On the subject of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), Dr Istvan Balyi, one of the world’s leading experts on the development of sporting talent, talks about the building of what he calls a “win-win” sports system. It depends on how young people are introduced to sport both from the point of view of practice/training, competition and coaching, and the support programme from clubs, parents and volunteers.
LTAD is a sports development model intended to produce a long-term approach to maximising an individual’s potential and lifelong involvement in sport. The model promotes the tailoring of a child’s sport development programme to suit his or her stage of physical growth and maturity, as well as psychological and social development. Appropriate training activities in a child’s formative years are essential to coincide with accelerated periods of learning and adaptation.
The principles of LTAD are the result of scientific research into sports development and child talent development, applied knowledge and experience from coaches around the world and the evidence of many world-class athletes who benefited from a multi-sport approach in their early years.
“Scientific research has concluded that it takes between eight and 12 years of training for a talented athlete to reach elite levels” I. Balyi
Sports can be classified as early or late specialisation. The stages of LTAD are based on this concept.
Early specialisation refers to the fact that some sports, such as diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and table tennis, require early sport-specific specialisation in training
The Early Specialisation Model is made up of the following five stages: Active Start, FUNdamentals/ Learning to Train/Training to Train, Training to Compete, Training to Win, Active for Life.
Late specialisation sports, including track and field, combative sports, cycling, racquet sports, rowing and all team sports, require a generalised approach to early training. For these sports, the emphasis during the first two phases of training should be on the development of general motor and technical-tactical skills.
The Late Specialisation Model consists of Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learning to Train, Training to Train, Training to Compete, Training to Win, Active for Life
For late specialisation sports, specialisation prior to the age of 10 is not recommended, since it contributes to early burn-out, drop-out, and retirement from training and competition.
These models are general in nature and require adjustment on a sport-specific basis, but they can be used by coaches in the preparation of their athletes in order to ensure success and, most of all, the retention of athletes in sports.
A specific and well-planned practice, training, competition and recovery regime will ensure optimum development throughout an athlete’s career. Ultimately, sustained success comes from training and performing well over the long-term rather than winning in the short-term. There is no short-cut to success in athletic preparation. Over-emphasising competition in the early phases of training will always cause shortcomings in athletic abilities later in an athlete’s career.
LTAD will be the main topic of a lecture to be given by Dr Lisa McIver to National Federation members and coaches on 10 July at the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra.