Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)

All to often, clubs and coaches are more focused on their own or clubs aspirations than those of the athletes they coach.

According to this article, the 2003/4 the "Long-term athlete development model" is specific and well-planned practice, training, competition and recovery regime will ensure optimum development throughout an athlete's career. This article discusses trainability during childhood and adolescence and is broken down into 6 key stages (see below). Article by: Istvan Balyi. Ann Hamilton, LTAD six stage model.

At Overton we have taken the LTAD program into our club and “moulded” it to ensure that the needs of our young players are our primary concern and our coaching is based on these foundations.

 Stage 1 – The FUNdamental Stage ™

AGE: 6 - 9
Objectives: Learn all fundamental movement, skills should be practiced and mastered before sport specific skills are introduced. The “FUNdamental” phase should be well structured and fun! The emphasis is on the overall development of the player/athlete’s physical capacities and movement skills, and the ABC's of athleticism - Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed.

 

Stage 2 – The learning to train stage

AGE: 9 – 12
Objectives: Learn all fundamental sports skills (build overall sports skills) Specialised movement skills are developed from age seven to age eleven, and are specialised sports skills.

Stage 3 – The Training to Train Stage ™

AGE: 12 - 16
Objectives: Build the aerobic base, build strength towards the end of the phase and further develop sport specific skills (build the “engine” and consolidate sport specific skills). During the “Training to Train” stage young athletes consolidate basic sports specific skills and tactics.

Stage 4 – The Training to Compete Stage ™

AGE: 16 - 18
Objectives: Optimise fitness preparation and sport, individual and position specific skills as well as performance (optimise “engine”, skills and performance).

This phase of development is introduced after the goals and objectives of the “Training to Train” stage have been achieved. The training to competition and competition-specific training ratio now changes to 50:50.

Stage 5 – The Training to Win Stage ™

AGE: 18 years+
Objectives: Maximise fitness preparation and sport, individual and position specific skills as well as performance (maximise “engine”, skills and performance).

This is the final phase of athletic preparation, all of the individual athletes physical, technical, tactical, mental, personal and lifestyle capacities are now fully established and the focus of training has shifted to the maximisation of performance.

Stage 6 – The Retirement / Retention stage

Objectives: Retain athletes for coaching, administration, officials, etc. This phase refers to the activities performed after an athlete has retired from competition permanently.