Youth Sports has become a big business, where winning has become the premium. Many parents want their young athletes to be part of a winning team or believe their child could be the next big sporting star.
Over the last few weeks, I have come across videos from sports specialists, coaches, and players and have discussed with my coaching colleagues the importance of Long Term Athlete Development.
Listen to the link below from Wayne Gold Smith's Long-Term Athlete Development.
You may be asking yourself, what is Long Term Athlete Development?
Long-term Athlete development can provide athletes with the correct training, competition, and recovery process based on the developmental age and maturation level.
To implement a Long Term Athlete Development Program, it's essential to know and understand the 7 stages:
Active Start (U6)- Play and Basic Movement Skills
FUNdamentals (girls 6-8, boys 6-9)- Build General Motor Skills
Learn to Train (girls 8 - 11, boys 9-12) - Build Foundational Sports Skills
Train to Train (girls 11-15, boys 12-16) - Build the Engine and Consolidate Sports Skills
Train to Compete (girls 15-21, boys 16-23) - Optimize the Engine and Learn to Compete
Train to Win (girls 18+, boys 19+)- Maximize the Engine and Maximize Performance
Active for Life (any age) - Remain active in life through Sports and other Activities
The best ways coaches can promote Long Term Athlete Development is by focusing on:
Building a Solid Athletic Foundation
Encourage Free Play
Promote Multi-Sport Athletes
Communicate When Scheduling
Understand Athletic Timeline
Identify Talent and Potential
Youth sports have become so competitive that it can be challenging for parents to find the middle ground. Some may believe that results are essential and forget about the process or that success on the court or field defines their child or them as parents.
However, parents can have a positive impact on their youth athletes' long-term development by allowing coaches to coach, developing an encouraging relationship, holding a level of expectation (relevant to the young athlete's ability), and focusing on instilling great values and morals such as dedication, work ethic, accountability, commitment, resilience, and teamwork.
To all young athletes, you will meet challenges along the way as an athlete, but you must focus on what you can control, be coachable, and continue learning through your athletic journey.
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