Our Decades of Experience and Proven Results Have Helped Us Create and Refine Our Unique Athlete Development Philosophy
Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD)
• Programming focuses on performing age-appropriate drills to reduce chance of injury &
• maximize individual, athletic-potential.
• Programs progress from simple to complex & more specialized as athlete reaches next developmental level.
• Most US Olympians report 12- to 13-years of LTAD from introduction to sport until Olympics.
• Early specialization in one sport is detrimental to later stages of movement development.
Goals
• Develop LTAD-curriculum for parents & coaches
• Adjust competition schedules, based on LTAD goals.
• Promote development of motor-skills along with sport-skills.
• Incorporate motor-skills into skill-specific practices for younger children, especially during warm-up.
• Coordinate practice & game-scheduling between sport-organizations, coaches, & parents.
Age-Classification: Chronological-Age vs. Developmental-Age
• Most sport-training & competition programs are based on chronological age.
• Research shows that chronological age is difficult indicator to categorize athletic development for athletes
• between the ages 10-18 due to wide variation in physical, cognitive & emotional development.
• Athletes of same age can be 5 years apart developmentally.
Athletic Movement-Foundation
• Run, skip, rotate, jump, hop
• Balance-control & coordination, speed, agility
• Kick, throw, catch, dribble, pass
Optimal Windows of Trainability
• Refers to “critical” period in athletic development that youth athletes respond faster to training due to multiple
• development factors: hormonal, strength, & nervous System.
• Athletes always trainable, but effectiveness declines with age.
• Dynamic-Flexibility & Mobility: between ages 8-10
• Strength: 12 to 18 months after puberty.
• Speed & Agility: Window 1 occurs between ages 8-10 and 2nd window occurs between ages 13-16
• Skill-Development: between ages 9-12
Optimal Training & Competition Ratios
• Level & length of competitive season must be aligned w/changing, developmental needs of athlete.
• Over-competition & under-training in early stages of LTAD stages is detrimental to long-term success.
• Appropriate level of competition critical to mental development.
• Phase 1 Age 8-12: 70% Practice & Training/30% Game
• Phase 2 Age 13-15: 60% Practice & Training/40% Game
• Phase 3 Age 16-18: 50% Practice & Training/50% Game
• Phase 4 College: 40% Practice & Training/60% Game
• Phase 5 Professional: 30% Practice & Training/70% Game