AGES 12 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development

LESSON WORKBOOK

DR. STEVE NORRIS

AGES 12 AND UNDER

Long Term Athlete Development

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• 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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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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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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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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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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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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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,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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“TrainingAge”referstotheageatwhichathletesbeginplanned,regular,seriousinvolvementintraining.Thetempoofachild’sgrowthhassignificantimplicationsforathletictrainingbecausechildrenwhomatureatanearlyagehaveamajoradvantageduringtheTrainingtoTrainstagecomparedtoaverageorlatematurers.However,afterallathleteshavegonethroughtheirgrowthspurt,itisoftenlatermaturerswhohavegreaterpotentialtobecometopathletesprovidedthattheyexperiencequalitycoachingthroughoutthatperiod(seeDiagram8-3).

Notallplayershavethepotentialtobecomeeliteplayers.TheAmericanDevelopmentModelrecognizesthisbyofferingtwolevelsofcontentfromtheTraintoTrainstageforward.Thehighperformancecontentisaimedatthoseplayerswhohavebeenidentifiedandwhochoosetoattempttobepotentialeliteperformers,whilethestandardcontentoffersareducedlevelofcommitmentmoreappropriatetothemajorityofplayerswhowillformthebasisofclubteamsofthefuture.ThesplitbetweenthelevelsofcontentattheearlypartoftheTraintoTrainstagearerelativelysmallasitisdeemedtobesuchanimportantstageindevelopingabroaderbaseofpotentialeliteplayers.However,thedifferentiationbetweenhockeyandothersportsmaynecessitatethedivergenceatthisstage.ItisimportanttonotethatresearchsuggeststhattherecanbenumerousplayerswhofollowthestandardtrackthroughtheTraintoTrainandintotheTraintoCompetestageswhowillhavethepotentialtobecomeeliteperformers.ThisisespeciallytrueiftheyhaveadiversesportsmovementbackgroundthroughplayingmultiplesportsduringtheFUNdamemtalandLearntoTrainstages.

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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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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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AGES 12 AND UNDER Long Term Athlete Development