10 years Canadian thought in this way regarding young sports (Canadian Sport for Life – Long-Term Athlete Development. Resource Paper V2 (2005).Vancouver: Canadian Sport Centres). Are we sure that we do not continue to ave the same problems?
What’s the problem?
- Developmental athletes over-compete and under-train.
- Adult training and competition programs are imposed on developing athletes.
- Training methods and competition programs designed for male athletes are imposed on female athletes.
- Preparation is geared to the short-term outcome — winning — and not to the process.
- Chronological rather than developmental age is used in training and competition planning.
- Coacheslargely neglect the critical periods of accelerated adaptation to training.
- Fundamental movementskills and sportskills are not taught properly.
- The most knowledgeable coaches work at the elite level; volunteers coach at the developmental level where quality, trained coaches are essential.
- Parents are not educated about LTAD.
- Developmental training needs of athletes with a disability are not well understood.
- In most sports, the competition system interferes with athlete development.
- There is no talent identification (TID)system.
- There is no integration between physical education programsin the schools, recreational community programs, and elite competitive programs.
- Sports specialize too early in an attempt to attract and retain participants.
