Developing Long-term Athletes

By Chris Hecht, Physical Education Teacher
The tricky part about attending conferences on exercise science is sifting through all the information geared toward high-end coaches and athletes while applying the concepts to the young, developing athlete
The tricky part about attending conferences on exercise science is sifting through all the information geared toward high-end coaches and athletes while applying the concepts to the young, developing athlete. 

Over the summer I had the opportunity to attend the National Strength and Conditioning Association national conference in Las Vegas, and this trip was different. There were a number of sessions on youth training and conditioning in response to the rapid growth of youth in sports. One common theme that piqued my interest was on long-term athletic development (LTAD).  

Philosophy of LTAD
LTAD focuses on whole-body training rather than by sport-specific training. LTAD uses certain phases of maturation and development to emphasize sport-generic traits such as coordination, strength, balance, agility, flexibility, endurance, joint mobility and stability, speed and power. Essentially this model is designed to combine successful training methods with pediatric exercise science in order to reach a greater physical potential.  

The analogy I like to use is a tree. The roots are the fundamental movement and sport skills, the trunk is the sport-generic skills and the branches are the specific sports in which the youth would participate. If the athlete develops the sport-generic traits, they will have a strong trunk to support the physical demands of whichever sport(s) they choose. If the athlete’s development bypasses the sport-generic skills in favor of more sport-specificity, the developing athlete may find short-term success, but will be left with a weaker trunk that is less proficient of handling the physical demands of the sport over the long-term. 

Impact on Graland Students
From a curriculum standpoint, the sport-generic concepts have a stronger emphasis through each grade level to aid the student’s overall athletic preparedness. We implement these ideas through daily warm-up activities and individual units of study on balance, agility and fitness for overall coordination, strength and flexibility.  
Additionally, as of June 2013, the national standards for K-12 physical education and athletics have changed. In April, the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance is expected to release new guidelines to reflect the need for physical literacy in students in order to promote “a lifetime of healthful activity.” This is an opportunity for Graland to integrate more current best (and supported) practices in order to stay at the forefront of athletic development and physical competence for our students.

In a recent American College of Sports Medicine article by one of the leading advocates for youth training and conditioning, Avery Faigenbaum, et al. summarizes, “Practitioners should be cognizant that children are not simply miniature adults, and their primary motivation for exercising is to have fun, make new friends, and learn something new. The adult exercise prescription paradigm is often inconsistent with the needs, abilities, and interests of school-aged youth.” 

The adoption of LTAD and other related models meets the needs of young, developing athletes and can provide them with the skills necessary to be successful for the duration of their athletic careers while promoting an active lifestyle for the years thereafter.
 

Recommended Resources
Canadian Sport for Life 
Santa Monica Sports Medicine Research Foundation’s Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) Program
FIFA 11+
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.