AGES 10 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development · • Encourage players to become better problem...
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LESSON WORKBOOK DR. STEVE NORRIS AGES 10 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development
Transcript of AGES 10 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development · • Encourage players to become better problem...
LESSON WORKBOOK
Dr. Steve NorriS
AGES 10 AND UNDER
Long Term Athlete Development
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Long Term Athlete Development
• Longtermathletedevelopment(LTAD)isaprocessthattakesmanyyears.Itisnon-linearandhighlyindividualized.
• LTADisalsoanongoingprocessthatfocusesoncontinualdevelopmentofskillsandcontinualunderstandingofthegame.Coachesinthisprocessareultimatelypreparingplayerstomoveuptothenextstageofdevelopment.
• Agreatchallengeforcoachesistounderstandhowdifficultthisprocessis.Athletesaredealingwithmassivechangessuchasbrainfunction,skilllevels,socialinteractioncapabilitiesandcommunicationstyles.Thecoachhastomanageallthisinstride,whilestressinghardworkinapositiveandencouragingenvironment.
Learn to train Stage• Thisisacrucialperiodoftimeforphysicaldevelopment,skilldevelopmentandenhancementoffundamental
movementskills.• Complementarysportparticipationisimportantwhileoff-icetrainingplaysabiggerrole.Specializingorlimiting
tooneortwoactivitiesatthisyoungagemayactuallylimittheultimateoutcomeandpotentialoftheathlete.Inlatespecializationsports,mosthighperformersdonotspecializeuntiltheageof14or15.
• Overallathleticism(agility,balance,coordination,speed)willsupporthockey-specificskills.• Theuseofage-appropriateequipmentandplayingsurfacesshouldcontinue.Playingonasmallersurfacewill
leadtoimproveddecision-makingskills,increasedspeedofexecutionanddevelopmentofspatialawareness.• Timeontaskisveryimportantforsport-specific(hockey)skills.Thinkabouthowmuchtimeyourplayersare
activeduringasession.Theyneedtobeworkingwiththepuckandmakingdecisionsontheice.• Genderdifferencesbecomemorepronouncedduringthisstageofdevelopment.
Age Group Coaching • Thecoachhasahugeinfluenceonathletedevelopment.• Encourageplayerstobecomebetterproblemsolvers.Playercreativitythroughunstructuredplaycanplaya
largerole.o Thinkoftheanalogyofaskateboardpark.Thereisoftennocoachandthemainfocusisfun.
Thereisnostandardcurriculum.o Thereisheavypeerinfluenceandtheathleteslearnthroughmimicryandpeerdemonstrations.
• Athletedevelopmentisaboutraisingstandardsacrosstheboardforeveryoneinvolved.o Programcontentisconstantlybeingrevisedandenhanced.o Thereisahighstandardofathletecompetencyandrateofprogress.o Coachesareheldtoahighstandardindeliveringthepropermessages.o Parentsshouldbeeducatedaccordingly.o Weallmustraiseourgame!
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A PLAN For LoNG-terM AtHLete DeveLoPMeNt TheADMwasendorsedbytheUSAHockeyBoardofDirectorsatits2009WinterMeetingandhasalsobeenendorsedbytheNationalHockeyLeague.TheADMfurthersourgrowthanddevelopmenteffortsasitwillprovideourmemberassociations,forthefirsttimeever,anoptimaldevelopmentblueprintforyouthplayersthatwillleadtoabetterexperienceforourcurrentplayersandalsohelpattractnewplayerstooursport.
“It’shardtoputintowordstheexcitementandbuzzthathasbeenandwillcontinuetobegeneratedbythisnewinitiative.ItwilltaketimeforlocalassociationsaroundthecountrytoeducatetheirconstituentsonthemeritsofadoptingtheAmericanDevelopmentModel,butthere’snodoubtthattheprinciplesoftheprogramarerightforkids.” —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.”
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.Theirnumbersareespeciallyimpressivewhenoneconsidersthepopulationsandplayernumbers
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fromthosecounties.Ineachofthosecountries,long-termathletedevelopmentprinciplesareatthecoreoftheirdevelopmentmodel.
Long-termathletedevelopmentisageneric,conceptualframeworkforathletedevelopmentinsportthatcanbeusedasabasisonwhichto‘re-align,’ormakemoreconsistent,existingsystemsandstructures.IthasbeendevelopedbyIstvanBalyi,aninternationallyrecognizedcoacheducator,andisbaseduponaconsensusofevidencedresearchabouthowyoungpeopledevelopsportingability,linkingmorecloselythecoachinganddevelopmentofplayerstotheirphysicalandpsychologicalgrowth.
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).Itisalso
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importantthatourUSAHockeymembershipunderstandthatitisnotjustourhockeypeoplethatendorseaLTADplan,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.
AsignificantnumberofplayersthatplayintheNHLwereneverdrafted.Thismeansthat,at18and19yearsofage,nobodywasevenwillingtotakealate-roundchanceontheirpotentialtomakeit.Hockeyisnotanearlyspecializationsportandourprogramsmustincludealong-termdevelopmentalpathwaythatprovidesopportunitiesforoureliteplayersintotheirearly20s.ThisiswhyUSAHockeyendorsesthecollegehockeypath,asitprovidesthewidestrangeofdevelopmentalopportunityovertime.Manyplayersdon’treachtheirpotentialuntiltheirearlytomid-20s.
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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.
“Youngathleteswhoparticipateinavarietyofsportshavefewerinjuriesandplaysportslongerthanthosewhospecializebeforepuberty.Well-rounded,multi-sportathleteshavethehighestpotentialtoachieve.” —JournalofAmericanAcademyofPediatrics
AAP Guidelines: • Encourageathletestostrivetohaveatleastonetotwodaysoffper
weekfromcompetitiveathletics,sportsspecifictrainingandcompetitivepractice(scrimmage)toallowthemtorecoverbothphysicallyandpsychologically.
• Encouragetheathletetotakeatleasttwotothreemonthsawayfromaspecificsportduringtheyear.
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.”
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Eliteplayerdevelopmentandasoundstructureatthe10&Underlevelforbroad-basedskilldevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusive.WhatdowecurrentlyproduceintheU.S.?Wehaveanoverabundanceofaverageplayersandveryfewtrulyeliteplayersatthehighestlevels(NHL),especiallywhenournumbersaretakenintoconsideration.Thisisduetoalackoftheproperfocusontrainingthroughtheappropriate‘windowsofoptimaltrainability.’
Thesecriticalwindowsprovideacceleratedadaptationtotrainingand,ifskippedormissed,decreaseachild’schancetoreachhisorherfullpotential.Itmustbekeptinmindthatallsystemsarealwaystrainable,yetwithsmallerdegreesofadaptationtotrainingovertime.Inourcurrentsystem,thewindowofopportunityonskillsdevelopment(9-12)formaleplayersismissedthroughover-competitionandunder-training.
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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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• School:Sportsschedulesmustconsiderthedemandsplaceduponchildrenfromanacademicperspective.Educationmustbeemphasized,andthedemandsofsportshouldcomplementtheacademicschedule,notconflictwithit.Thestressofclasswork,examinations,boyfriendandgirlfriendissues,andschoolpeergroupsplayaroleinthefatigueandstresslevelsonourathletes.Coachesandparentsmustmonitorthesefactorstobalancethesportsscheduletoallowformaximumdevelopmentbothontheiceandintheclassroom.
Biological Age vs. Chronological Age Biologicalageshouldbeconsideredthroughourdevelopmentandidentificationprocess.Asanexample,lookatthenumberofearlymonthbirthdatesthatmakeupourUnder-17andUnder-18NationalTeams.Ourcurrentsystemforcesplayersintoacompete-to-win,‘peakbytheweekend’systemthatrewardsearlymaturingplayerswhomaynothavetheabilitytobeeliteperformers.Latedevelopingplayersareexcludedandcut,consequentlyleavingthesportorbeingsegregatedtoarecreationprogramthatlimitstheirtrainingopportunities.Theselatedevelopersmayhavehugelong-termpotentialbutareeliminatedfromoursystem.
Currently,mostathletictrainingandcompetitionprogramsarebasedonchronologicalage.However,athletesofthesameagebetweenages10and16canbefour-to-fiveyearsapartdevelopmentally.Thus,chronologicalageisapoorguidetosegregateadolescentsforcompetitions.Becausehockeyisacontactsport,earlymaturingplayersarefavoredwithinouryouthstructure.Thelatedeveloperiseliminatedwhenheorshemaypossessbetterlong-termathleticability.
ItisobviousthatintheCanadiandevelopmentalsystemandours,potentiallatemonthbirthdateplayershavebeenexcludedfromthehighperformancetrack.Itishighlyunlikelythattherearefewerplayerswithlong-termathleticpotentialborninthelastquarteroftheyearthaninthefirstquarter.
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“TrainingAge”referstotheageatwhichathletesbeginplanned,regular,seriousinvolvementintraining.Thetempoofachild’sgrowthhassignificantimplicationsforathletictrainingbecausechildrenwhomatureatanearlyagehaveamajoradvantageduringtheTrainingtoTrainstagecomparedtoaverageorlatematurers.However,afterallathleteshavegonethroughtheirgrowthspurt,itisoftenlatermaturerswhohavegreaterpotentialtobecometopathletesprovidedthattheyexperiencequalitycoachingthroughoutthatperiod.
Notallplayershavethepotentialtobecomeeliteplayers.TheAmericanDevelopmentModelrecognizesthisbyofferingtwolevelsofcontentfromtheTraintoTrainstageforward.Thehighperformancecontentisaimedatthoseplayerswhohavebeenidentifiedandwhochoosetoattempttobepotentialeliteperformers,whilethestandardcontentoffersareducedlevelofcommitmentmoreappropriatetothemajorityofplayerswhowillformthebasisofclubteamsofthefuture.ThesplitbetweenthelevelsofcontentattheearlypartoftheTraintoTrainstagearerelativelysmallasitisdeemedtobesuchanimportantstageindevelopingabroaderbaseofpotentialeliteplayers.However,thedifferentiationbetweenhockeyandothersportsmaynecessitatethedivergenceatthisstage.ItisimportanttonotethatresearchsuggeststhattherecanbenumerousplayerswhofollowthestandardtrackthroughtheTraintoTrainandintotheTraintoCompetestageswhowillhavethepotentialtobecomeeliteperformers.ThisisespeciallytrueiftheyhaveadiversesportsmovementbackgroundthroughplayingmultiplesportsduringtheFUNdamemtalandLearntoTrainstages.
Periodization Periodizationisthepracticeofsegmentingthecalendaryearintoappropriatetimeintervalsforpreparation,competitionandrestandrecovery.Athletesatdifferentstagesoftheirdevelopmentrequiredifferenttrainingplanstooptimizetheirdevelopmentthroughtheirgrowthandmaturation.Thesciencebehindperiodizationhasbeenusedontheinternationalstagewithgreatsuccessinmany,manysports.Unfortunately,sometimesasport’straditionsareplacedinfrontoftheathlete’sneedswhenplanningaperiodizationschedule.Thishasanimpactonmaximizingtheplayer’sdevelopment.
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the Great one’s Message to Parents: Let Your Kids Have Fun “Inyouthhockey,inmostcases,it’sreallyimportantforkidstoplayothersports,whetherit’sindoorlacrosseorsoccerorbaseball.Ithinkwhatthatdoesistwothings.One,eachsporthelpstheothersport.AndthenIthinktakingtimeoffintheoff-season-thatthreeorfourmonthwindowreallyrejuvenateskidssowhentheycomebackattheendofAugust,they’remoreexcited.Theythink,‘Allright,hockey’sback,I’mreadytogo.’”—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-performanceplayershouldinitiallybeheldtothesamepathway.OurcurrentsportsystemmistakenlyallowsfortheseparationoftheperceivedHockeyforLifegroupandtheperceivedhigh-performancegroupbeforeanyreliabledeterminationcanpossiblybemade.Tomaximizeeachplayer’spotential,weneedthemajorpartiestore-evaluatecurrentpracticesandbasenewpracticesoncurrentlegitimateresearchinsteadofcommonlyheldbeliefsinsportsmythsandtheold“that’sthewayithasalwaysbeendone”attitude.
Physical, Mental, Cognitive and emotional Development Trainingshouldconsiderthemental,cognitiveandemotionaldevelopmentoftheathlete,inadditiontothephysical,technicalandtactical(includingdecisionmakingskills)componentsofdevelopment.
AmajorobjectiveofLTADisaholisticapproach.Thisincludesethics,fairplayandcharacterbuildingthroughthevariousstages.Programmingshouldbedesignedtoconsidertheathlete’scognitiveabilitytoaddresstheseconcepts.
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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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