Istvan BalyiNational Sport Centre Vancouver – Victoria

Sport Canada and sportscoahUKLTAD Advisor

LTAD 101LTAD 101Long-Term Athlete/Player DevelopmentLong-Term Athlete/Player Development

ObjectivesObjectives

• Review the concept of LTAD• Why LTAD?• 10 Key factors influencing LTAD

• Describe the various stages of LTAD• Review the “windows of

trainability” during childhood and adolescence

• If you want to teach latin to Johnny, you have to know latin and you have to know Johnny

• If you want to teach Volleyball to Johnny, you have to know Volleyball and you have to know Johnny

• We know Volleyball very well BUT we do not know Johnny or Jane from age 9 to 16 – PERIOD!!!

LTAD LTAD isis

• Optimal training, competition and recovery programming with relation to biological development and maturation

• Equal opportunity for recreation and competition, it is not an elitist model

• Athlete centred, coach driven and administration, sport science and sponsor supported

The Big Picture

• The health and well-being of the nation and medals won at major games is a simple by-product of an effective sport system

1-2

What is LTAD ?What is LTAD ?

• LTAD is not just another plan (for the files)

• LTAD is a philosophy

• LTAD is a too for change, culture change in sport

• Identifies the current gaps in the sport system and provides guidelines for problem solving

• Is a guide for planning for optimal performance for all stages of athlete development

• Is a framework for full sport system alignment and integration

• It is designed on empirical / practical coaching experiences and on scientific principles

LTAD…LTAD…

SevenSevenStagesStages

of of Long-TermLong-Term

Athlete Athlete DevelopmentDevelopment

Active StartActive Start

FUNdamentalFUNdamental

Active for Life Active for Life

Training to WinTraining to Win

Training to TrainTraining to Train

Training to CompeteTraining to Compete

Learning to TrainLearning to Train

Active Start StageActive Start StageChronological/ Development AgeChronological/ Development Age

Males and Females: 0-6Males and Females: 0-6

Fundamental Fundamental MovementsMovements

GymnasticsSwimmingRunning

(Wheeling)

FUNdamental StageFUNdamental StageChronological/ Development AgeChronological/ Development Age

Males 6-9 and Females: 6-8Males 6-9 and Females: 6-8

Fundamental Fundamental

MovementsMovements

Skills +Skills +

Learning to Train StageLearning to Train StageChronological/ Development AgeChronological/ Development Age

Males: 9-12 Females: 8-11Males: 9-12 Females: 8-11

Fundamental Fundamental

SportSport

SkillsSkills

Physical LiteracyPhysical LiteracyFirst 3 stages of LTADFirst 3 stages of LTAD

Before the onset of PHVBefore the onset of PHV

Fundamental Movement skillFundamental Movement skill

++

Fundamental Sport SkillsFundamental Sport Skills

==

Physical LiteracyPhysical Literacy

==

Base for Excellence & ParticipationBase for Excellence & Participation

Training to TrainTraining to TrainDevelopmental Age – onset of PHVDevelopmental Age – onset of PHV

Males: 12-16 Females: 11-15 Males: 12-16 Females: 11-15

Building engine Building engine

and and

sport specific skillssport specific skills

Training to CompeteTraining to CompeteChronologicalChronological

Males: 16-23 +/- Females: 15-21 +/-Males: 16-23 +/- Females: 15-21 +/-

Optimizing engine Optimizing engine

andand

sport / event / sport / event / position skillsposition skills

Training to WinTraining to WinChronological Age Males: 19 +/- Females: 18 +/-Chronological Age Males: 19 +/- Females: 18 +/-

Maximizing engine Maximizing engine

and and

event / position event / position skillsskills

PODIUMSPODIUMS

Active for LifeActive for LifeEnter at any ageEnter at any age

Healthy Life-long PhysicalHealthy Life-long Physical

ActivityActivity

Universal Sport System Gaps

( “Mind the gap ! “)

Selected Universal Sport System GapsSelected Universal Sport System Gaps

• Young developmental athletes undertrain and overcompete

• Adult competition schedule is superimposed on young athletes (the system of competition)

• Adult training programmes are superimposed on young athletes

• Male programmes are superimposed on females

Selected Universal Sport System GapsSelected Universal Sport System Gaps

• Chronological age versus biological age (or maturation level) dominates training and competition designs from ages 11 to 16

• The "critical" or "sensitive“ periods of accelerated adaptation to training are not utilized by coaches at the Learning to Train or Training to Train stage

Universal sport system gapsUniversal sport system gaps

• The most knowledgeable coaches are coaching at elite level, notwithstanding the most knowledgeable coaches should work at the developmental level (FUNdamental, Learning to Train and Training to Train Stages)

• Coaching education marginally covers the basic issues of growth and development, maturation

Universal sport system gapsUniversal sport system gaps

• Parent's education is neglected with regards to long-term athlete development (nutrition, regeneration, maturation and psycho-social development, etc...)

• Administrators education is neglected with regards to some of the essentials of technical programmes (The Big Picture)

• Recover, regeneration programmes are not integrated and sequenced with sport-specific technical / tactical programmes within annual plans

• Lack of the integration of sport science, sport medicine and sport-specific technical-tactical activities

Universal sport system gapsUniversal sport system gaps Consequences Consequences

• Overcompetition and undertraining*

• Damage done between age 6-10 and 10-16 cannot be fully corrected (players / athletes will never reach genetical potential)

• General motor skills are not learned before age 11 for females and 12 for males

Universal sport system gaps Universal sport system gaps Consequences Consequences

• Training is geared for "outcome" and not for "process" for the developmental athlete

• National Training Centres receiving mediocre athletes - regardless of money and expertise, cannot recover from the "damages" of earlier training

10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD (Balyi, Ross & Way - 2005)(Balyi, Ross & Way - 2005)

1. Ten year rule

2. FUNdamentals / Physical Literacy

3. Specialization

4. Developmental Age

5. Windows of Trainability

6. Mental / Cognitive / Emotional Development

7. Periodization Principles

8. System Alignment and Integration

9. The System of Competition

10. Continuous improvement

Factor # 1.Factor # 1.10 year rule !10 year rule !

• It takes 10 years of extensive practice to excel in anything !

H. Simon Nobel Laureate

10 - 10 - 1010 - 10 - 10

• 10 year or 10 000 hour rule (Ericsson and Charness, 1994 and Salmela et al., 1999)

• For the athlete and coach this translates as slightly more than three hours of deliberate practice daily for 10 years

• 10 %• 90 % ???

Factor 2. FUNdamentals

• FUNdamental movement skills (FMS)

• FUNdamental sports skills (FSS)

• FMS+ FSS = Physical literacy

• Before age 11 for females and 12 for males

What Fundamentals?What Fundamentals?

Fundamental Movement SkillsC. Hanford 2005

CAN’T CATCH?CAN’T CATCH?

C. Hanford, 2005

Can’t Catch? – Won’t play!Can’t Catch? – Won’t play!

Cricket

Rounders

Baseball

Softball

Netball

Basketball

Rugby

American Football

SoccerDance

Walking

Aerobics

Golf

Cycling

Athletics

SquashBadminton

Tennis

Swimming

Skateboard

Jogging Handball

Hockey Gymnastics

Canoeing

Sailing

Adapted From Mike Jess, University of Edinburgh

Factor # 3Specialisation

• 3.1. Early Specialisation Sports:

• Gymnastics• Rhythmic Gymnastics• Figure Skating• Diving• Swimming (age 8)• Others?

• 3.2.Late Specialisation Sports

• All other sports are late specialisation sports

• Specialising early in a late specialisation sport contributes to one sided preparation, injuries, early burnout and early retirement

The Big PictureThe Big PictureLate Specialisation Sports – Generic ModelLate Specialisation Sports – Generic Model

• Active Start - FUNdamental Movements (0-6)

• FUNdamental Stage - FUNdamental motor skills (6-8 females / 6-9 males)

• Learning to Train - FUNdamental sports skills (8- 11 females / 9-12 males)

• Training to Train - Building the "engine" and sport specific skills (11-15 females / 12-16 males)

• Training to Compete* - Optimising "engine" and sport / event / position specific skills (15-21+/- females / 16-23+/- males)

• Training to Win* - Maximising "engine" and sport / event / position specific skills

(18 + females / 19 + males)

• Retaining*

ScreeningScreening

SelectionSelection

SpecialisationSpecialisation

Further specialisationFurther specialisation

High performanceHigh performance

Talent IDTalent ID

ManyMany

33

22

11

LTAD - Reversed procedureLTAD - Reversed procedure

• First we make a player and after we want to make an athlete out of the player ?

• We have to make an athlete first and make a player out of the athlete !

Balance

Factor # 4. Growth & Development, Maturation

Chronological age – biological age / developmental age

• Training and competition is based on chronological age

• Athletes can be 4 - 5 years apart by maturation levels

How old is a 13 year old ?How old is a 13 year old ?

How old is a 14 year old ?How old is a 14 year old ?

Irish boxers – 14 years old 60kg., 40 kg., and 50 kg.

• Peak Height Velocity

• Adolescent growth spurt*

• Peak Height Velocity

• Adolescent growth spurt

Training and ChildrenTraining and Children((C. Williams, 2005)C. Williams, 2005)

• Poor evidence of large physiological benefits studies in children

• Growth and maturation effects often unaccounted

• Improvements have been found but generally prepubertal < adolescents < adults

Growth spurt

Consequences of the Growth SpurtConsequences of the Growth Spurt

• Loss of co-ordination

• Biomechanical breakdown

• Skill break down

Choosing early,average or late

maturers?

Measuring and interpreting PHV( How to PHV ? )

Age 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91011121314151617181920

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Genital DevelopmentGeneral DevelopmentNeural DevelopmentA FUNdamentalB Training to TrainC Training to CompeteD Training to Win

Factor # 5Factor # 5Trainability

F T2T T2C T2W

The Five S’s of Training and PerformanceThe Five S’s of Training and Performance(Dick, 1985)(Dick, 1985)

• Stamina (Endurance)• Strength• Speed• Skill• Suppleness

The Trainability of the Five S’sThe Trainability of the Five S’sStamina:Stamina:

• Always trainable

• Critical window of accelerated adaptation to aerobic training begins with the onset of PHV

– Age 10 – 11 for females– Age 12 - 13 for males

• Monitoring maturation to identify onset– Females

– Males

The Trainability of the Five S’sThe Trainability of the Five S’sStrength:Strength:

• Always trainable

• Critical window of accelerated adaptation to strength training:

• Window 1 for females immediately after PHV

• Window 2 for females with the onset of menarche

• 12 – 18 month after PHV for males

• Strength training before maturation is Central Nervous System training and motor coordination improvements

• Medicine balls• Swiss balls

• Own body weight

The Trainability of the Five S’sThe Trainability of the Five S’sSpeed:Speed:

• Always trainable but declines with age• Critical window of accelerated adaptation to

speed training:• Males:

– Window 1: 7 - 9 years of age– Window 2: 13 – 16 years of age

• Females: – Window 1: 6 – 8 years of age– Window 2: 11 – 13 years of age– (Chronological age)

• Window 1 is agility, quickness window.• Change of direction, linear, lateral and multi

directional speed• Segmental speed• Duration of intervals less then 5 seconds

• Window 2 is anaerobic alactic power and capacity window

• Linear, lateral, multi directional and chaotic speed• Duration of intervals 5 – 20 seconds

The Trainability of the Five S’sThe Trainability of the Five S’sSkillSkill

• Always trainable but significantly declines with age

• Window of accelerated adaptation to motor coordination

• Age 8 – 11 females

• Age 9 – 12 males

• Early and late specialisation sports• The importance of transitional skills

Review ArticleReview Article

Rushall, B. The Growth of Physical Characteristics in Male and Rushall, B. The Growth of Physical Characteristics in Male and

Female Children.Female Children.

In: Sports Coach, Australia. Vol.20. No 64, Summer, 1998. pp. 25 – 27.In: Sports Coach, Australia. Vol.20. No 64, Summer, 1998. pp. 25 – 27.

"Most authors agree that the sensitive skill learning

period is between 9 and 12 years."

The Trainability of the Five S’sThe Trainability of the Five S’sSupplenessSuppleness

• Always trainable but significantly declines with age

• Optimal trainability 6 – 10 (Dr. K. Russel)

• Special attention during PHV

Program design for the developmental athleteProgram design for the developmental athlete

Factor # 6Physical, mental/cognitive and emotional

development

• Physical Development Characteristics and It's Implications

• Basic Characteristics• General Consequences: Performance

Capabilities and Limitations• Implications to the Coach

FUNdamental Learning to Train

Training to Train

Training to Compete

Training to Win

Late Childhood Late Puberty

Early Puberty Early Adulthood

Physical, Mental/Cognitive and Emotional Tables

Children are not miniature adults!

– Children need greater protein intake to support growth

– They need high calcium intake to support bone accretion

– Children have a higher metabolic cost of movement per body mass unit

– During sub maximal exercise children utilize more fat and less carbohydrate

– Electrolyte losses in sweat differ among children, adolescents and adults

– Dehydration seems to be more detrimental to children than to adults (Bar-Or)

Factor # 7. Periodisation

Integration and Sequencing of Sport Integration and Sequencing of Sport Science, Sport Medicine and Sport-Specific Science, Sport Medicine and Sport-Specific

Technical-Tactical ActivitiesTechnical-Tactical Activities

LTAD to your Next Training SessionLTAD to your Next Training Session

AthleteChronological Age

Biological AgeTraining Age

Annual PlanSingleDoubleTriple

MultiplePeriodization Periods

PreparationCompetitionTransitionPhases

GeneralSpecific

Pre-competitiveCompetitiveTransition

Meso CyclesDevelopmental

StabilizingPre-competition

CompetitiveRestorative

Micro CyclesIntroductoryDevelopment

ShockMaintenance

TaperPeak

RestorationTransition

Sessions6:1 = 4 / 6 / 9 / 12 / 15

5:2 3:1 2:1

EvaluationNew Plan

HEALTH

PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

OPEN

SKILL

PSYCHOLOGY

PHYSIOLOGY

STRATEGIES

EMOTION

CHARACTER

ENVIRONMENT

ALTITUDEFACILITIES

TEMP

NUTRITION

FOCUS

CONFIDENCE

COMMITTMENT

CLOSED COMPLEX

FIXEDPLAYS

PASSION

SELFCONTROL

ENERGIZE

INTEGRITY

RESPECT

LEADERSHIP

FITNESS

GEARING UP FOR HIGHGEARING UP FOR HIGHPERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

OFFENSIVEDEFENSIVE

hwenger04

Factor # 8Competition calendar planningCompetition calendar planning

• “ Competition is a good servant but poor master ! ”

• The system of competition or the non-existence of the system of competition– Team sports

– Individual sports

• Dictated schedule• Selective schedule

• Examples• British Swimming• The LTA

Factor # 9. System building, alignment and integrationSystem building, alignment and integration

Making or breaking a player / athlete

Training to Win Training

to CompeteTraining

to TrainLearning to Train

FUNdamentals

8 - 12 years

Improve / Maintain Very important!

Important!

Very Important !

The Next 8 - 12 years!

Athlete Development and Support Athlete Development and Support ProgrammesProgrammes

ATP – Advanced Training & Performance

AtheletDevelopment

FUNdamental

T 2T

T 2 C

T2W

Support system - Knowledge base Budget

FACTOR # 10FACTOR # 10

• KAIZEN• Continuous improvement

– Modernization of the sport system

– Education, health and sport / physical activity alignment

– All aspects of LTAD need research

– Implementation

Implementation - NSO’sImplementation - NSO’s

• New content = curriculum– Technical – Tactical, Physical and

Mental progression

• New system of competition• New coaching education

curriculum• Budget

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Final Words

• Health and well-being

• Windows of Trainability• Long-term athlete development• The system of competition• System alignment and integration• Win – win situation

Questions ?Questions ?

DefinitionsDefinitions

• Growth refers to observable step-by-step changes in quantity, “measurable changes in body size, for example, height, weight, fatness.” (Malina, 1986)

• Maturation refers to “qualitative system changes, both structural and functional in nature, in the organism’s progress toward maturity, for example, the change of cartilage to bone in the skeleton.” (Tihanyi, 1990)

• Development refers to “the interrelationship between growth and maturation in relation to the passage of time.

• The concept of development also includes the social, emotional, intellectual and motor realms of the child.” (Tihanyi, 1990)

• Chronological age refers to “the number of years and days elapsed since birth” (Haywood, 1993)

• Skeletal age refers to the maturity of the skeleton “determined by the degree of ossification of the bone structure.” (Haywood, 1993)

• Critical periods of development: A critical period refers to a point in the development of a specific behaviour when experience or training has an optimal effect on development. The same experience, introduced at an earlier or later time, has no effect on, or retards later skill acquisition. (Zaichkowsky, Zaichowsky and Martinek, 1980)

TrainabilityTrainability

• Malina and Bouchard (1991) defined trainability as “the responsiveness of developing individuals at different stages of growth and maturation to the training stimulus.”.

• Malina and Bouchard (1991) also referred to “readiness and critical periods” of trainability during growth and development of young athletes, thus the stimulus have to be timedto achieve optimum adaptation with regard to motor skills, muscular and/or aerobic power .

• Adaptation refers to a stimuli or a series of stimuli which induces functional and/or morphological changes in the organism. Naturally, the level or degree of adaptation is dependent on the genetical endowment of an individual. However, the general trends or patterns of adaptation are identified by physiological research and the facts and guidelines of the different adaptation processes, such as adaptation to muscular endurance or maximum strength, are clearly delineated.

• Diagnostics before and after maturation• Moving scales during PHV