainaspectsofthesestagesmustbeaddressedattheappropriatetimeintervals.Withoutdevelopingskillsandcertainphysicalandmentalattributesatthepropertime,thelong-termprospectsofbecomingatrulyeliteathletearediminished.
Researchhasshownthatwecannotjustfocusonafewolderplayers;anencompassingstrategymustbefollowed.Asweevaluatedthecurrentresearch,variationsofIstvanBalyi’slong-termathletedevelopment(LTAD)principlesarebeingemployedaroundtheglobebymorethan100governmenthealthministriesandsportNationalGoverningBodies.Withinhockey,thereisnodoubtthatcountrieslikeSweden,FinlandandtheCzechRepublicproducehigh-endNHLplayers.Theirnumbersareespeciallyimpressivewhenoneconsidersthepopulationsandplayernumbersfromthosecounties.Ineachofthosecountries,long-termathletedevelopmentprinciplesareatthecoreoftheirdevelopmentmodel.
Long-termathletedevelopmentisageneric,conceptualframeworkforathletedevelopmentinsportthatcanbeusedasabasisonwhichto‘re-align,’ormakemoreconsistent,existingsystemsandstructures.IthasbeendevelopedbyIstvanBalyi,aninternationallyrecognizedcoacheducator,andisbaseduponaconsensusofevidencedresearchabouthowyoungpeopledevelopsportingability,linkingmorecloselythecoachinganddevelopmentofplayerstotheirphysicalandpsychologicalgrowth.
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Long Term Athlete Development
TheADMisalong-termathletedevelopmentplanforthesportoficehockey.IttakesintoconsiderationtheguidingLTADprinciplesthatarewidelyacceptedaroundtheglobe.ConsistentwithLTAD,theADM:
1. Integratestraining,competitionandrecoveryprogrammingwithrelationtobiologicaldevelopmentandmaturation
2. Offersequalopportunityforrecreationandcompetition3. Isparticipant/athletecentered;coachdriven;andparents,officials,administration,sportmedicine
&sportsciencesupported
ItshouldberecognizedthatmuchofLTADisnothingnew.Themajorityoftheresearchonwhichitisbasediswidelyaccepted,andhasbeenusedtounderpinphysicaleducationteachingformanyyears.ThedifferencethatLTADbringsisa‘packaging’ofthistheoryformassunderstandingandamechanismforapplyingthetheorytobetterintegratewholesportsdevelopmentsystems(i.e.coaching,training,playing,competition,etc).ItisalsoimportantthatourUSAHockeymembershipunderstandthatitisnotjustourhockeypeoplethatendorseaLTADplan,butthatsportsscienceanddevelopmentexpertsfromaroundtheglobeendorsethismodelandareadoptingthismethodologyfortheirownsports.
Allyoungpeoplefollowthesamepatternofgrowthanddevelopment,althoughtherearesignificantdifferencesbetweenindividualsinthetimingandmagnitudeofthesechanges.Inrelationtophysicalactivity,therearesevenkeyphasesofgrowthanddevelopment.Therelevant‘stage’oftheLTADhockeymodelforeachphaseofgrowthanddevelopmentisdescribedbelow.
EarlyChildhood ActiveStart Males&Females0-6yearsLateChildhood FUNdamentals Males6-9&Females6-8Adolescence LearntoTrain Males9-12&Females8-11(EarlyPuberty)Adolescence TraintoTrain Males12-16&Females11-15(LatePuberty)EarlyAdulthood LearntoCompete Males16-18&Females15-18EarlyAdulthood TraintoCompete Males19-23&Females18-21Adulthood TraintoWin Males19+&Females18+
LTAD Foundation of Research, Principles and Tools Long-termathletedevelopmenthasatitsfoundation10differentelementsofsportscienceandchilddevelopmentresearch.Whenconsideringthestructureofanyathletedevelopmentprogram,theseelementsmustalsobeconsidered.
10 Year – 10,000 Hour Rule Ittakesyearsoforganizedpracticetobecomeanexpertperformer.Researchshowsthisistrueofdevelopinganyskill,suchaslearningtoplayaninstrumentorplayingsport.Thisissometimesreferredtoasthe‘10year–10,000-hourrule’relatingtotheneedtopracticeforthreehoursadayfor10years.Manyresearchersbelievethisisjustaminimum.Thebottomlineisthatittakesanenormousamountofworkandtimetobecomeaneliteathlete.Thisisdonethroughadiversesportsmovementandsportsskillsbackground.Oncethisfoundationislaid,ittakesyearsofdeliberatepracticetodevelopaneliteperformeratthehighestlevel.
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Long Term Athlete Development
AsignificantnumberofplayersthatplayintheNHLwereneverdrafted.Thismeansthat,at18and19yearsofage,nobodywasevenwillingtotakealate-roundchanceontheirpotentialtomakeit.Hockeyisnotanearlyspecializationsportandourprogramsmustincludealong-termdevelopmentalpathwaythatprovidesopportunitiesforoureliteplayersintotheirearly20s.ThisiswhyUSAHockeyendorsesthecollegehockeypath,asitprovidesthewidestrangeofdevelopmentalopportunityovertime.Manyplayersdon’treachtheirpotentialuntiltheirearlytomid-20s.
FUNdamentals Allsportsbeginwithbasicfundamentalmovementandcoresportsskills.TheABCsofmovementincludeagility,balance,coordinationandspeed,whilecoresportsskillsincluderunning,jumping,skatingandthrowing.Ithasbeenshownthatchildrenwhohaveastrong,broad-basedfoundationinthefundamentalmovementsandsportsskillsfromavarietyofsportsincreasetheirpotentialforfuturesuccessinsports.Whetherthisisconfidencetoleadahealthyandactivelifeinsportortobecomeaneliteathlete,thisstrongfoundationinthefundamentalswillhelpchildrenreachtheirfullpotential.Withoutthisfoundation,childrenmayneverreachtheirgeneticcapacity.
Specialization Sportsareclassifiedaseitherearlyorlatespecializationsports.Anexampleofanearlyspecializationsportiswomen’sgymnasticsinwhich,duetogrowth,girlsarepotentiallyretiringfromtheirsportat14,15or16yearsofage.Aswithothercontact/collisionsports,icehockeyisclassifiedasalatespecializationsport.Hockeyplayersdon’treachtheirfullpotentialuntilafterfullgrowthmaturity.Specializationatanearlyagelimitschildrenfromacquiringabroadspectrumofathleticmovementsandskillsthatmaylimitorputacapontheiroverallathleticpotential.Whenplayersspecializetooearlytheycancreateimbalancesinmusculature,increasethepotentialforburnoutandlimittheirathleticpotentialbynotdevelopingabroadbaseofathleticmovementskills.
“Young athletes who participate in a variety of sports have fewer injuries and play sports longer than those who specialize before puberty. Well-rounded, multi-sport athletes have the highest potential to achieve.” —JournalofAmericanAcademyofPediatrics
AAP Guidelines: • Encourageathletestostrivetohaveatleastonetotwodaysoffperweek
fromcompetitiveathletics,sportsspecifictrainingandcompetitivepractice(scrimmage)toallowthemtorecoverbothphysicallyandpsychologically.
• Encouragetheathletetotakeatleasttwotothreemonthsawayfromaspecificsportduringtheyear.
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Long Term Athlete Development
Windows of Optimal Trainability Thereareidentifiablestagesduringachild’sphysicalandpsychologicaldevelopmentthatofferoptimumopportunitiestodevelopparticularattributes,suchasbasicmovementskills(agility,balance,coordinationandspeed),basicsportsskills(running,jumping,throwing,skatingandstriking)andphysicalcapacities(flexibility,endurance,andstrength).Missingtheseoptimumopportunitieshasbeenshowntosignificantlyaffectachild’sabilitytoreachhisorherfullpotential.
Inourcurrentsystem,traininginearlyyearsfocusesonoutcomes(winning)ratherthanthedevelopmentalprocess(optimaltraining).AsBalyistates,“Damagedonebetweenages6-10and10-16cannotbefullycorrected(players/athleteswillneverreachtheirgeneticpotential)andnationaltrainingorsportcentersreceivingmediocreathletes,regardlessoffundingandexpertise,cannotrecoverfromthe‘damages’ofearliertraining.”
Eliteplayerdevelopmentandasoundstructureatthe12&Underlevelforbroad-basedskilldevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusive.WhatdowecurrentlyproduceintheU.S.?Wehaveanoverabundanceofaverageplayersandveryfewtrulyeliteplayersatthehighestlevels(NHL),especiallywhenournumbersaretakenintoconsideration.Thisisduetoalackoftheproperfocusontrainingthroughtheappropriate‘windowsofoptimaltrainability.’
Diagram8-1illustrateswindowsofoptimaltrainabilityformaleandfemaleathletes.Thesecriticalwindowsprovideacceleratedadaptationtotrainingand,ifskippedormissed,decreaseachild’schancetoreachhisorherfullpotential.Itmustbekeptinmindthatallsystemsarealwaystrainable,yetwithsmallerdegreesofadaptationtotrainingovertime.Inourcurrentsystem,thewindowofopportunityonskillsdevelopment(9-12)formaleplayersismissedthroughover-competitionandunder-training.
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Long Term Athlete Development
Thesecriticalperiodsvarybetweenindividualsaseachchildisuniqueinhisorhergeneticmakeup.Whilethesecriticalperiodsfollowgeneralstagesofhumangrowthandmaturation,scientificevidenceshowsthathumansvaryconsiderablyinthemagnitudeandrateofresponsetodifferenttrainingstimuliatallstages.Someplayersmayshowpotentialforexcellenceatage11,whileothersmaynotindicatetheirpromiseuntilage15or16.Consequently,along-termapproachtoplayerdevelopmentisneededtoensurethatplayerswhorespondslowlytotrainingstimuliarenot‘shortchanged’intheirdevelopment.
Thefivetrainablephysicalcapacitiesandwindowsofoptimaltrainabilityare:• Stamina (Endurance):Theoptimalwindowoftrainabilityoccursattheonsetofpeakheightvelocity(PHV).
Thisismorecommonlyknownastheadolescentgrowthspurt.AerobiccapacitytrainingisrecommendedbeforeathletesreachPHV.Aerobicpowershouldbeintroducedprogressivelyaftergrowthratedecelerates.
• Strength:TheoptimalwindowoftrainabilityforgirlsisimmediatelyafterPHVorattheonsetofthemenarche,whileforboysitis12-to-18monthsafterPHV.
• Speed:Forboys,thefirstspeedtrainingwindowoccursbetweentheagesof7and9yearsandthesecondwindowoccursbetweentheagesof13and16.Forgirls,thefirstspeedtrainingwindowoccursbetweentheagesof6and8yearsandthesecondwindowoccursbetweentheagesof11and13years.
• Skill:Thewindowforoptimalskilltrainingforboystakesplacebetweentheagesof9and12andbetweentheagesof8and11forgirls.
• Suppleness (Flexibility):Theoptimalwindowoftrainabilityforsupplenessforbothgendersoccursbetweentheagesof6and10.SpecialattentionshouldbepaidtoflexibilityduringPHV,duetorapidgrowth.
Additionalcapacitieshavebeenidentifiedthatmustalsobeconsideredthroughoutanathlete’sdevelopmentand,inadditiontothefivephysicalcapacities,makeupaholisticapproachtotraining.• Structure/Stature:Theheightofapersonbefore,duringandaftermaturationcanbeutilizedbyacoachor
parent.Trackinggrowthasaguidelinefordevelopmentalagecanallowforplanningtotakeadvantageofthecritical‘windowsofoptimaltrainability.’
• Psychology:Sportisaphysicalandmentalchallenge.Theabilitytomaintainhighlevelsofconcentration,yetremainrelaxedwiththeconfidencetosucceed,isaskillessentialtolong-termperformanceinsport.Thisskillalsohasthepotentialtotranscendsportandaffectoureverydaylives.Todevelopthementaltoughnessforsuccessatthehighestlevels,trainingprogramsarerequiredthataddressthespecificgenderandLTADstageofplayers.Thetrainingprogramsshouldincludekeymentalcomponentsidentifiedbysportpsychologists:concentration,confidence,motivationandhandlingpressure.AsaplayerprogressesthroughLTADstages,thementaltrainingaspectwillevolvefromhavingfunandrespectingopponents;tovisualizationandself-awareness;togoalsetting,relaxation,andpositiveself-talk.Tomasterthementalchallengeofsport,thesebasicskillsarethentestedinincreasinglydifficultcompetitiveenvironments.Ultimately,theplanning,implementationandrefiningofmentalstrategiesforhigh-levelcompetitionwillhavealargeimpactoneliteperformance.Consequently,thementaltrainingprogramiscriticalatallstagesofLTAD,asdealingwithsuccessandfailurewilldeterminecontinuationinthegameandphysicalactivityingeneral.
• Sustenance:Thiscategoryreferstoallaspectsofreplenishingthebodyforsportsandgeneralhealth.Itcoversawiderangeoftopicsfromnutritionandhydrationtorestandrecovery.Fatigue,whetheritcomesfromasinglepractice/competitionorbuildsupovertimethroughalengthyschedule,canbecombatedthroughaproperlifestyle.Whetherourchildrenbecomeeliteathletes,orwelookforbetterperformanceinschoolorjusttoleadahealthierlife,wewillallthrivewithbettereducationandfollowingaplanthatreplenishesourphysicalandmentalneeds.
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Long Term Athlete Development
• School:Sportsschedulesmustconsiderthedemandsplaceduponchildrenfromanacademicperspective.Educationmustbeemphasized,andthedemandsofsportshouldcomplementtheacademicschedule,notconflictwithit.Thestressofclasswork,examinations,boyfriendandgirlfriendissues,andschoolpeergroupsplayaroleinthefatigueandstresslevelsonourathletes.Coachesandparentsmustmonitorthesefactorstobalancethesportsscheduletoallowformaximumdevelopmentbothontheiceandintheclassroom.
Biological Age vs. Chronological Age Biologicalageshouldbeconsideredthroughourdevelopmentandidentificationprocess.Asanexample,oneonlyneedlookatthenumberofearlymonthbirthdatesthatmakeupourUnder-17andUnder-18NationalTeams.Ourcurrentsystemforcesplayersintoacompete-to-win,‘peakbytheweekend’systemthatrewardsearlymaturingplayerswhomaynothavetheabilitytobeeliteperformers.Latedevelopingplayersareexcludedandcut,consequentlyleavingthesportorbeingsegregatedtoarecreationprogramthatlimitstheirtrainingopportunities.Theselatedevelopersmayhavehugelong-termpotentialbutareeliminatedfromoursystem.
Currently,mostathletictrainingandcompetitionprogramsarebasedonchronologicalage.However,athletesofthesameagebetweenages10and16canbefour-to-fiveyearsapartdevelopmentally.Thus,chronologicalageisapoorguidetosegregateadolescentsforcompetitions.Becausehockeyisacontactsport,earlymaturingplayersarefavoredwithinouryouthstructure.Thelatedeveloperiseliminatedwhenheorshemaypossessbetterlong-termathleticability.
LookingatDiagram8-2,itisobviousthatintheCanadiandevelopmentalsystemandours,potentiallatemonthbirthdateplayershavebeenexcludedfromthehigh-performancetrack.Itishighlyunlikelythattherearefewerplayerswithlong-termathleticpotentialborninthelastquarteroftheyearthaninthefirstquarter.
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Long Term Athlete Development
“TrainingAge”referstotheageatwhichathletesbeginplanned,regular,seriousinvolvementintraining.Thetempoofachild’sgrowthhassignificantimplicationsforathletictrainingbecausechildrenwhomatureatanearlyagehaveamajoradvantageduringtheTrainingtoTrainstagecomparedtoaverageorlatematurers.However,afterallathleteshavegonethroughtheirgrowthspurt,itisoftenlatermaturerswhohavegreaterpotentialtobecometopathletesprovidedthattheyexperiencequalitycoachingthroughoutthatperiod(seeDiagram8-3).
Notallplayershavethepotentialtobecomeeliteplayers.TheAmericanDevelopmentModelrecognizesthisbyofferingtwolevelsofcontentfromtheTraintoTrainstageforward.Thehighperformancecontentisaimedatthoseplayerswhohavebeenidentifiedandwhochoosetoattempttobepotentialeliteperformers,whilethestandardcontentoffersareducedlevelofcommitmentmoreappropriatetothemajorityofplayerswhowillformthebasisofclubteamsofthefuture.ThesplitbetweenthelevelsofcontentattheearlypartoftheTraintoTrainstagearerelativelysmallasitisdeemedtobesuchanimportantstageindevelopingabroaderbaseofpotentialeliteplayers.However,thedifferentiationbetweenhockeyandothersportsmaynecessitatethedivergenceatthisstage.ItisimportanttonotethatresearchsuggeststhattherecanbenumerousplayerswhofollowthestandardtrackthroughtheTraintoTrainandintotheTraintoCompetestageswhowillhavethepotentialtobecomeeliteperformers.ThisisespeciallytrueiftheyhaveadiversesportsmovementbackgroundthroughplayingmultiplesportsduringtheFUNdamemtalandLearntoTrainstages.
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Long Term Athlete Development
Periodization Periodizationisthepracticeofsegmentingthecalendaryearintoappropriatetimeintervalsforpreparation,competitionandrestandrecovery.Athletesatdifferentstagesoftheirdevelopmentrequiredifferenttrainingplanstooptimizetheirdevelopmentthroughtheirgrowthandmaturation.Thesciencebehindperiodizationhasbeenusedontheinternationalstagewithgreatsuccessinmany,manysports.Unfortunately,sometimesasport’straditionsareplacedinfrontoftheathlete’sneedswhenplanningaperiodizationschedule.Thishasanimpactonmaximizingtheplayer’sdevelopment.
The Great One’s Message to Parents: Let Your Kids Have Fun “In youth hockey, in most cases, it’s really important for kids to play other sports, whether it’s indoor lacrosse or soccer or baseball. I think what that does is two things. One, each sport helps the other sport. And then I think taking time off in the off-season - that three or four month window really rejuvenates kids so when they come back at the end of August, they’re more excited. They think, ‘All right, hockey’s back, I’m ready to go.’” —WayneGretzky.
Gretzkywasamulti-sportathletehimselfgrowingup,ashealsoexcelledinbaseballandlacrosse,quotedfrom“GreatOne’sMessagetoParents:LetYourKidsHaveFun”(GlobeandMail,9/26/2008–EricDuhatschek).
Training to Competition Ratios Throughachild’sgrowthandmaturation,theathleticdevelopmentmodelneedschangethroughdifferentstages.Theappropriatetraining-to-competitionratiosneedtobeadheredtoinordertomaximizeaplayer’stimeandpotential.Whenaheavyemphasisisplacedoncompetitionatanearlyage,twosituationsoccur.First,icetimeisdirectedtowardgames,whichreducestheamountofqualitydeliberatepracticetime.Andsecond,thefocusbecomesmoreoutcomebased(winning)andlessprocessdriven(learningthegame).Thereareallkindsofargumentsputforthastowhywemustallowtheimbalanceinourtraining-to-competitionratiostocontinue,andcertainlytheone-to-oneratiohasitsplacewithintherecreationalHockeyforLifetrack.However,forourTierI,TierIIandhighperformanceplayersthatarepartofourelitedevelopmentpath,thecorrectratiosmustbeadheredtoattheappropriateages.
System Alignment Theframeworkforlong-termathletedevelopmentisinfluencedbymanyfactors.Wehaveclubs,schoolsandicearenafacilitiesallwithvaryinginterests.Tomaximizeaplayer’sdevelopmentneeds,itisimportantthoseentitiesworktogetherandbecomemutuallysupportiveaseachhasitsparttoplayinadvancingourgame.Playerswillbestdevelopinasystemthatisclearlydefined,logicallystructuredandbaseduponconsistentprinciples.Weneedastructurethatisathletecenteredandlooksattheindividualplayer’sdevelopment.
Inateamsport,itisappropriatetolookatthecollectivewholeandtoprovidethedirectionandlessonsthatonlyateamsportcanprovide.However,wemustalwaysconsiderthateachindividualisatadifferentpointthroughthestagesofhisorherdevelopment(earlymaturerorlatematurer,forexample).Thegoalistodefineoursportssystemwithapathwaythataddressestheneedsofeachindividualandmaximizestheirdevelopmentastheyprogressthroughoursystem.TheLTADprinciplesshowusthatattheearlierages,boththeHockeyforLifegroupandtheonesthatendupashigh-performanceplayer,shouldinitiallybeheldtothesamepathway.OurcurrentsportsystemmistakenlyallowsfortheseparationoftheperceivedHockeyforLifegroupandtheperceivedhigh-performancegroupbeforeanyreliabledeterminationcanpossiblybemade.Tomaximizeeachplayer’spotential,weneedthemajorpartiestore-evaluatecurrentpracticesandbasenewpracticesoncurrentlegitimateresearchinsteadof
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Long Term Athlete Development
commonlyheldbeliefsinsportsmythsandtheold“that’sthewayithasalwaysbeendone”attitude.Physical,Mental,CognitiveandEmotionalDevelopment
Trainingshouldconsiderthemental,cognitiveandemotionaldevelopmentoftheathlete,inadditiontothephysical,technicalandtactical(includingdecisionmakingskills)componentsofdevelopment.
AmajorobjectiveofLTADisaholisticapproach.Thisincludesethics,fairplayandcharacterbuildingthroughthevariousstages.Programmingshouldbedesignedtoconsidertheathlete’scognitiveabilitytoaddresstheseconcepts.
Continuous Improvement Continuousimprovementisakeyunderlyingprincipleoflong-termathletedevelopment.Thisensuresthatwearealwaysevaluatingoursportandarereadilyabletorespondandimplementnewsportsscienceinnovationsandobservations.LTADprovidesacontinuouslyevolvingvehicleforchangeforallemergingfacetsofphysicaleducation,sportandrecreationtoensuresystematicandlogicaldeliveryofprogramstoallages.Long-TermGoalsforUSAHockeyandtheADM
USAHockeyhasacoregoaltogrowthegameoficehockeywithintheUnitedStates.WebelievethattheADMwillprovideapathwaytoexcellenceforthosewhohavetheability,aswellasagreateroverallhockeyexperienceforallofourplayers.TheLTADprinciplesonwhichourmodelisfoundedaddressthecoreneedsofallofourplayers.AlongwiththeNationalHockeyLeague,USAHockeyhasthemutualgoalofseeingmoreAmericanplayerscompeteatthehighestlevelofthegame.
LTAD Stages for the American Development ModelSeetheindividualLTADstagesofdevelopmentforspecificstotheAmericanDevelopmentModel.• ActiveStart• FUNdamentals• LearntoTrain• TraintoTrain• LearntoCompete• TraintoCompete• TraintoWin• HockeyforLife
SpecialacknowledgementgoestoLTADexpert,IstvanBalyiandCanadianSportForLife.ThetwohavebeentheprincipaldevelopersofLTAD.
LTADExpertGroup:1. IstvanBalyi,M.A.,PacificSportCanadianSportCentreVancouver2. CharlesCardinal,M.ScenActivitéPhysique,CanadianSportCentre,Montreal3. ColinHiggs,Ph.D.,MemorialUniversityofNewfoundland4. SteveNorris,Ph.D.,CanadianSportCentre,Calgary5. RichardWay,MBA,PacificSportCanadianSportCentreVictoria6. MaryBluechardt,Ph.D.,MemorialUniversityofNewfoundland
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NOTEPAD: