Long-Term Athlete Development Plan...opportunity for long-term development and lifelong fitness activity. • Education and Development – Deliver resources and best practices that

Long-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlanALong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlanforthesportofBaseball

Table of Contents

Foreword...........................................................................................................................................1

StateoftheGame..............................................................................................................................3

WhyCreateaLong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlan?........................................................................4

LTADStatement.................................................................................................................................5

LTADKeyPrinciples...........................................................................................................................6

LTADKeyDefinitions.........................................................................................................................6

TheLong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlan.........................................................................................7

Stage1:Activate................................................................................................................................7

Stage2:Discover...............................................................................................................................9

Stage3:Progress..............................................................................................................................12

Stage4:Develop...............................................................................................................................14

Stage5:Apply...................................................................................................................................17

Stage6:Excel....................................................................................................................................20

Stage7:Inspire.................................................................................................................................22

KeyFactorsInfluencingtheLTAD......................................................................................................23

Summary..........................................................................................................................................36

References........................................................................................................................................37

1

A Message from Joseph Myers Lead Author of the USA Baseball LTAD and Director of Baseball Performance Science for the Tampa Bay Rays AstheprimarystewardforthesportintheUnitedStates,USABaseballrecognizesandembracesthepowerfulimpactthat the sport has on players and fans across their lifespan. Given its role as the governing body of the game, USABaseballsoughttodevelopaLong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlan(LTAD)thatisrootedinscientificliterature,inordertoprovidearoadmapforplayers,parents,coaches,andadministratorstoparticipate,instruct,andgovernthesportofbaseball. An interdisciplinary working group of leading sport scientists with expertise in coaching, strength andconditioning, neuromuscular control, biomechanics, motor learning, injury prevention, sport psychology, and clinicalcareofathleteswasassembledtodevelopanevidence-basedLTADaimedto:

• Promotephysicalliteracy,athleticism,andbaseballskilldevelopment.• Enhancegameenjoyment.• Improveplayerretention.• Ensurepsychosocialdevelopmentandwellbeingofparticipants.• Fostertalentandgamesuccess.• Promotephysical/recreationalactivityacrossthelifespan.• Guidephysicaltrainingandconditioning.• Aimtopreventbaseballrelatedinjury.• Appreciatebaseballasalifelongsport.

On behalf of theworking group,we feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaboratewith leaders from allacrossamateurbaseball,inordertoprovidethescientificcontenttothisimportantproject.Thiscollaborationresultedinaprogramthatprovidesplayers,coaches,parents,andfans,withapositive,fulfillingexperiencewheretalentscanbemaximized,healthylevelsoffitnesscanbeachieved,andultimatelythesportofbaseballcanbeenjoyedfortheirentirelifetime.JosephB.Myers,PhD,ATCLTADWorkingGroupChairDirectorofBaseballPerformanceScience,TampaBayRaysBaseball

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TheUSABaseballLTADWorkingGroupincludesthefollowingindividuals:• J.D.DeFreese,PhD(UniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHill)• LindsayDiStefano,PhD,ATC(UniversityofConnecticut)• AveryFaigenbaum,EdD,FACSM,FNSCA(TheCollegeofNewJersey)• ElizabethHibberd,PhD,ATC(UniversityofAlabama)• JosephB.Myers,PhD,ATC(TampaBayRaysBaseball)• JamesOnate,PhD,ATC,FNATA(TheOhioStateUniversity)• BrettS.Pexa,MA,ATC(UniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHill)

InadditiontotheWorkingGroup,theLTADwasreviewedandeditedinpartby:

• CarloAlvarez-FormerDirectorofSportsPerformance• KyleBoyer-NationalDevelopmentDirector,USAFieldHockey• RobButler-DirectorofPerformance,St.LouisCardinals• PerryCastellano-StrengthandConditioningCoordinator,MinnesotaTwins• JonCoyles-VicePresident,Drug,Health&SafetyPrograms,MajorLeagueBaseball• MichaelCuddyer-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;FormerMajorLeagueBaseballplayer• KeithDugger-HeadAthleticTrainer,ColoradoRockies• DarrenFenster-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;MinorLeagueManager,BostonRedSox• ElliotHopkins-Directorof Sports, Sanctioning and Student Services,National Federationof StateHigh School

Associations• BrendonHuttmann-MajorLeagueStrengthandConditioningCoach,PittsburghPirates• DavidJames-VicePresident,YouthPrograms,MajorLeagueBaseball• DeanJordan-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;ManagingExecutive,GlobalSportsMediaRightsat

WassermanMediaGroup• MattKata-Manager,YouthBaseballDevelopmentandInitiatives,ClevelandIndians• EricKibler-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;RetiredHeadCoachHorizonHighSchool;ArizonaHigh

SchoolAthleticCoachesHallofFameMember• AndreLachance-SportDevelopmentDirector/Women'sNationalTeamManager,BaseballCanada• ChrisMarinak-ExecutiveVicePresident,LeagueEconomics&Strategy,MajorLeagueBaseball• DelMatthews-SeniorDirectorofBaseballDevelopment,MajorLeagueBaseball• Tim Maxey- Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball

PlayersAssociation• DarrellMiller-VicePresidentofYouthandFacilityDevelopment,MajorLeagueBaseball• KimNg-SeniorVice-PresidentforBaseballOperations,MajorLeagueBaseball• TonyReagins-SeniorVicePresidentforYouthPrograms,MajorLeagueBaseball• SkipSchumaker-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;FormerMajorLeagueBaseballPlayer• DanSchuster-DirectorofCoachEducation,NationalFederationofStateHighSchoolAssociations• MickeyShupin-Specialist,InternationalGameandMarketDevelopment,MajorLeagueBaseball• MorganSword-VicePresidentofLeagueEconomicsandStrategy,MajorLeagueBaseball• JonTorine-Sports,PhysicalEducation,HealthandSafety,FunctionalMovementSystems• DaveTurgeon-USABaseballSportDevelopmentContributor;CoordinatorofInstruction,PittsburghPirates• RickyWhite-StrengthCoach,PittsburghPirates

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State of the Game

BaseballcontinuestobeoneofAmerica’smostprominentsports,commonlyreferredtoasour“nationalpastime.”Ontheprofessionallevel,baseballisastapleofmanyAmericanlivesfromApriltoOctobereveryyear.Withintheamateurranks, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s Single Sport Participation Report on Baseball concluded that14,760,000 athletes engaged in baseball in 2016. However, the recent trajectory of amateur participation remainsinconsistent.In 2014, USA Baseball conducted an audit of the amateur marketplace and identified several challenges facing theamateur game.Most acutelywere the lack of coaching education, lack of structured guidance throughout a player’schildhoodandadolescence,andthe increasingcostsofparticipation.Additionalchallenges includedearlysinglesportspecialization,year-roundplay,andthedisproportionateratiobetweendevelopmentandcompetition.BaseballParticipationTotals

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 20161YR

Change(%)

2YRChange(%)

5YRChange(%)

9YRChange(%)

16.058 15.539 14.429 14.198 13.561 12.976 13.284 13.152 13.711 14.760 7.65 12.23 8.84 -8.08

*Participationnumbersareinmillions(90).

16058

15539

14429

14198

13561

1297613284

13152

13711

14760

12000

13000

14000

15000

16000

17000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

ParjcipajoninAmateurBaseball

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Why Create a Long-Term Athlete Development Plan? TheLong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlan (LTAD)process forcesus tocritically scrutinize thechanging landscapeandexamineswhatneedstobedonetobetterpositionthesportmovingforward.ThisLTADis influencedbytheworkofIstvanBalyiandistheculminationofextensivescientificresearchonchildhooddevelopmentbyexpertsinthefield.WebelievethattheintegrationandimplementationofthisLTADintothebaseballcultureacrosstheUnitedStateswillnotonlyhelptogetouryouthbackontothefields,butalsopositivelyimpacttheiroverallexperiencewithinthesport.Considerthis:

• Theneedtorethinkhowweorganize,operateandexecutebaseballactivityismorerelevantnowthanever.• Thelargestbaseofknowledge,experienceandresourcesismostcloselyassociatedwithelitelevelcompetition.

Informingthevolunteerandamateurbaseofcoachesinkeydevelopmentalstagesisessentialforthelong-termhealthandproliferationofthesport.

• Betterinformingtheathletesoftodaylendsitselftoamoreeducatedcoachinggenerationoftomorrow.• Abroaddevelopmentalpathwayinbaseballhasnotpreviouslybeenavailabletoparents.• Thecurrentamateurbaseballenvironmentfostersacultureofearlysinglesportspecializationthatiscontraryto

relevantsurveysandresearchonthesubjectasitrelatestolong-termdevelopment.• Mosttrainingandpreparationiscurrentlygearedtowardsshort-termoutcomesassociatedwithwinningrather

thanalong-termprocessofindividualdevelopment.• By maximizing the experiences learned through baseball, the LTAD aims to develop more well-rounded

individualsbothinsportandinlife.

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LTAD Statement This LTADhasbeen generatedbyUSABaseball,with support fromMajor LeagueBaseball (MLB), to provide amulti-stagedevelopmentalpathwayforanindividual’slife-longexperiencewithinthesport.TheLTADplanisaculminationofevidence-based information from the principal contributor group and input from a leadership group consisting ofexperts fromthemedical safety industry,MLB leagueandclubexecutives,andanadvisorygroup inclusiveof leadersfromacrosstheamateurbaseballspectrum.Thisdocumenthasbeenmostdirectlypreparedforthemaininfluencersinan athlete’s life including but not limited to parents, coaches, league administrators, teachers, and the athletesthemselves.TheLong-TermAthleteDevelopmentPlan:

• Offerssolutionsfortheentirebaseballcommunity.• Enhancesallparticipants’experiencewithinthesport.• Promotesphysicalliteracyandpsychosocialdevelopment.• Underscoresbestpracticesforplayerhealthandsafety.• Encouragesage-appropriateskilldevelopmentprogression.• Prolongsindividualengagementthroughimprovedinfrastructure.• Promoteslifelongengagementthroughmentoringandrecreationalplay.

TheLTADrecognizestheneedtoinvolveallAmericansinthedevelopmentalpathway,notjusttheeliteathletes,andismadeupofaseven-stageframework.Eachstageiscategorizedbyachronologicalagegroup,however,anathlete’sskilllevel may not align with his or her chronological age. Therefore, the skill sets of the individual athlete need to beassessedtodeterminehisorherpathwayneeds.Anathletecanenterintothepathwayatanypointthroughhisorherprogression. Indoingso, itmaybebeneficialtopullrecommendationsfrompreviousstagesofdevelopment.Athleteswillcontinuetoprogressanddevelopwithineachindividualstage,buttheobjectivesaretheunderlyingdriversofthestages.This frameworkalsoallows forathletes tobeginan“AdvancedTrack”within theDevelopStage for14- to16-year-olds.Advancedathletesarethosewhoshowahighlevelofaptitudeinthesportattheirgivenage.The“AdvancedTrack” isapathwayofdevelopmentthatallowsforeliteathletestodedicatemoredirect timeandenergytotrainingandcompetitionfortheirhigh-levelprogressinthegame.

Stage ChronologicalAge RecreationalTrack AdvancedTrack

1 Entry-7 Activate 2 7-12 Discover 3 12-14 Progress 4 14-16 Develop Develop5 16-18 Apply Apply6 19+ Excel7 ANY Inspire

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LTAD Key Principles USABaseball,as thenationalgoverningbody for thesport,drawsonthesekeyprincipleswhendeveloping initiativessuchastheLTAD.

• HealthandSafety –Provide thebestpractices to keepathletes activeandon the field inorder to createanopportunityforlong-termdevelopmentandlifelongfitnessactivity.

• EducationandDevelopment–Deliver resourcesandbestpractices thatempowerathletes,parents, coaches,andumpirestomakethebestdecisionsfortheircareers.

• GrowtheGame–Createopportunitiesforpeopletoplayball,regardlessofability.• UniversalAvailability–Removebarriersofentryandprovideplayingopportunitiesforathleteseverywhere.• Competition – Highlight the many positive teaching moments and life lessons fostered through domestic

competitionandrepresenttheUnitedStateswithintheinternationalcommunity.

LTAD Key Definit ions TheLTADutilizescommontermsthroughouteachstage.Themajorcomponentsforeachstagearedefinedasfollows.

• Physical Literacy – The ability to move with competence and confidence during different types of physicalactivitiesthatpromotesalong-termhealthylifestyle.

• PhysicalDevelopment–Structuredandprogressiveapproachestodevelopmovementskillcompetencyandthephysicalfitnessresourcestoenhancetheexperienceoftraining,practicing,andplaying.

• InjuryPrevention –Many injuries inbaseball stem fromoveruse, thusmonitoring athletes’ fatigueand year-roundinvolvementinsportsiscrucial.

• PsychosocialWell-Being–Theabilitytomotivateoneself, influencedbythepsychologicalneedsofautonomy(personalchoiceorcontrol),competence(successoreffectivenessinone’senvironment)orrelatedness(socialconnectiontoothers,acceptance,belonging).

• Specialization – Nearly year-round (typicallymore than eightmonths per year), intensive training in a singlesport,andexcludingparticipationinothersports.

• PeriodizationandCompetition–Thetimeframesthatareusedtoscheduletraining,competition,andrecovery.Periodization structures the training components into weeks, days and sessions, and is situation-specific,dependingonprioritiesandthetimeavailablefortrainingandcompetitionimprovement.

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The Long-Term Athlete Development Plan Thisdocumentservesasalong-termathletedevelopmentplanforthesportofbaseballintheUnitedStates.Asamulti-stagepathway for training, competition, and recovery, the LTADguides an athlete’s experience in sport andphysicalactivity. Through developmentally appropriate programs for all ages, the LTAD aims to increase participation andoptimizeperformanceacrossthesportofbaseball. Stage 1: Activate ChronologicalAge:Entry–7Fosteraloveforthegamebyintroducingchildrentothesportofbaseballthroughstylesofgameplaythatpromotefun,creativeplayandsuccess.Athletesinthisstageshouldbedevelopingbasicmovementandmotorskillsviasportsampling. Baseball should also be a means for developing friendships and encouraging other positive peerinteraction.Properwarmupandcooldownsshouldbepartofthesportexperience.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• This is a fundamental stage for youngathletes todevelopbasicphysical literacyand fundamentalmovementskills.

• Basic fundamental skills should be taught and mastered before progressing into more complex skills. Thesefundamental skills should include: overhand throwing, catching, striking the ball, fielding a bouncing ball,running,anddodging.Inordertoachievemasteryoftheseskills,aremedialbreakdownofspecificskillsmayberequired(e.g.,rollingaballataveryslowspeed,helpingaplayerswingtomakecontactwithaballonatee).

• A modified form of baseball is recommended to increase mastery of basic skills. An example of gamemodification includes theFunatBatprogram.Specificbaseball taskscancontinue tobemodified throughoutthisstageintermsofthesizeoftheball,distancesofthebases,formatofthegame,etc.

• Earlystageathletesshouldseeandfeelthecorrectmovementpattern(i.e.,throwing,catching,hitting)asearlyandoftenaspossible.

• Demonstrationsofappropriateskillperformanceareencouragedandshouldbeperformedbyaknowledgeablecoach.

• Athletesneedtoreceiveamplefeedbackwhilelearningnewskills.• Early stage athletes should be actively involved in playing and developing skills with minimal boredom or

“talkingtime”(e.g.,avoid“singleball,oneline”practicetimewhereeveryoneisstandingandawaitingaturn).Havingmultiplecoachesavailablecanhelpfacilitatethiswithyoungerathletes.

• Early stage athletes should be introduced initially to closed skills first (e.g., hit off a batting tee) to controlexternalfactorsbeforemovingon.

• Earlystageathletes’cognitivestresslevelsshouldbehighlymanagedandeasydecisionmakingsolutionsshouldbeprovided.

PhysicalDevelopment:

• Childrenshouldbeintroducedtomovementandplayactivitiesthatdevelopmotorskillsandmuscularstrengthin a fairly unstructured and exploratory manner. Game-based activities that are fun, engaging and sociallystimulating can help young children experience themere enjoyment of learning new skills and playing withfriends. Creative games activities that develop hand-eye coordination (e.g., catch and toss) and bodyweightmanagementabilities(e.g.,hopping,jumping,andtumbling)canserveasthebuildingblocksformorecomplexactivities.

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InjuryPrevention:• Fullbodywarmupbeforeandfullbodycooldownafterpracticeforchildrentolearnhealthyhabits.• Participantpitchingisdiscouragedduringgames.• Noyear-roundparticipationinasinglesport;takeatleastfourmonthsofffromthrowingsports.

PsychosocialWell-Being:

• Begintodevelopintrinsicmotivationforlifelongsportandphysicalactivityparticipation.• Emphasize enjoyment of physical activity in general and baseball as a great avenue to experience sport

enjoyment.• Focusonmodelingandrewarding(withpraise,encouragement)positivesportbehaviors/successes.• Developpositivesocialinteractionsandcommunicationamongteammates,parentsandcoaches.• Thegoalshouldbetofosteralifetimeloveofbaseball;theemphasisatthisageshouldbeonpromotingphysical

activity/baseballenjoymentandintrinsicmotivationformovementandskilldevelopment.• Psychological skilldevelopment shouldnotbeaprimary focus,butmonitoringathlete stress (by coachesand

parents) and explaining the basic concepts of psychological skill development, including healthy goal setting,representsapositiveandeffectivemeanstopromoteathletepsychosocialhealthandperformance.

• Sportshouldbeavenueforathletestodevelopfriendshipsandpositively interactwithpeersandadults.Thiswillsetthestageforbroadersocialdevelopmentaswellasalifetimeloveofbaseball.

Specialization:

• Nosinglesportspecialization.• Sportandactivitysamplingarehighlyrecommended.

PeriodizationandCompetition:

• Parents and coaches should encourage sampling of multiple sports that primarily focus on deliberate play(activitiesthatareintrinsicallymotivatingandaremeanttobeenjoyed).

• Developathleticismbyplayingmultiplesports.• Focusonhighamountsofdeliberateplay.• Athletesshouldspend75percentofdedicatedtimetosportstraining,orparticipatingindeliberateplay,andno

morethan25percentofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.• Athletescanparticipateineachsportonetotwodaysperweekinseason,fornomorethanfourmonthsoutof

thecalendaryearatatime.

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Stage 2: Discover ChronologicalAge:7–12Basicbaseballskillsarebeingfosteredandinsomecaseshoned.Athleticmovementshouldbecomemoreadvancedas speed, agility, balance and general coordination all improve. Athletes should be in an environmentwhere theylearntobemotivatedtosucceed,whilecontinuingpositivesocialdevelopmentamongstteammatesandcompetitors.Sport samplingand informalordeliberateplaycontinue topromotewell-roundedness. Injuryawareness, includingarmcareshouldbepresentfortheathlete,theircoachandparents.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• The discover stage for young athletes is to continue basic development of physical literacy and fundamentalmovementskills,aswellasimproveagility,balance,coordination,andspeed.

• Athletescanmoveonintobeginneropenskills(e.g.,hitshortsofttossfrom5-10feet)tomoderateopenskills(e.g., hitting controlled front toss or coach pitch) to finally advanced open skills (e.g., hitting live pitching)throughastructuredapproachtoskilldevelopmentbasedonappropriateprogression.

• A modified form of baseball is recommended to increase mastery of basic skills. An example of gamemodification includes theFunatBatprogram.Specificbaseball taskscancontinue tobemodified throughoutthisstageintermsofthesizeoftheball,distancesofthebases,formatofthegame,etc.

• Cognitivestress levelsshouldcontinuetobemanagedandeasydecisionmakingsolutionsshouldbeprovided(e.g., fielding groundballs and coach tells the player where to throw the ball prior to the play) to allow forathletestomaintainminimalcognitivedecisionloadwhilefocusingonphysicalskills.

• Middle stageathletes shouldcontinue to seeand feel thecorrectmovementpattern foreachbasic skill (i.e.,throwing, catching, hitting), but can also expand their basic skills into more technical skills once basic skillmasteryisaccomplished.

• Advancedskillsandactivitiescanbetaughtthroughindividualpracticeorintegratedintogameactivities.• Theadditionofself-observationandreviewoftheirtechniquecanbegintobeapplied(e.g.,“howdidthatfeel

hitting?”or“whydoyouthinkthatthrowwenttotherightinsteadofon-target?”).• Continueprovidingfeedbacktohelpathletesself-identify,oridentifyforthemselveswhenerrorsaremade.• Athletesshouldstartbeingactivelyinvolvedindecisionmakingprocesstodecreasetheamountofconceptual

abstract ideas and be encouraged to make their own playing decisions while making large amounts of safemistakes(i.e.,nophysicalharmtothemselvesorothers).


• Health- and skill-related fitness qualities should be trained in an integrative manner with a focus towardsenhancingcompetenceandconfidenceintheabilitytoperformstrength-buildingandskill-enhancingexercises.

• Youngerchildrenshouldbeencouragedtoengageinlessformalizedtrainingandunstructuredfitnessactivities,most seven- and eight-year olds are ready for some type of structured strength and conditioning as part offitnessconditioning.

• Earlyexposuretostrengthandconditioningprogramsthataredevelopmentally-appropriate, technique-drivenand supervised by qualified professionals will set the stage for even greater gains in physical fitness duringadolescenceandadulthood.

• Whilethereisno“minimumage”forparticipationinstrengthandconditioningactivities,participantsmustbeabletofollowingcoachinginstructionsandbeabletohandlethedemandsofatrainingsession.

• Athletesshouldlearnbasicmovementpatternsandprogresstomorecomplexexercisesovertimewhilegainingconfidenceandcompetenceintheirabilitiestomovewithstyleandprecision.

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InjuryPrevention:• Focusonskillacquisitionwithgoodmechanics.• Participate instretchingandtubing injurypreventionprogrambeforepracticeandstretchingafterpractice to

encouragehabitformationanddevelopment.• Acquirethrowingskillwithmechanicsthatdecreasethestressontheshoulderandelbow.• Athletesshouldavoidthrowingpitchesotherthanfastballsandchange-ups.• FollowPitchSmartrecommendationsforpitchingguidelinesandrequiredrest.• Onceremovedfromthemound,pitchersshouldnotreturnlaterinthegametopitchagain.• Pitchersshouldavoidpitchinginmultiplegamesonthesameday.• Pitchersshouldnotexceed60(seven-toeight-year-olds)or80(nine-to12-year-olds)combinedinningspitched

ina12-monthperiod.• Ondayspitched,athletesshouldavoidplayingcatcherwhilenotpitching.• Athletesshouldavoidplayingformultipleteamsatthesametime.• Noyear-roundparticipation ina single sport; takeat least fourmonthsoff fromthrowingeveryyear,withat

leasttwotothreeofthosemonthsbeingcontinuous.• Athletesshouldparticipateinafullbody-strengtheningprogramtopromotesymmetricalbalance.• Focusonnutritionforrecoveryafterparticipation.• Educateathletesoninjuriesandhowtocommunicatesymptomstoparent/coach.


• Begintodevelopintrinsicmotivationforlifelongsportandphysicalactivityparticipation.• Emphasize enjoyment of physical activity in general and baseball as a great avenue to experience sport

enjoyment.• Instillsportcompetencebyprovidingopportunitiesforsuccessandhighlightingthem.• Minimizeuseofpunishmentforincorrectbehaviorsatthisstage.• Developpositivesocialinteractionsandcommunicationamongteammates,parentsandcoaches.• Continuetodevelop intrinsicmotivationforphysicalactivity/baseballbyemphasizingthesatisfactionofeffort

andmasteringskills.• Continue to develop intrinsic motivation for baseball via autonomy supportive coaching methods and

emphasizingaspectsofbaseballindividualathletesenjoy.• Create a mastery motivational climate where individual improvement, effort and skill development are

modeled/rewarded.• Encouragepositivepeerinteractionsandteamworkviamodeling,reinforcementandcommunication.(i.e.,team

sportsbuilding).• Introducetheconceptofgoalsettingreachtoattainableteamandindividualgoals.• Continuetofosterpositivepeerrelationshipsatthiscriticaltimewhenpeeracceptanceandsocialcomparison

areimportantandprevalentinsport.• Continue to foster a mastery motivational climate where individual improvement and skill development is

modeled/rewarded. All athletes should have opportunities to experience success and have input (i.e.,autonomy)intotheirsportexperienceregardlessofskilllevel.

• Carefullymonitor athlete stress levels and psychological healthmarkers (e.g., anxiety, depression); introducebasicpsychologicalskillstomanagestressandaidconcentration.

• Promote enjoyment and intrinsicmotivationwith an emphasis on skill learning, effort and improvement. Forages 10-12, promotion of intrinsicmotivation, positive social experiences and enjoyment will promote sport

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adaptive forms of sport commitment and deter dropout at a time where individual skill levels, success andinterestswillvary.

• Psychological skilldevelopment shouldnotbeaprimary focus,butmonitoringathlete stress (by coachesandparents) and explaining the basic concepts of psychological skill development, including healthy goal setting,representsapositiveandeffectivemeanstopromoteathletepsychosocialhealthandperformance.

• Closely monitoring and preventing/managing athlete stress and psychological health will further promoteathletewell-beingandencouragecontinuedbaseballparticipation.

• For ageseight tonine, competitionneednotbeemphasized, as teambuildingandgroupgoal setting shouldpromotepositivebaseballexperiencesandsetatemplateforsimilarexperiencesinothersportsbeingsampled.Peer comparison and competition will begin to be more common for athletes ages 10-12. This can beproblematicwhenathletesarestill learningskillsandcandetermotivationandenjoymentiftheystruggle.Forthisreason,individualskilldevelopmentandsupportivecoachandteammaterelationshipsshouldbepromoted.

Specialization:

• Continuetostronglydiscouragesinglesportspecialization–encouragetwoothersportstogrowandcrosstrain.Thiswill serve topromote identitydevelopment, socialdevelopment (exposure tomultiplesocialgroups)anddiscourageburnoutanddropout.

• Childrenshouldsampleavarietyofsportsandavoidspecializingearlyinasinglesport.• Developathleticismbyplayingmultiplesports.


• Parentsandcoachesshouldencouragesamplingofmultiplesportsthatprimarilyfocusondeliberateplay.Lessemphasisshouldbeplacedondeliberatepracticecomparedtodeliberateplay.Somedeliberatepracticeshouldbeincludedtoaidinskillacquisition.

• Athletesshouldspend75percentofdedicatedtimetosportstraining,orparticipatingindeliberateplay,andnomorethan25percentofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.

• Athletescanparticipateineachsportonetotwodaysperweekinseason,fornomorethatfourmonthsoutofthecalendaryearatatime.

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Stage 3: Progress Chronological/DevelopmentAge:12–14Skilltrainingisnowbecomingmorespecificandshouldincludemechanicalelementsandawareness.Athletesshouldbe self-motivated and will begin understanding how to self-diagnose aspects of their training and performance.Physicaldevelopment shouldbe techniquedrivenandageappropriate,andoverallwellness should includeproperarmcareplanning.Competency(successorself-improvement)isimportantinthisstage,asisacontinuedmulti-sportapproach.Whilecompetitiveplaywillincrease,moretimeshouldstillbespenttrainingproportionately.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• Athletescanstarttobecome“theirownbestcoach,”andthusabletoself-correcterrors.Inordertodothis,theuseofexpertmodelsforskilldemonstrationandself-observedfeedbackshouldbeencouraged.Expertmodelscanincludecoachesand/orskilledathletes,orevenavideoofaplayerperformingtheskill.

• Continuetobe introducedtonewclosedskills first (e.g.,hitoffabattingteetocontrolexternal factorswhilemakingmechanicaladjustments,suchaschanginghandpathpositionforhittingswing)andthenprogressintoopenskillenvironmentwithnewmechanicaladjustment.

• Cognitive stress levels shouldbemanipulated in a cautiousmanner to simulate gameexperiencesduring thelearningprocess(e.g.,fieldinggroundballswithgamescenariosofamanonsecondbasewithoneout)toallowforathletestobecomecomfortableinmakingcognitivedecisionswhileenactingphysicalskills.

• Athletesshouldcontinuetoseeandfeelthecorrectmovementpattern(i.e.,throwing,catching,hitting),buttheadditionofadvancedself-observationusingvideofeedbackanddetailedreviewoftheirtechniquecanbegintobeapplied.


• Earlyexposuretostrengthandconditioningprogramsthataredevelopmentallyappropriate, technique-drivenand supervised by qualified professionals will set the stage for even greater gains in physical fitness duringadolescence and adulthood.While there is no “minimum age” for participation in strength and conditioningactivities,participantsmustbeabletofollowingcoachinginstructionsandbeabletohandlethedemandsofatrainingsession.

• Athletesshouldlearnbasicmovementpatternsandprogresstomorecomplexexercisesovertimewhilegainingconfidenceandcompetenceintheirabilitiestomovewithstyleandprecision.

• Focusonbodyweightexercises.InjuryPrevention:

• While pitching, focus on mechanics; athletes can add breaking ball pitches when fastball and changeupmechanicsarewelldeveloped.

• Athletes should participate in stretching and injury prevention program before practice and stretching afterpractice.

• Strengthandconditioningshouldemphasizecorestrengthdevelopmentandbodyweightexercises.• Athletesshouldparticipateinafullbodystrengtheningprogramtopromotesymmetricalbalance.• FollowPitchSmartrecommendationsforpitchingguidelinesandrequiredrest.• Athletesshouldavoidpitchinginmultiplegamesonthesameday.• Pitchersshouldnotexceed80(12-year-olds)or100(13-14-year-olds)combinedinningspitchedina12-month

period.• Ondayspitched,athletesshouldavoidplayingcatcherwhilenotpitching.• Athletesshouldavoidplayingformultipleteamsatthesametime.

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• Noyear-roundparticipation ina single sport; takeat least fourmonthsoff fromthrowingeveryyear,withatleasttwotothreeofthosemonthsbeingcontinuous.

• Refrainfromusingweightedballthrowingprograms.• Focusonnutritionforrecoveryafterparticipation.


• Emphasize enjoyment of physical activity in general and baseball as a great avenue to experience sportenjoyment.

• Continue to develop intrinsic motivation for baseball via autonomy-supportive coaching methods andemphasizingaspectsofbaseballthatindividualathletesenjoy.

• Continue to develop intrinsic motivation for baseball and mastery of motivational climates viamodeling/reinforcement and promotion of sport competence. When correction is needed, utilize positiveapproachestocommunication.

• Enhancesportcommitmentbymakingbaseballanenjoyableandcost-effective(whenpossible)physicalactivityoption.Also,provideathleteswithautonomy(i.e.,input)intotheirsportparticipationdecisions.

• Developleadershipskillsforindividualathletesandpromoterelatedness(i.e.,connection)betweenathletesandcoachestopromotesocialinvolvement.

• Continue to monitor athlete stress and markers of psychological health (e.g., anxiety, depression). Promotepsychological skills (advancedgoal setting, arousal-regulation, concentrationdrills) toenhancewell-beingandfacilitateperformance.

• Educateparentsandcoachesonfactorscontributingtosportstress,lowmotivationandathleteburnout,aswellasappropriateagestoconsiderbaseballspecialization.

• Excellent time to enhance earlier efforts to promote intrinsic baseball motivation, enjoyment and positiverelationships within baseball as a means to promote participation into the high school years. A focus onsatisfyingathleteneedsforcompetence,autonomyandrelatednessinthesportenvironmentwillaidthisgoal.

• Proper educationonpreventionof elevated athlete stress, lowmotivation andburnoutwill help to promotepsychosocialwell-beinganddeterdropout.

• Athletes should be allowed to mentally and physically re-charge as appropriate. Structures for travel/selectteams shouldallowathletes toexperienceother sport andnon-sportopportunities. This shouldalso serve topromotemultidimensionalathleteidentitiesanddeterathleteburnoutandsportdropout.

Specialization:

• Athletesshouldsampleavarietyofsportsandavoidspecializingearlyinasinglesport.• Donotencouragesinglesportspecialization;participationinoneothersportisstillhighlyencouraged.


• Athletesofhighertalentlevelsandadesiretobecomeanadvancedbaseballplayercanreduceinvolvementinextrasports(comparedtothesamplingyears–upto12yearsofage)andincreasedeliberatepractice.Athletesarestillencouragedtocontinuesomedeliberateplayinothersports.

• Athletes should spend 65 percent of dedicated time to sports training, and no more than 35 percent ofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.

• Athletescanparticipateineachsporttwotothreedaysperweekinseason,forfourtoeightmonthsoutofthecalendaryearatatime.

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Stage 4: Develop Chronological/DevelopmentalAge:14–16Theathletesphysicalandskilldevelopmentshouldbecomeincreasinglyindividualizedandshouldcatertotheirowngrowth, and be specific to their preferred position(s). Safe training practices should bemaintained, and rest andrecovery after workouts, practices, and games remain imperative. Fostering a positive social environment thatincludesopportunity for self-determination for theathlete,andopencommunicationbetweentheathlete,parentsandcoacheswillaidinsuccessonandoffthefield.Inappropriateinstances,specializationmayoccurinthisstage,butmulti-sportathleticsarestillencouraged.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• Athletes are likely experiencingmajor changes in growth. It is critical that movement quality during skills ismaintainedduringthisperiod.Coachesmayneedtorevisittechniqueofbasicskills(e.g.throwing,running)toensureathletesmaintainoptimalperformancewithoutincreasinginjuryrisk.

• Athletesshouldcontinuetoseeandfeelthecorrectmovementpattern(i.e.,throwing,catching,hitting),buttheadditionofadvancedself-observationusingvideofeedbackanddetailedreviewoftheirtechniquecanbegintobeapplied.Videoobservationandfeedbackcanbereadilyprovidedwithcoachandathleteinteraction.

• Athletescancontinuetobecome“theirownbestcoach”–continueself-observationalongwithexpertmodelinformation.

• Athletesshouldleadindecisionmakingprocess(e.g.,decidingtothrowtheballhomeonaballhittothepitcherwithamanonthirdbaseinsteadofmakingtheeasyoutatfirstbase)andcontinuetobeencouragedtomaketheirownplayingdecisionswhilemakinglargeamountsofsafemistakes.

• Athletesshouldcontinuerefiningbaseballmovementpatternsinaclosedskillssettingfirst(e.g.,newapproachforglovepositioningwhenfieldinggroundballscanbedonewiththeballstationary)toandthenprogressintoopenskillenvironment.

• Athletes fatigue and cognitive stress levels should bemanipulated to simulate game experiences during thelearningprocess(e.g.,bottomofthelast inningand3-2countduringbattingpractice)toallowforrefinementandcontrolofcognitiveandphysicalskillinterplay.

• Athletesmaybenefitfrommoreindividualizedtraining.• Trainingintensitycanbegintoincreaseasathletesmovethroughthisstage.


• Athletesshouldcontinuetoparticipateindevelopmentallyappropriatestrengthandconditioningactivitiesthatshouldbeconsistentwiththespecificdemandsofeachplayer’sposition.

• Total body fitness, muscular strength and motor skill competency remain key components of sport trainingprogramsforperformanceenhancementandinjuryreduction.

• Havingtheabilitytoexpresstotalbodypowersafetywithinaspectrumofmovementcompetenciesthatincludeaccelerationanddeceleration,pushingandpulling,and jumpingand landingwillprovidethebestopportunityforaplayertoexceedexpectationsonthefieldandtoleratetheunpredictableimpactforcesexperiencedinhighactionsportactivities.

• Adolescentswho are not exposed towell-designed strength and conditioning program early in life will havemoredifficultymasteringmovementskillandwillbeill-preparedforadvancedtraining.

• Coachesshouldhavepracticalexperienceinstructingresistancetrainingexercisesandconditioningactivitiestoyouth. In addition, coaches should be sensitive to inter-individual differences in physical development andfitnessabilitiesbetweenathletesofthesameage.

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InjuryPrevention:• While pitching, continue focusing on mechanics. Athletes can continue to add pitches when consistent

mechanicswithpreviouslylearnedpitchesaredemonstrated.• Stretchingandinjurypreventionprogrambeforepracticeandstretchingafterpractice.• Strengthandconditioningshouldemphasizecorecontroldevelopment.• Athletes should partake in full body training programs, not just strengthening programs, to promote

symmetricalbalance.• FollowPitchSmartrecommendationsforpitchingguidelinesandrequiredrest.• Pitchersshouldavoidpitchinginmultiplegamesonthesameday.• Pitchersshouldnotexceed100combinedinningspitchedina12-monthperiod.• Ondayspitched,athletesshouldavoidplayingcatcherwhilenotpitching.• Athletesshouldavoidplayingformultipleteamsatthesametime.• Noyear-roundparticipation ina single sport; takeat least fourmonthsoff fromthrowingeveryyear,withat

leasttwotothreeofthosemonthsbeingcontinuous.• Useweightedballthrowingprogramswithcaution.• Focusonnutritionforrecoveryafterparticipation.


• Despite increases in competition level, continue to foster more self-determined forms of motivation bypromotingathletefeelingsofautonomy,competenceandrelatednessintheirbaseballexperiences.

• Utilize autonomy-supportive coaching methods to develop a mastery oriented motivational climate, whichsupportseffort/persistence.

• Encourage development of positive and cooperative relationships among athletes, parents and coaches viaparentandcoachtrainingandathletecommunicationskillsdevelopment.

• Educateparentsandcoachesonfactorscontributingtosportstress,lowmotivationandathleteburnoutaswellasappropriateagestoconsiderbaseballspecialization.

• Continue education on psychological skill development. Consult with a certified sport psychology consultantand/ortrainedmentalhealthprofessionalsforneedsbeyondeducation(i.e.,clinicalmentalhealthissues).

• Excellent time to enhance earlier efforts to promote intrinsic baseball motivation, enjoyment and positiverelationshipswithinbaseballasameanspromoteparticipationintothehighschoolyears.Afocusonsatisfyingathleteneedsforcompetence,autonomyandrelatednessinthesportenvironmentwillaidthisgoal.

• Teachingathleteskeypsychologicalskillswillaidinthemanagementofstressandpsychosocialwell-beingandfacilitateconcentrationandperformance.

• Athletes should be allowed to mentally and physically re-charge as appropriate. Structures for travel/selectteams shouldallowathletes toexperienceother sport andnon-sportopportunities. This shouldalso serve topromotemultidimensionalathleteidentitiesanddeterathleteburnoutandsportdropout.

Specialization:

• Whilesinglesportspecializationmaybegin,itshouldbedelayedaslateaspossiblewithinthisstage.• Participationinoneothersportishighlyencouraged.• Otherrecreationalactivitiesandsportscontinuetobeanimportantfactorinoverallhealthandwell-being.


• Recreationalandadvanced levelathletes continue toplaymultiple sports that includeelementsofdeliberateplayandpractice,forthepromotionoffitnessandenjoyment.

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• Athletesofhighertalentandadesiretobecomeanadvancedbaseballplayercaninvesttheirtimeinonesport(i.e.,baseball)withotherssportssupplementingtheirtrainingfortheirprimarysport.

• Baseballcanbetheprimarysport,butathletesshouldplayothersportsaswell.• Balancedeliberateplaywithdeliberatepractice.• Ensuregameenjoyment.• Athletesshouldspend65percentofdedicatedtimetosportstraining,orparticipatingindeliberateplay,andno

morethan35percentofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.• Athletescanparticipateineachsportthreetofourdaysperweekinseason,forfourtoeightmonthsoutofthe

calendaryearatatime.ADVANCEDTRACKAthletes who demonstrate an advanced level of development within the sport may wish to further dedicatethemselves to their progression towards the upper echelons of the game. While maintaining a well-roundedapproach,athletetrainingshouldfurtherfocusonpositionspecificskillsandmechanics.Baseballspecializedathletesmayspendaddedtimethroughouttheyeartrainingandcompetingbutshouldbeevenmorealerttooveruserelatedinjuries,especiallyconnectedtothrowing.Mentorsshouldbeawarethatwhiletheseathletesmaybegiftedinsport,theyareoftenonparwiththeirpeers’mentalandsocialdevelopment.See“Develop”stageforadditionalmarkers.

PhysicalLiteracy,Physicaldevelopment,InjuryPrevention,PsychosocialWell-Being:

• Athletesmaybepermittedatthisstagetobeplacedonmoreofanadvancedtrackfortheirsportdevelopment.However,whiletheymaybeshowingadvancedbaseballskillsetsandaptitudeitisimportanttobemindfulthattheymaybeonthesamephysicalandmentallevelastheirpeerswhoarenoteliteathletes.Continuingtomeettheirmaturationalneeds in theseareas is importantwhilesimultaneouslypushingathletes towardsadvancedlevelsofplay.

Specialization:

• Allowsinglesportspecialization ifcoaches,parentsandathletesagree it isappropriatebut it shouldnotbearequirementofleagues/teams(i.e.,breaksandcross-trainingshouldbeconsidered).

• Therearestillmanybenefitstomultisportparticipation.• Athletescanbeginidentifyingatprimaryskillset(infield,outfield,catcher,pitcher)wheremore,butnotall,of

skilldevelopmentcanbefocused.• Beingawell-rounded,versatileathleteinseveralpositionsisrecommended.


• Timespenttrainingversuscompetingshouldbeequal.• Athletescanspendfourtofivedaysperweekinseasontrainingorcompeting.• Athletescanspendfourtoeightmonthsofthecalendaryeartrainingandcompeting.

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Stage 5: Apply Chronological/DevelopmentalAge:16–18Trainingandpracticesshouldbeworkingtowardsteamandindividualoptimization.Athletesshouldbeabletouseself-observation to identify mechanical and other skill deficiencies. Strength and conditioning activities should beathletespecificandshouldmaintainanapproachthatensurestotalbodyfitness,muscularstrengthandmotorskillcompetency.Athletesshouldmaintainanindividualizedarmcareprogram,especiallyastheamountofcompetitionincreases over time. Single sport specialization among advanced athletes may occur. The promotion of positivedevelopmentalenvironmentswithinteamsandpersonaltrainingsettingsremainsimportant.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• Athletes’ fatigue and cognitive stress levels should bemanipulated to simulate game experiences during thelearningprocess(e.g.,bottomofthelast inningand3-2countduringbattingpractice)toallowforrefinementandcontrolofcognitiveandphysicalskillinterplay.

• Athletesmaybenefitfrommoreindividualizedtraining.• Trainingintensitycanbegintoincreaseasathletesmovethroughthisstage.• Athletesshouldmaintainandseekexpertenhancementofcorrectmovementpatternsthroughadvancedself-

observation (e.g., video feedback) and continue detailed review of their techniques. Video observation andfeedbackcanbereadilyprovidedwithcoachandathleteinteraction.

• Athletes shouldhavea largedatabankofcognitiveexperiencesand information tocontinue tobe“theirownbestcoach”–continualself-observationalongwithexpertmodelinformationshouldbecontinuallyaccessible.

• Athletesshould lead indecision-makingprocess (e.g.,decidingtothrowtheballhomeonaballhit topitcherwithamanonthirdbaseinsteadoftakingeasyoutatfirstbase).


• Athletesshouldcontinuetoparticipateindevelopmentallyappropriatestrengthandconditioningactivitiesthatshouldbeconsistentwiththespecificdemandsofeachplayer’sposition.

• Total body fitness, muscular strength and motor skill competency remain key components of sport trainingprogramsforperformanceenhancementandinjuryreduction.


• Adolescentswho are not exposed towell-designed strength and conditioning program early in life will havemoredifficultymasteringmovementskillandwillbeill-preparedforadvancedtraining.

• Coachesshouldhavepracticalexperienceinstructingresistancetrainingexercisesandconditioningactivitiestoyouth. In addition, coaches should be sensitive to inter-individual differences in physical development andfitnessabilitiesbetweenathletesofthesameage.

InjuryPrevention:

• Whilepitching,continuetofocusonmaintainingandrepeatingpitchingmechanics.• Stretchingandinjurypreventionprogrambeforepracticeandstretchingafterpracticetopreventadaptationof

physicalcharacteristics.• Strengthandconditioningshouldemphasizecorecontrolmaintenanceanddevelopment.• Athletes should partake in full body training programs, not just strengthening programs, to promote

symmetricalbalance.

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• Position-specificstrengthandconditioningprogramscanbeaddedtothestrengthandconditioningprogram.• Monitorworkload,changesinperformance,changesinmechanics,andsubjectivemeasuresoffatigue.• FollowPitchSmartrecommendationsforpitchingguidelinesandrequiredrest.• Pitchersshouldavoidpitchinginmultiplegamesonthesameday.• Pitchersshouldnotexceed100combinedinningspitchedina12-monthperiod.• Ondayspitched,athletesshouldavoidplayingcatcherwhilenotpitching.• Athletesshouldavoidplayingformultipleteamsatthesametime.• Noyear-roundparticipation ina single sport; takeat least fourmonthsoff fromthrowingeveryyear,withat

leasttwotothreeofthosemonthsbeingcontinuous.• Useweightedballthrowingprogramswithcaution.• Focusonnutritionforrecoveryafterparticipation.


• Despite increases in competition level, continue to foster more self-determined (i.e., intrinsic) forms ofmotivation by promoting athlete feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness in their baseballexperiences.

• Utilizeautonomy-supportivecoachingmethodstodevelopamasteryorientedmotivationalclimate.• Encourage development of positive and cooperative relationships among athletes, parents and coaches via

parentandcoachtrainingandathletecommunicationskillsdevelopment.• Educateparentsandcoacheson factors contributing to sport stress, lowmotivationandathleteburnoutand

appropriateagestoconsiderbaseballspecialization.• Continue education on psychological skill development. Consult with a certified sport psychology consultant

and/ortrainedmentalhealthprofessionalsforneedsbeyondeducation(i.e.,clinicalmentalhealthissues).• Excellent time to enhance earlier efforts to promote intrinsic baseball motivation, enjoyment and positive

relationshipswithinbaseballasameanspromoteparticipationintothehighschoolyears.Afocusonsatisfyingathleteneedsforcompetence,autonomyandrelatednessinthesportenvironmentwillaidthisgoal.

• Teachingathleteskeypsychologicalskillswillaidinthemanagementofstressandpsychosocialwell-beingandfacilitateconcentrationandperformance.

• Competitionlevelsarelikelytoincreasefornon-recreationalathletesinboththe15-16and17-18agegroups.Yet,coachingmethodsshouldstillremainpositiveandenhanceathletemotivationviapromotionofautonomy,competenceand relatedness.Coachandparentaleducation is key tomonitoringandpromotingathletewell-being. Athletes will likely have developed physically, cognitively and socially between these two age groups.However,programmingrecommendationsarelargelysimilarfortheseagegroups.

Specialization:

• Allowsinglesportspecializationasappropriatewhenathlete,coachandparentsagreeitisappropriate.Trainingbreaksandcrosstrainingshouldbeutilizedasneededifsinglesportspecializationispursued.

• Otherrecreationalactivitiesandsportscontinuetobeanimportantfactorinoverallhealthandwell-being.PeriodizationandCompetition:

• Athletesofhighertalentandadesiretobecomeelitebaseballplayerscan invest their time inonesport (i.e.,baseball)withotherssportssupplementingtheirtrainingfortheirprimarysport.)

• Advancedlevelbaseball.• Significantamountofdeliberatepracticeandgameimprovementshouldbeincluded.• Reducebutnoteliminatemultisportparticipation.

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• Ensuregameenjoyment.• Athletesshouldspend65percentofdedicatedtimetosportstraining,orparticipatingindeliberateplay,andno

morethan35percentofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.• Athletescanparticipateineachsportfourtofivedaysperweekinseason,forfourtoeightmonthsoutofthe

calendaryearatatime.ADVANCEDTRACKAdvancedlevelathleteswithinthisstagearethosewhoarelikelytograduatetotheExcelstage,andwillplayeitherat the collegiate or professional levels. While those outcomes may motivate the athlete, a process baseddevelopmentplanshouldbemaintainedthatpromotesawell-roundedapproachtothephysical,mentalandsocialsidesof thesport. Singlesport specialization in this stage ismore likely tooccur,although it isnotmandatory forbaseballadvancement.Increasedcompetitionlevels,meananincreasedfocusshouldbepaidtototalbodywellnessandarmcare.Skillspecifictrainingshouldbeadvancedwiththeathletepossessingabaseofknowledgeinindividualandsituationalplay.See“Apply”stageforadditionalmarkers.

PhysicalLiteracy,Physicaldevelopment,InjuryPrevention,PsychosocialWell-Being:

• Avoidathleteoveruseandburnout.• This is the stage forwhich thepursuitof college scholarshipsandMajor LeagueBaseballdraft statushas the

abilitytoovershadowlong-termdevelopmentalgoals.• Athletesshouldcontinuetoexperienceenjoymentfromplayingthegamewhilepursuingpersonalobjectives.

Specialization:

• Allowsinglesportspecialization ifcoaches,parentsandathletesagree it isappropriatebut it shouldnotbearequirementofleagues/teams(i.e.,breaksandcross-trainingshouldbeconsidered).

• Singlesportspecializationofadvancedathletesinthisstageismorelikelytooccur.• Therearestillmanybenefitstomultisportparticipation.


• Slightlymoretimecanbedevotedtocompetingversustraining.• Athletescanspendfourtofivedaysperweekinseasontrainingorcompeting.• Athletescanspendeightmonthsofthecalendaryeartrainingandcompeting.

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Stage 6: Excel AdvancedTrackAthletesOnlyChronologicalAge:19+Athletes in this stage are maximizing their physical, psychosocial, and skill specific preparation and performance.Masteryofallindividualizedmechanicalfunctionsandteamrelatedsituationalplaysarebeingworkedonasadailyoccurrenceinpracticeandingames.Physicalcompetenciesshouldbeoptimizedwithathletestrainingtomoveandthinkatlevelsapproachingtheirpersonalbest.Coacheswithinthisstageshouldbeexpertswithintheirspecificfield.Single sport specialization is highly likely, but other recreational sports can aid in overall well-being as allowable.Position specific training and nutritional guides should be implemented to support the challenging practice andcompetitionschedulesathleteswillendure.

PhysicalLiteracy:

• Athletesshouldmaintainandseekexpertenhancementofcorrectmovementpatternsthroughadvancedself-observation(e.g.videofeedback)andcontinuedetailedreviewoftheirtechniques.

• Athletes shouldhavea largedatabankofcognitiveexperiencesand information tocontinue tobe“theirownbestcoach”–continualself-observationalongwithexpertmodelinformationshouldbecontinuallyaccessible.

• Athletesshould lead indecisionmakingprocess (e.g.,decidingtothrowtheballhomeonaballhit topitcherwithamanonthirdbaseinsteadoftakingeasyoutatfirstbase)andcontinuetobeencouragedtomaketheirownplayingdecisionswhilecontinuallytryingtominimizecognitiveandphysicalmistakes.

• Continuerefiningbaseballmovementpatternsinaclosedskillssettingfirst.• Athletesfatigueandcognitivestress levelsshouldbehighlymanipulatedtosimulategameexperiencesduring

thelearningprocess(e.g.,scrimmagegames,simulatedgames,livegamesituations)toallowforrefinementandcontrolofcognitiveandphysicalskillinterplayincontinualexpertmotorlearning.

• Athletes shouldwork closelywith the available training andmedical teams to insurewell-round professionalapproachtothegameandoverallwell-being.

Physicaldevelopment:


InjuryPrevention:• Whilepitching,continuetofocusonmaintainingandrepeatingpitchingmechanics.• Stretchingandinjurypreventionprogrambeforepracticeandstretchingafterpracticetopreventadaptationof

physicalcharacteristics.• Strengthandconditioningshouldemphasizecorecontrolmaintenanceanddevelopment.• Athletes should partake in full body training programs, not just strengthening programs, to promote

symmetricalbalance.• Additionofposition-specificstrengthandconditioningprograms.• Monitorworkload,changesinperformance,changesinmechanics,andsubjectivemeasuresoffatigue.• FollowPitchSmartrecommendationsforpitchingguidelinesandrequiredrest.• Pitchersshouldavoidpitchinginmultiplegamesonthesameday.• Ondayspitched,athletesshouldavoidplayingcatcherwhilenotpitching.• Athletesshouldavoidplayingformultipleteamsatthesametime.

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• Noyear-roundparticipation;takeatleastfourmonthsofffromthrowingeveryyear,withatleasttwotothreeofthosemonthsbeingcontinuous.

• Useweightedballthrowingprogramswithcaution.• Focusonnutritionforrecoveryafterparticipation.• Athletescanuserecoverytherapeuticagents.


• Continue to promote self-determined motivation for and enjoyment of baseball in both recreational andcompetitiveenvironments.

• Continue to monitor athlete psychological health and psychological skill development for high-level athletescontinuingtoplaycompetitively.

• Encourage lifelong learning for recreational athletes aswell as baseball play as ameans to promote physicalactivityandpsychosocialdevelopment.

• Fosterdevelopmentoflifelongfriendshipsandmentoringrelationshipsbothinandoutofthesportofbaseball.• Encouragementorship/involvementwith younger athletes at this age to simulate the role wewant baseball

participants to play in the next age group. Develop baseball competence, autonomy and relatedness in bothmentorsandmentees.

• Re-emphasisonathleteeducationaboutsportstress,burnoutandguidelinesforsinglesportspecialization.• Self-determinedmotivationandenjoymentarekeysforcontinuedinterest/participationacrossthelifespan.• Psychologicalhealthmonitoringandpsychologicalskilldevelopmentshouldbeapriorityforthosecontinuingto

playcompetitively.• Should be encouraged to get involved via mentoring as a means to facilitate future baseball involvement.

Lifelongeducationwillfacilitatehealthyexperiencesfortheseathletesaswellasfutureyouthbaseballathletes.Specialization:

• Highly advanced and competitive sport settingswill tend to promote single sport specialization in this stage.Singlesportspecializationofadvancedathletesinthisstageismorelikelytooccur.

• Asispermissiblewithinthecompetitiveenvironment,otherrecreationalactivitiesandsportscancontinuetobeanimportantfactorinoverallhealthandwell-being.

• Allowsinglesportspecialization ifcoaches,parentsandathletesagree it isappropriatebut itshouldnotbearequirementofleagues/teams(i.e.,breaksandcross-trainingshouldbeconsidered).

• Therearestillmanybenefitstomultisportparticipation.PeriodizationandCompetition:

• Athletesshouldfocusontrainingmoresothancompeting.• Athletesshouldparticipateinsportsthreeormoretimesaweekforhealthbenefits.• Includeparticipationinsportsaspartoftheyearroundhealthregimen.• Athletesshouldspend70percentofdedicatedtimetosportstraining,orparticipatingindeliberateplay,and30

percentofdedicatedtimetosportshouldbespentcompeting.• Timespenttrainingandcompetingcanbedependentuponthecollegiateorprofessionallevelofplay.

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Stage 7: Inspire ChronologicalAge:AnyThisstageofdevelopmentcanbeaccessedatanypointaftertheActivatestage.Thosewhoinspirewithinthegamecontinue toparticipate inabatandball sport to fosterahealthy lifestyle. Athletesshould remain involved inanycapacity, whether it is as a player, coach, umpire, or volunteer. Participation in gameplay either at baseballrecreationallevelsoronthesoftballfieldisencouraged.Developingaloveandmentoringfuturegenerationsthroughpositiveexperiencesinbaseballallowsathletestopassonthemanygreatlifelessonslearnedthroughthegame.

ActiveParticipation:

• Alladultsshouldavoid inactivity.Somephysicalactivity isbetterthannone,andadultswhoparticipate inanyamountofphysicalactivitygainsomeofthehealthbenefitsthatphysicalactivityoffers.

• Adults (ages 18+) should get at least two and a half hours (150 minutes) each week of moderate-intensityaerobic physical activity, or an hour and fifteen minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobicphysicalactivity.

• Alongwithaerobicactivities,adultsshouldalsodostrengtheningactivitiesatleasttwodaysaweek.• Foradditionalhealthbenefits,adultsshouldtrytoincreaseaerobicphysicalactivitytofivehours(300minutes)a

week,ortwoandahalfhours(150minutes)aweekofvigorous-intensityaerobicphysicalactivity.• Aerobicactivitiesrequiremoderatephysicaleffortandinclude,butarenot limitedto:bikingslowly,canoeing,

ballroom dancing, general gardening, using a manual wheelchair, arm cycling, walking briskly, and wateraerobics.Examplesofvigorousactivitiesincludeplayingbaseball, jumpingrope,running,swimming,orplayingothersports.

• Muscle-strengtheningactivitiesexercisethemajormusclegroups(legs,hips,back,chest,shoulders,andarms)andinclude,butarenotlimitedto:liftingweights,push-ups,sit-ups,andworkingwithresistancebands.

• Bone-strengthening activities promote bone growth and strength by producing a force on the bones. Mostaerobicandmuscle-strengtheningactivitiesarealsobone-strengtheningactivities(3).

MentorshipandEngagement:• Continuetoenjoybaseballasacasualfan.• Givebacktothegamebybecomingacoach,umpire,instructor,volunteer,ormentor.• Seekouteducationwithinbaseball,forexamplecoachingorumpireeducation.• Educationisimportantsothatpositiveexperiencescanbefacilitatedfortheseathletesthatmayonedaybein

thepositiontopromotehealthybaseballparticipationforotheryouthoradolescentbaseballathletes.• Re-emphasizetheneedtofosterintrinsicmotivationandenjoymentofbaseballinathletes,team,andmentees.

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Key Factors Inf luencing the LTAD

TherearesixkeyfactorsinfluencingtheLTAD:1. PhysicalLiteracyandSkillAcquisition2. Physicaldevelopment3. InjuryPrevention4. PsychosocialWell-Being5. Specialization6. PeriodizationandCompetition

1.PhysicalLiteracyandSkillAcquisitionBaseball offers a valuable opportunity for individuals to be physically active across a lifespan. For children, baseballprovidesauniqueexposure toa varietyof fundamentalmovement skills that canbe transferred toother sports andactivities to ensure physical literacy, the ability to play other sports, and long-term athletic development. Physicalliteracyisfrequentlydefinedastheabilitytomovewithcompetenceandconfidenceduringdifferenttypesofphysicalactivities. In order to optimize growth and athletic potential, baseball instruction should be tailored to thedevelopmentalabilityofeachchild.Childrendevelopmasteryofmovementcontrol,orsportability,atdifferentratesandstagesofmaturation.Thisiscriticaltounderstandbecausewithoutthismasteryofbasicfundamentalskills,childrenmaynotprogressinthesportorskill,becomeinjured,and/orchoosetoleavebaseball,andpossiblyallsports.Theterm“fundamentalmovementskill”isfrequentlyusedtodescribecommonmotoractivitiesthataretheunderlyingframework forbasicmovementsand complex sport andmovement skills. Examplesof these fundamentalmovementskillsincludewalking,running,jumping,hopping,skipping,catching,andthrowing.Physicalandcognitivematurationareimportantforthedevelopmentoftheseskills,buttheenvironmentviapracticeopportunitiesandsocialencouragementalso influencewhether or not these skills are effectively developed (8). As fundamental skills are attained, they aregradually combined and progressed to become more advanced sport skills (8). Sometimes children have difficultyacquiringtheseskillsandtheseproblemsmaydifferbetweenindividuals,butareusuallyduetoincompletemodelingofmovementsofotherindividuals,initialsuccesswithanincorrectmovement,lackofmotivation,inappropriateorscarcelearningopportunities,orproblemswithsensorimotorintegration(8).In comparison to other sports, baseball has a unique ability to help children develop awide variety of fundamentalmovementskillsbasedonthenatureofthesport.Forexample,catching,running,jumping,overhandthrowing,leaping,dodging, forehand strikeand two-hand side-armstrikeareall fundamentalmotor skills that canbeaddressedduringbaseball. Once mastered, these fundamental movements can be further advanced into sport-specific skills, such asthrowing,batting,sliding,diving,andshufflingduringbaseball.Achildneedstobeabletostrikeastationaryobject(tee-ball)consistentlybeforemovingtoamovingobject(coachpitch).Masteryoffundamentalmovementsiscriticalforallchildrenbecauseit isassociatedwithphysicalactivityparticipationandimprovedhealthandwell-being inchildren(8,9).Physical education is not compulsory for all children or a large part of many children’s education curriculums.Consequently,ifnotforsport,manychildrenwillnotbetaughttheseskillsbyanyone.Gallahue(8)notedthisfailureinskilldevelopmentmightbebecausemanypeoplebelievechildrenwillautomaticallylearnthesefundamentalskillsanddonotneedtobetaught.Acquisitionanddevelopmentoffundamentalmotorskillsneedstobeanimportantobjectiveofsociety,becausepossessingtheseskillsleadstoimprovedphysicalactivitylevelsandincreasedparticipationingamesand sports. (8, 10, 12) A failure to reach competency in a variety of the fundamentalmotor skillswill cause limited

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proficiencies of sport specific skills (8). Youth participation in developmentally appropriate sport activities has beenrecommendedtoencouragefutureparticipationinsportsandphysicalactivitythroughoutalifetime(8,11).Animportantconsiderationthatbaseball instructorsshouldunderstandistheirroleas“teachersofmovementorskilldevelopment.”Coachesandparentsneedtobeinvolvedintheprocessofskillacquisitionandathleticdevelopment,notjust as passive instructors. Coaches and parents need to understand what is appropriate technique and movementquality,aswellashowtoprovideeffectiveinstructionandfeedback.Theabilityforabaseballinstructortounderstandthe role of themotor learning process formovement skill acquisition is paramount to being able to provide qualitycoachingforbaseballathletesofallages.Performancevs.LearningThemaindifferencebetween learningandperformance is that learning is considered tobe relativelypermanentandstays relatively constant over time. Performance, on the other hand, is the behavioral act of executing a skill at aspecific time in a specific situation. In the baseball instruction setting, an example of the distinction betweenperformanceeffects and learning effects canbe seenwhenevaluating a ballplayer’s hitting capability.An immediatebattinginstructiongoalcouldbeforthebattertohitlinedrivestotheoppositefield.Theinstructorhastheballplayerperformnumerousdrills to influence theballplayer’s ability tohit linedrives to theopposite field.At theendof thesession,the instructorseestheballplayer leavethefieldbeingabletoconsistentlyhit linedrivestotheoppositefieldwithsoundhittingtechnique.Thequestionhere is:Hastheballplayeracquiredagoodswingpatternthattransferstolearningtohitinrealgamesituationsoristheballplayerjustperformingwellduringpracticedrills?Theanswercannotbe known because the only assessment of performance was done during the practice situation, which involvedassistancefromtheinstructor.Themorecriticalanalysisshouldtakeplacelateroninthedayoroverthecourseofthenext fewdays inanaturalgameenvironment (especially inasituationwhentheballplayerdoesnotsuspect theyarebeingobservedandthattheyshouldbe"performing"properhittingtechnique).Bymakingtheselaterobservations,theinstructoranalyzestheretentionandtransfereffectsoftheinstruction,whichisthekeymarkersoflearning,ratherthantheperformanceeffectsobservedduringthepracticesession.Theselaterobservationswillallowtheinstructortomoreaccuratelyestimatetheirsuccessasa"teacherofmovement,"whilealsoanalyzingtheballplayer’sstageoflearningtheintendedskill.StagesofMotorLearningTheoryFittsandPosner(13)describedatheoryrelatedtothestagesofmotorlearningthatpeoplegothroughwhenlearninganewmovement task. They suggested that there are threemain stages involved inmotor learning: (1) cognitive, (2)associative, and (3) autonomous. The first phaseof learning, according to Fitts andPosner, is the cognitive stageoflearning.Thecognitivestageisassociatedwiththelearnerinitiallydevelopinganunderstandingoftherequirementsofthemovement task and initially developing strategies that can be used to carry out the task. Fitts and Posner (13)theorizedthatthisinitialstagerequiredahighdegreeofcognitiveactivity(e.g.,attention,memory)andthatalearneroftenexperimentswithavarietyofmovementstrategiesresultinginlargemovementvariability.Thecognitivestageismarkedwith a large amount of variability, but it also is noted for large improvements in learning as a result of thebeginningstagesoflearning.Thesecondphaseoflearning,accordingtoFittsandPosner(13),theassociativestage,iswhenthe learnerhasselectedthebeststrategyformovementfromthecognitivestageandnowbeginstorefinethemovementskill.Thevariabilityinperformancetendstodecreaseintheassociativestageandimprovementalsooccursatamuchslowerrate.Theassociativestagemayvaryinduration(e.g.,days,week,ormonths)andisdependentuponboth skill and learner characteristics. The final stage of motor learning, according to Fitts and Posner (13), is theautonomousor"automatic"stage.ThefinalautonomousstageisdefinedbyFittsandPosner(13)asthe"automaticityofskill"andrequires littleattentionaldemandforperformance. Inthefinalstageofmotor learning,FittsandPosner(13) state that learners can begin to devote their attention to other aspects of themovement (e.g., recognizing and

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hittingacurveballtotheoppositefieldorseeingarunnerbreakforhomeplatewhilepreparingtofieldagroundball).Individuals may move between the associative or autonomous stage dependent on numerous motor skill learningparameters (e.g., practice schedule, feedback, task demands), thus an individual can always enhance or reduce theautomaticityofthemovementtaskandattempttoachieveconsistentoptimalmovementskills(e.g.,baseballpitching,hitting,fielding).Cautionshouldbetaken,asrepetitionoftheexactsamemovementpatternmightcausesuboptimallearningcomparedtoallowing theutilizationofmovementpatternvariation,whichstimulates thenervoussystemtocreate optimal solutions for unanticipated events more effectively (14). A combination of directed practice andvariabilityinmovementpatternsisoptimalforlearningnewskills.AttentionalFocusInstructionsfromcoaches/parentsoftentimesstartoffwithinformationfocusedoninternalaspectsofmovement(e.g.,keepelbowhigher,move feetwider,andsnapyourwrist). Theseaspectsof instructionare termed internal focusofattention and can help to start the guidance ofmovement, but oftentimes fall short in longer-termmotor learning.Conversely,drawingalearner’sattentiontowardsanoutcomeoreffectofthemovement(e.g.,pulltheclouddownasyouthrow,exchangeyourshouldersasyouswingthroughtheball,landlightasafeatherwhensteppingtoswing)areconsideredexternal focusof attention instructionswhichhavedemonstrated improvedmotor learning capabilities inthelong-term.Reviewofthemotorlearningresearchhasshownthatexternalfocusofattentioninstructionshelpstoacceleratetheinitialstagesofthelearningprocessbyfacilitatingthedevelopmentofmovementstrategiestoproduceeffectivemovementpatterns(15,16).Atypicalexternalfocusofattentionconceptutilizationinbaseballistheuseofabattingteeforhittingmechanics.Theexternalfocusoftheswingistohittheballontheteetowardstheopposingteamascontrastedtoaninternalfocusofattentionconcerninghandandelbowplacementinswingingabat.Initiallearnerscan be guided through visual feedback, but oftentimes the physical movement pattern exploration relative to theexternal focusofattentionallows for the learner tocreateefficientmovement tasks tocomplete the intendedgoals.Advancedlearnerscanflowbackandforthbetweeninternalandexternalattentionalfoci,butamajorityofthelearningprocessisaidedbyexternalfocusofattention.Physicalliteracycanbedefinedinmanydifferentways.TheAspenInstituteandProjectPlaydefinesphysicalliteracyastheability, confidence,anddesire tobephysicallyactive for life.TheFunctionalMovementSystemsprogramdefinesphysicalliteracyascompetency,complexity,andcapacityforphysicalactivity.SportCanadahasdevelopedthefollowingbasicmovementskillsforallsportsas:

LocomotorSkills:• Boosting• Climbing• Galloping• Gliding• Jumping• Leaping• Running• Skipping• Sliding• Swimming• Swinging

ObjectControlSkills:

• Sending

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o Kickingo Puntingo Rollingo Strikingo Throwing

• Receivingo Catchingo Stoppingo Trapping

• Travelingwitho Dribbling(feet)o Dribbling(hands)o Dribbling(stick)

• ReceivingandSendingo Striking(bat)o Striking(racquet)o Striking(stick)o Volleying(limbs)

BalanceMovements:

• Balancing• Dodging• Floating• Landing• Readyposition• Sinking/Falling• Spinning• Stopping• Stretching• Swinging• Twisting

2.PhysicalDevelopmentWhile there are increasing opportunities to participate inmore competitive sport environments at younger ages, inorder to performat an elite level andwithstand themountingdemandsof training and competition, youngbaseballathletesmustbepreparedfortheirsport.Inadequateorinappropriatepreparationduringtheinitialsportpreparationstage contributes to compromised skill development, injury, burnout, dropout and unrealized talent potential (17).PlayerDevelopmentModelframeworksshouldrecognizethemultidimensionalnatureofathleticdevelopmentandthecritical importanceof physical fitness for eachdevelopmental phase (18, 19).A certain level of forceproduction andforce attenuation is required to perform all athletic movements, and therefore preparatory physical developmentshould be considered foundational to long-term athletic development (35). At present, leading fitness and sportsmedicine organizations support participation in youth physical development programs that are consistent with theneedsandabilitiesofyoungathletes(20).

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Despiteglobalphysicalactivityrecommendations,acorollaryofmoderndaylifestylesisalowerlevelofmuscularfitnessand motor skill competency among school age youth (21-23). Without preventive measures that target deficits inmuscularstrength,agrowingnumberofaspiringyoungathletesmaynotbepreparedforthedemandsofsportspracticeandgames(24).Sinceparticipationinorganizedyouthsportsdoesnotensureasuitablelevelofgeneralfitnessthatisconsistentwithsustainableperformanceatanelite level (25,26),astructuredandprogressiveapproach isneededtodevelopmovement skill competencyandmuscular strength in youngathletes.Clearly,participation in youthbaseballshouldevolveoutofgeneralpreparatoryconditioningandinstructionalpracticesessionsthatenhancegeneralphysicalfitness.Sportparticipationwith strengthandconditioningcanenhanceathleticperformance, reduce the incidenceof sports-relatedinjuriesandimprovemarkersofhealth(19,20,and27).Strongeryoungathleteswillbebetterpreparedtolearncomplexmovements,mastersporttacticsandwithstandthedemandsoflong-termsportstrainingandcompetition(19).From a public health perspective, early exposure to strength and conditioning that emphasize the development ofmuscularstrengthandmovementskillcompetencycanserveasafoundationforregularparticipationinphysicalactivityasanongoinglifestylechoice(18,35,and29).Inordertofosterpositivephysicaldevelopment,maintainadherencetothetrainingprogramsandoptimizelong-termadaptations, youth strength and conditioning programs should be sensibly progressed and manipulated over time.Youngbaseballathleteswhoarenotexposedtothistypeoftrainingwillinevitablyneedtoaddresstechnicalflawsandneuromuscular deficiencies as part of injury rehabilitation or athletic development later in their sport careers.Moreover,youngathleteswhoengageinintensiveyear-roundtraininginonesportearlyinlifearemorelikelytosuffersports-related injuries (30). There is an unparalleled opportunity early in life to target strength development andpromotemultisportparticipationtosetthestageforenhancedathleticdevelopmentlaterinlife.Effective and integrative approaches to long-term athletic development should include the qualified prescription ofstrength and conditioning programs that are designed to address individual limitations in an attempt tomake youthsport more engaging, enjoyable and safe (17, 31). The direct result of sustained participation in developmentallyappropriate strength and conditioning programs is the improvement in a wide range of athletic capabilities. Since acertain level ofmuscular strength is needed to throw, jump and sprint proficiently, the importance of strength andconditioning for youngbaseball athletes shouldnotbeoverlooked. Just like readingandwriting, thedevelopmentofmuscular strength and motor skills can be enhanced with regular practice, meaningful feedback and qualifiedinstruction.Owingtothehighdegreeofneuromuscular“plasticity”duringpreadolescence,theeffectsofphysicaldevelopmentonmotor skill performance appear to bemore pronounced in children than adolescents (32, 33). Consequently, youngbaseball athletes need regular opportunities to develop sufficient levels of muscular strength and movement skillcompetency.Thedynamicrelationshipamongmuscularstrength,motorskillproficiencyandathleticperformancewilllikelybereinforcedovertime,whichisconsistentwiththeexistenceofapositivefeedbackloop.Withoutopportunitiestogainconfidenceandcompetenceintheirphysicalabilitiesearlyinlife,youngathleteswillbelesslikelytoreachtheirathleticpotentiallaterinlifeandmorelikelytoexperiencenegativehealthoutcomes.Training-induced adaptations to physical development are influenced by the neuroplasticity at each stage ofdevelopment,inadditiontothedesignofthetrainingprogramandqualityofinstruction.Differenttypesofstrengthandconditioninghaveproventobeeffective,althoughthetrainingintensityandvolumeareimportantconsiderations(34,35).Significantpositivecorrelationshavebeenfoundbetweengainsinmotorperformanceskillsandthemeanintensity(%1repetitionmaximum)ofthetrainingprogram(32).Therefore,oncebeginnersdevelopproperformandtechnique

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withlightloads,theamountofresistanceshouldbegraduallyincreasedasparticipantsgainconfidenceandcompetenceintheirphysicalabilities.Theminimaldoseoftrainingrequiredtoelicitthedesiredeffectisdifferentinuntrainedandtrained youth, and therefore it is important to consider each player’s strength and conditioning experience whendesigningtrainingprograms.Existing research indicates that regular participation in integrative strength and conditioning programs can elicitperformanceimprovementsinmuscularstrength,muscularpower,runningvelocity,changeofdirectionspeed,dynamicbalance and flexibility in children and adolescents (35,36). Other researchers reported favorable improvements inthrowingvelocity (41,42)and torso rotationalandsequentialhip-torso-armrotational strength (43) followingseveralweeksofsupervisedphysicaldevelopmentinyoungbaseballathletes.Integrativetrainingincludesgeneralandspecificexercises that improvemuscular fitness and enhance a range of physical qualities including fundamentalmovementskills (36).Naturally, asmuscular strength and skill proficiency improve, the load and complexity of the strength andconditioningprogramshouldbeconsistentwiththetrainingexperienceandtechnicalabilitiesofyoungathletes.Thisiswhere the art and science of developing youth strength and conditioning programs come into play because theprinciples of pediatric exercise science need to be balanced with effective coaching in order to enhance a player’sphysical,social,cognitiveandemotionalwell-being(28). Inappropriatecoachingapproachesandextremeconditioningprotocols can result in overtraining, injury and burnout. Qualified professionals who are well versed in physicaldevelopment and skilled in teaching and communicating with young athletes should design and implement youthstrengthandconditioningprograms.3.InjuryPreventionWhilecatastrophic injury inbaseball is rare,other less severe injurieshaveamorecommonoccurrence,evenamongyoungathletes.These injuries,suchasbruises,cuts,scrapesandotherminor injuriesareoftenunderstood.However,there is significant attention focusedon chronic andoveruse injuriesoccurring in the sportofbaseball across all agegroups.Therearemanyinjuriesthatabaseballplayermayexperienceandvariousmechanismsforhowtheseinjuriescanoccur(91).CommonYouthInjuriesFor youth baseball injuries, because there is no overall surveillancemechanism to capture exposure, these data arepresentedasrelative frequenciesof injuries thathaveoccurredbetweenJanuary1994andFebruary2015.Theyouthdataprovidedarefromaccident insuranceclaimsdatabrokenout intotwoagecategories:ages5-12andages13-19.Thesedatamayreflectmoresevere injuriesas theyare fromaccidentclaimsdata,butdodescribepatternsof injuryoccurring inyouthbaseball.Thesedatadonot includeexposuretoriskof injuryoroverall injuryprevalenceoutofallparticipantsoverthecourseofaseason.

• Forages5-12,theleadingactivitiesengagedinwhileinjuredinorderoffrequencyincludefieldingbattedball,catchingthrownball,batting,sliding,runningandcatchingpitchedball.

• Forages13-19,theleadingactivitiesengagedinwhileinjuredinorderoffrequencyincludefieldingbattedball,sliding,batting,catchingthrownball,runningandpitching.

• For ages 5-12, the most common injury types in order of frequency are fracture, bruise/contusion, jointsprain/strain,dental,cut/scrapeandconcussion.

• For ages 13-19, the most common injury types in order of frequency are fracture, bruise/contusion, jointsprain/strain,cut/scrape,dentalanddislocation.

• Forbothagegroups,themostcommonlocationsof injuryoccurrence inorderof frequencyare infield,homeplateandoutfield.

• Forbothagegroups,injuriesweremorecommoningamesthaninpractices.

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Inadditiontotheclaimsdata,literaturearoundthrowingrelatedinjuriesamongyouthhasalsosuggestedthatamuchhigherpercentageofyouthbaseballpitchersaresufferingchronic,overuseinjuriesandhavingsurgery(91).CommonHighSchoolInjuriesThe high school baseball injury data presented here are a summary of themost recent injury pattern data availablethroughhighschoolinjurysurveillancesystems.Asexposuretoriskiscapturedinthesetypesofstudies,weareabletoestimateincidencerate(howmanyinjuriesoccurpersomanyexposurestoinjuryrisk)andprevalence(whatproportionofthepopulationsuffersaninjury).

• Ingeneral,theoverallinjuryrate(howmanyinjuriesperexposuretoariskinbaseball)isrelativelylowinhighschoolbaseballcomparedtoothersports.

• A slightly higher percentage of injuries in high school baseball occur among position players compared topitchers;however,manypositionplayersalsopitchacrossabaseballseason,

• Theshoulderandtheelbowarethemostcommonlyinjuredbodyparts.• Shoulderinjuriesaremorecommonintheearlierpartsoftheseasonthaninthelaterpartoftheseason.• Elbowinjuriesaremorecommontowardtheendoftheseason.• Themostcommoninjurytypesareligamentsprainsandmusclestrains• Mostinjuriesinhighschoolbaseballareconsideredmild(fewerthansevendayslosttoparticipation);however,

approximately10percentof injuries inbaseball require surgeryand/or result inmedicaldisqualification foraseason.

• Althoughrare,injuriesresultingfrombeinghitbyabattedballaremorelikelytoresultinsurgery(91)Many baseball injuries are due to overuse of the throwing arm. Monitoring throwing activities, especially amongpitchers,mayaid indecreasingtherelativefrequencyandoccurrenceofthesetypesof injuries.Therearemanyvalidresourcesforaidingparents,coaches,andathletesininjurypreventionincludingeducationprograms,pitchcountlimits,andtrainingprogramsthatmayaidinpreventinginjuriesinbaseball,thesecanbefoundthroughtheAmateurResourceCenterandPitchSmartwebsites(91).PitchingInjuriesWhile all positions present some risk, pitchers account for 73 percent of injuries in high school baseball athletes, ofwhichapproximately38percent requiresurgery (37). Ina longitudinalevaluation, fivepercentofadolescentbaseballpitchersdevelopedashoulderorelbowinjurythatresultedinsurgeryorretirementfromsport(38).Inyouthbaseball,almosthalfofallpitchersreportelboworshoulderpainatsomepointduringabaseballseason(39,40).Withbaseball,especially pitching, a large number of injuries and lost time is attributed to upper extremity injuries such asimpingement,rotatorcuffinjury,shoulderinstability,labraltears,andelbowulnarcollateralligamentinjury(48,39-45).PitchingMechanicsPitchingmechanicsarecriticalto injuryprevention, independentofpitchtype,andconsiderabletimeshouldbespentteachingmechanics that decrease the stress on the shoulder and elbow for both decreased injury risk and improveperformance.Thepitchingmotionisacomplexmovementthatgeneratestremendousforceandplacessignificantstrainonthesoft-tissuerestraintsoftheupperextremity(46).Interestingly,someofthepitchingmechanicsthathavebeenreportedtoincreaseelbowjointstressalsoareassociatedwithgreaterthrowingvelocity.Specifically,greatershoulderexternalrotationrangeofmotionwasfoundincollegiatepitcherswhowereclassifiedashigh-velocitypitchers (mean>85mph)compared to low-velocitypitchers (mean<76.5mph)(47).Greatershoulderexternalrotationhasbeenhypothesizedtoincreasethestoredelasticenergyoftheinternalrotatorsandimprovethestretch-shorteningcycleincreasingtheconcentricstrengthoftheinternalrotatorsduringthe

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accelerationphaseofpitchingthusultimatelyincreasingpitchingvelocity(47).Inaddition,excessivecontralateraltrunktilt has been associated with greater pitching velocity (47). The authors of this study suggest that with increasedcontralateral trunk tilt indirectly increases maximum shoulder external rotation, which results in a greater pitchingvelocity.Continuedresearchisneededinordertomaximizeperformance,whileminimizinginjuryrisk.Davis et al (48) identified 5 parameters that can be evaluated on video analysis: leadingwith the hips, hand on-topposition,arminthrowingposition(elbowatmaxheightatstridefootcontact),closed-shoulderposition,andstridefoottowardhomeplate.Youthpitcherswhoperformthreeormoreoftheseparameterscorrectlydisplaylowerelbowvalgusload, thus decreasing the stress on the UCL and lower humeral internal rotation torque decreasing stress on theshoulder passive anddynamic restraints (48). In addition, serial evaluations at all levels of baseball can also serve asindicators of changes that are occurring in the pitching motion due to fatigue or injury and may provide valuableinformationtothecoachandclinician.PitchCountRepetitive throwing causingmicrotraumawithout adequate time for recovery has beenproposed as a risk factor forupperextremityinjuries(39,49,and50).Highpitchcountsareoftenblamedforinjuryinthemediaandamongparentsof younger athletes. In youth baseball athletes, higher pitch counts have been associated with increased risk forshoulderandelbowpain(39,40).Olsenetal(51)sawthathighernumberofwarm-uppitches,moreinningspitchedpergame,morepitchesthrownpergame,andpitchingeightormoremonthsoutoftheyearwereassociatedwithahigherriskofelbowinjuriesinyouthbaseballpitchers.Inagroupof9-12yearoldpitchers,theriskofshouldpainincreased15percent for every 10 additional pitches thrownandpitcherswho threwmore than75pitches per outingwere threetimesmorelikelytoexperienceshoulderpainthosewhopitched1-24pitches(40).Theriskofelbowpainincreasedsixpercentforevery10pitchesthrown,andpitcherswhothrewmorethan75pitchesperoutingwere1.5timesmorelikelytoexperienceshoulderpainthosewhopitched1-24pitches(40).The USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Board and American Sports Medicine Institute combined researchevidencewithclinicalexpertisetocreateparticipationrecommendationsforyouthandhighschoolbaseballathletesinthe Pitch SmartGuidelines (52). These guidelines specify outing pitching limits, aswell as rest and recovery periods.Work by USA BaseballMedical and Safety Advisory board and American SportsMedicine Institution have identifiedouting, weekly, and season guidelines for youth and adolescent baseball athletes (53, 54). These organizations alsorecommendthatyouthpitchershaveinningrestrictionsinayearandtakeatleasttwotofourmonthsofffrombaseballparticipation each year. It is imperative that parents and coaches track the number of pitches that their athlete isthrowing.Theseguidelinesareofcumulativeloadandarenotteamspecific.

AGE DAILYMAX(PITCHES)REQUIREDREST

0Days 1Day 2Days 3Days 4Days 5Days7-8 50 1-20 21-35 36-50 -- -- --9-10 75 1-20 21-35 36-50 51-65 66+ --11-12 85 1-20 21-35 36-30 51-65 66+ --13-14 95 1-20 21-35 36-50 51-65 66+ --15-16 95 1-30 31-45 46-60 61-75 76+ --17-18 105 1-30 31-45 46-60 61-80 81+ --19-22 120 1-30 31-45 46-60 61-80 81-105 106+

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4.PsychosocialWell-BeingParticipatinginbaseballacrossthelifespanrepresentsakeyactivitythatcanpromotelifetimephysicalfitnessaswellaspsychosocial development. When approached properly, baseball athletes can gain much from lifelong participationincludingdevelopmentof:1) social skills andpeer relationships,2)physical competenceandpsychologicalwell-beingand 3) enjoyment of and intrinsic motivation for participation in competitive and/or recreationally baseball for alifetime. When considering a player’s maturation within the sport, efforts should be made to prevent burnout andminimize dropout so young athletes may gain these benefits. Beyond injury prevention and maturation concernsdiscussedinothersections,baseballspecializationdecisionsshouldbemadethoughtfullyrelativetopsychosocialwell-beingbasedontheguidelinesdescribedbelow.Moreself-determinedformsofmotivationaredrivenbyindividualchoiceratherthanfrominternalpressures,likeguilt,orexternalpressuressuchasreward,punishmentorexpectationsfromothers.Intrinsicmotivation,participationinthesport/activity because of love/enjoyment of it, is themost self-determined formormotivation. Therefore, efforts topromote either intrinsic motivation or more self-determined motivation can promote psychosocial well-being forathletes. Self-determination theory (SDT) further explainsmotivation to be influenced by the psychological needs ofautonomy (personal choice or control), competence (success or effectiveness in one’s environment) or relatedness(socialconnectiontoothers,acceptance,belonging).Whenathletes feel theseneedsaremetwithintheirsocialsportenvironmentsmoreself-determined,andpotentiallyintrinsic,formsofmotivationareexpected.Suchfeelingscouldbeinstilledinathletesbybehaviorsandstrategiesutilizedbycoaches,parents,administratorsorteammatestohelpsatisfythese needs. This leads to themost adaptive psychosocial outcomes for athletes. SDT provides an extremely usefulframework to guide this section because it highlights key environmental factors, which can be changed to enhanceathletemotivation,psychosocialhealthand,ultimately,long-termsportinvolvement.Sport represents an environment where feelings of competence can impact youth and adolescent self-esteem (55).Sport commitment represents a key means by which to understand athlete sport experiences including healthyparticipationaswellasmorenegativeoutcomeslikeburnoutordropout.Researchers(56)proposedthatoutcomesofburnout and dropout result from athlete feelings regarding the rewards and costs of sport participation whenaccountingforenjoyment levelandattractivenessorothersportsoractivities.Usingthistheory,asportscientist (57)examined patterns of athletic identity and commitment and found that athletes reporting higher burnout scores,reportedlowersportenjoyment,fewerbenefits,fewerattractivealternativestosportandlesscontrolovertheirsportexperience. They also reported higher sport costs, more investments, higher social constraints (demands) and aunidimensional sport identity. Though not all athletes experiencing this pattern of commitment will burn out andultimately dropout. Preventing such a pattern could promote more positive athlete sport experiences and preventdropout.Promotingamorepositivelysocialenvironmentincludingathleteenjoymentanddevelopingofotheraspectsofathleteidentitybeyondsportcouldfacilitatethisaim.Athleteburnoutisoneofmanypsychologicalhealthvariablesthatshouldbeconsideredwhenpromotingthehealthandwell-beingofathletes.Athleteburnoutischaracterizedbyemotional/physicalexhaustion,reducedaccomplishmentandsportdevaluation(58).Onereasonthatburnoutissoimportanttoprevent/manageisthatitisassociatedwithotherkeyvariablesof sportparticipation.An integratedmodelof athleteburnout (59) explains thatburnout is associatedwithdescribed (57)maladaptive patterns of sport commitment, sport stress, mood disturbances, low social support, lowsport autonomy and coping skills, and is influenced by themotivational climate (i.e., coach or other environmentalinfluences)associatedwithsporttraining/competition.Thus,positivelyinfluencinganyofthesevariablescouldserveto

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preventburnoutaswellassportstressandpotentiallymooddisturbances.Researchsupportsthatcopingbehaviorsarenegatively associated with burnout (60) and, therefore, could be promoted as a means to manage or prevent theoccurrenceofsymptoms.Moreover,socialsupportfromteammatesmayrepresentakeyfactorinensuringburnoutandstress prevention as ameans to promote athlete psychosocialwell-being (61). Education about important aspects ofpsychologicalhealth, includingsportstress,athleteburnoutandmood-relatedoutcomesinsport(depression,anxiety)further serves to aid in their prevention. Beyond individual athlete efforts, coaches, parents and administrators alsohavepotentialtopositivelyinfluenceathletepsychologicalhealthandwell-being.

SocialEnvironmentandAutonomySupportiveCoachingGuided by theory, research and clinical judgment, the sport-based social environment can be utilized to positivelyimpact the development of athlete social and motivational experiences. Coaches represent a key member of thisenvironmentwith theability topositively influenceathletepsychosocialhealthandmotivation.Autonomysupportivecoaching behaviors, including training decisions, how feedback is provided and coaching style, have been shown topositively influence athlete self-determined motivation (62) and psychological needs of autonomy, competence andrelatedness (63). Thus, coaches have potential to positively impact athlete motivation and psychological health byutilizing facets of autonomy supportive coaching.Mageau and Vallerand (64) have described examples of autonomysupportive coaching behaviors including: 1) providing athletes choices within coach-directed rules and limits, 2)providingathletesarationalefortasksandlimits,3)acknowledgingathletes’feelingsandperspectivesonkeyissues,4)providingathleteswithopportunitiesforinitiativetaking,5)providingfeedbackwhichsupportsathletecompetence,6)avoidingunnecessarycriticismandcontrollingstatementsandbehaviors,and7)promotingtask/mastery-involvementandpreventingego-involvementamongathletes. Involvedparentscouldbenefitbyusingsimilarstrategies relative tothebaseballparticipationof theirchildren.Ultimately,autonomysupportivebehaviorsdirectedtowardsUSABaseballathleteswill have importantpositive implications for burnoutprevention, aswell as for thepsychological health andwell-beingofbaseballathletesacrossthelifespan.PsychologicalHealthMonitoringandPsychologicalSkillsTrainingFromtheperspectiveofindividualathletes,psychologicalskillstraining(alsoknownasmentalskillstraining)representsan important tool to deter sport stress and other negative psychological outcomes (burnout) and promote positiveoutcomes of psychological health (motivation, enjoyment) and performance. Psychological skills include goal setting,arousal-regulation, visualization/imagery, concentration/mindfulness techniquesand coping skill development, amongothers.Educationonthebasicsofsuchtechniquescanbeprovidedfromavarietyofsourcesincludingtrainedcoachesor administrators, particularly at very young ages. However, advanced training, implementation and evaluation ofpsychologicalskillsprogramsforathletesshouldbeconductedbyacertifiedsportpsychologyconsultantandtakeintoaccountdevelopmentaldifferencesbasedontheagesoftheathletesbeingworkedwith(65).Clinicalissuesrelatedtoathletementalhealth (e.g. clinical anxietyordepression, substanceuse) requireworkwithanappropriately clinicallytrainedand licensedpsychologistorpsychiatrist.Collectively,psychologicalskilldevelopmentrepresentsan importantmeanstopositivelyimpactathletepsychologicalhealthandwell-beingandpotentiallyfacilitateoptimalperformance.It is importanttorememberthatjustbecauseyouthathleteslooklike(andoccasionallyactlike)smalladultsdoesnotmean that they are adults. They still think like children/adolescents and their thoughts regarding their early sportexperiencesmaynotbe thesameas thoseof theirparents/coaches.Accordingly, theirpsychosocialhealth shouldbemonitored appropriatelywhether they choose to specialize in baseball or not. These effortswill involve inclusion ofadministrators,coaches,parentsandathletesthemselves.

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5.SpecializationSports specialization is defined as near year round (typically greater than 8months per year), intensive training in asinglesport,andexcludingparticipationinothersports(6,67,68).Whilesinglesportspecializationcanbeapathwaytoachieveelitestatus(67-70),earlysportspecializationisalsolinkedtoplayerburnout(4,7,71-75)andincreasedinjuryrisk(4,67,68,71,72,74-79)oftenleadingmanyathletestoceaseparticipationinthegame(4,5,7,67,69,71,74,76,80-85). Thus, early specialization is not conducive to fostering talent while promoting lifelong participation andenjoymentofthesportofbaseball(67,68).Oneofthemostpressingissuesrelativetoathletepsychosocialhealthissportspecialization(66).Fromapsychosocialstandpoint, discouraging specialization until athletesmature cognitively and emotionally supports healthy social andidentitydevelopmentviaexposuretomultiplesportenvironments(e.g.,coaches)andsocialgroups(e.g.,teammates).Thus, specialization should be discouraged until at least age 14. Beyond this age, specialization could be permitted,thoughitshouldbecarefullymonitoredandneverberequiredofanathlete(butratherbetheresultofadecisiontheathleteisactively involvedinmaking).Forages14andolder,specializationwillnotnecessarilyharmsocialor identitydevelopment;butatthesametime,isnotnecessarytofacilitatepeakperformanceandshouldbemonitoredcarefully.To allow for healthy social and identity development as well as to prevent lowmotivation, burnout and ultimatelydropout, specialization should be permitted (but not required) for baseball athleteswho are physically andmentallypreparedtodoso.Thereisamisconceptionthattheonlywayathletesbecomeeliteinanysportisthroughearlyspecialization.Ithasbeenrecognizedthattherearetwopathwaystoachieveahighlevelofperformance:throughearlyspecializationandthroughearly sampling (1).All sportscanbeclassifiedaseitherearlyor latespecialization.Early specializationsports, suchasgymnastics,diving,andfigureskating,takeagreatdealofspecifictraininganddevelopmenttosucceed.However,mostsportsarelatespecializationsports.Baseball,football,basketball,andsoccerallfallintothelatespecializationcategory.Thedifferencebetweenthetwoisthatearlyspecializationsportsrequirecomplexskillstobelearnedbeforematurationsincetheycannotbemasterediftaughtafterwards,whereaslatespecializationsportsallowforathletestolearnsport-specificskillsatlaterages.While early engagement in baseball is encouraged, specialization should not take place until athletes aredevelopmentallymatured.Specializingtooearlyinalatespecializationsportcanleadto:

• Lackofagility,balance,andcoordination• Poorbasicmovementsandfundamentalsportsskills• Overuseinjuries• Earlyburnout,ormentalfatiguefromplayingthesamesport• Prematureretirementfromtrainingandcompetition

Contrary to early specialization, early sampling focuses on aiding in the general developmental needs of childrenthrough participation in many different activities (1). This allows children to engage in a wide range of physicalmovementsthatmaynotbeabletobedevelopedaswellduringsportspecifictraining.Childrenareencouragedtoparticipateinandsamplemultiplesportsduringtheirimportantdevelopmentalyears(fromentry into the sport through at least age 14) rather than specializing in a single sport. Sampling involves bothparticipation in multiple sports and focusing primarily on deliberate play when participating in those sports. While

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deliberate play should be the emphasis, some deliberate practice (conducted in amanner that contributes to sportperformance),shouldbeincludedtocontributebothskillbuildingandphysicalfitness.Sampling as an alternative to single sport specialization has been shown to facilitate athletic prowess and ultimatelyobtaining elite status as well as often requiring less sport specific practice to acquire expertise (86). Partaking in avarietyofsportsallowsparticipantstoexperienceanumberofdifferentphysical,cognitive,affective,andpsychosocialenvironments, and experience different social interactionswith peers and adults (76, 83, and 87). Additionally, earlysamplingfollowedbyeventualspecializationleadstomoresportenjoyment,lowerinjuryrisk,andlongerparticipation(73, 80, and 85). Finally, taking a deliberate play sampling approach during childhood resulted in increased physicalactivity as an adult, thus foster lifelong engagement and physical activity (88). Ultimately, early diversification andsamplingislinkedtolongersportcareerandlong-termsportinvolvement(89).A largepartofearlysampling isdeliberateplay.Deliberateplay isdefinedasanactivitythat is intrinsicallymotivatingand is meant to be enjoyed, such as playing whiffle ball (2). These activities allow for children to try a variety ofmovements while learning how to handle different athletic situations (1). Early specialization programs infrequentlyincorporate deliberate play, which can be detrimental to an athlete. Instead, early specialization programs focus ondeliberatepractice,whichareextrinsicallymotivatedactivities focusedon sport-specific skill acquisition that can lackenjoyment,likerepetitivelyfieldinggroundballs(2).Researchhasshownthatdeliberateplaybetweentheagesof6-12correlatespositivelywithbaseballspecifictrainingaftertheageof13,whilethehighvolumeofdeliberatepractice inearlyspecializationprogramsleadtohigherdropoutrates(1).Evidenceexiststhatsuggestsearlysamplingisaneffectivemethodtoreachelitelevelsinbaseball.AstudypublishedinThe JournalofClinicalSportPsychologysupports thatearlysampling isastrongpathwayto take forathletes (1).Thevoluntary study surveyed708minor leagueprofessionalbaseball athletes thatwere tryingout for theirmajor leagueteamduringspringtraining.Itwasfoundthattheseathletes,whohadameanageof22.85,playedanaverageof2.48sportsduring theagesof11-14 (1).While98%of theathletes surveyedduring thisage rangeplayedbaseball, itwasobserved that themean age that athletes specialized in baseballwas 15.52 (1). The combination of playingmultiplesportsatayoungageandwaitinguntil the14-16developmentalageyears tospecialize inbaseballallowedfor theseathletestoseesuccesslateronwithintheprofessionallevel.

6.PeriodizationandCompetition

RECREATIONALTRACKLTADStage Age Training Competition DaysperWeekinSeason MonthsofCalendarYear

Activate Entryto7 75% 25% 1-2 4monthsDiscover 7to12 75% 25% 1-2 4monthsProgress 12to14 65% 35% 2-3 4to8monthsDevelop 14to16 65% 35% 3-4 4to8monthsApply 16to18 65% 35% 4-5 4to8months

Inspire ANY 70% 30% Atleisure(>3xperweekforhealthbenefits)

Includeparticipationaspartofyearroundhealthregiment

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ADVANCEDTRACK

LTADStage Age Training Competition DaysperWeekin

Season MonthsofCalendarYear

Develop 14to16 50% 50% 4-5 4to8months

Apply 16to18 45% 55% 4-5 8months

Excel 19+ College/Proleveldependent

College/Proleveldependent



Periodization refers to the timeframes that are used to schedule training, competition, and recovery. Periodizationstructuresthetrainingcomponentsintoweeks,daysandsessions,andissituation-specific,dependingonprioritiesandthetimeavailablefortrainingandcompetitionimprovement.IntheLTADcontext,periodizationconnectsthestagetheathleteisintotherequirementsofthatstage.Thebalanceoftrainingandcompetition,ordeliberateplayanddeliberatepractice,iscrucialineachstageoftheLTAD.Deliberate play is defined as developmental physical activities that are intrinsically motivating, provide immediategratification,andarespecificallydesignedtomaximizeenjoyment(2).Deliberateplayactivitiestypicallyoccurbetweentheagesof6and14,andincludeclassicneighborhoodpickupgames,suchasbackyardbaseballandstreetbasketball.Thesegamesareusuallycomprisedofsmall-sidedteamswithflexible,peer-definedrules.Deliberatepracticeisdefinedas highly structured practice undertakenwith the specific purpose of improving performance. In addition, deliberatepractice is characterized as requiring sustained cognitive and/or physical effort, being solely directed towardpositiveskilldevelopmentanderrorcorrection,andnotnecessarilybeinginherentlyenjoyable(2).Appropriateuseofperiodizationandcompetitioncanaid inbuildingconfidence inathletesatall levels.The ratiosoftimededicatedtodeliberateplaytotimededicatedtodeliberatepracticediffer ineachdevelopmentalstagetoallowfor an increased opportunity for success. The younger stages, such as Activate and Discover, should be training (orparticipating indeliberateplay) for75percentof the time,overone to twodaysperweek in season.Youngathletesshouldbepermittedtoparticipateindeliberateplayasmuchaspossiblewiththefocusoffosteringconfidence,ability,anddesiretoparticipateinphysicalactivity.Over-competitionandunder-traininginthesestagescanresultinalackofbasicskillsandfitness.Aftertheageof14,athletescanbegintospecializeandmovetotheelitetrack.Inthisscenario,athletesintheDevelop,Apply, Excel and Inspire stages canbegin to shift tomoredeliberatepracticeandcompetition timeversusdeliberateplay.Specifically,theExcelandInspirestageswilldependonthelevelofcompetitiontheathleteisinvolvedin,suchascollegiatebaseballinDivisionI,II,III,orjuniorcollege,orprofessionalbaseball.While schedules are often set for baseball by leagues and organizations and not by the coach and athlete, makingoptimal training based on periodization difficult, it is important to remember that the level and length of thecompetitiveseasonshouldbealignedwiththechangingneedsofthedevelopingathleteprogressingthroughtheLTAD.

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Summary USA Baseball’s Long-Term Athlete Development Plan is a vehicle for change in the way baseball is designed anddelivered.Itisathlete-centeredfromthemomentachildisfirstintroducedtothesportandincludesthedevelopmentof that child through adulthood.While no two athletes are exactly alike, this LTAD provides a pathway and generalguidelinesforoptimalperformancebasedonthevariousstageswithinanathlete’sdevelopment.

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