Tag Archive for 'Canada'

Do you train to win?

We always talk with the expert athletes and their coaches about the relevance to repeat in the competition as they did in training. Thus the training prepares the athletes to develop and refine the skills necessary to successfully address the sport events. In this stage, the training relates only to a lesser extent on the technique acquisition, because this goal has been carried out in previous stages of the long-term athlete development (LTAD). What it’s then the training to win, following one of the best descriptions of this stage of the athletes’ sport career, by Canadian Sport for Life.

At the Train to Win stage of LTAD, training plans require double, triple or multiple periodization to accommodate the extremely high training volumes. Carefully designed periodization plans allow the high performance athlete to be able to express their full potential on competition day.

General considerations during Train to Win

  • Train athletes to peak for major competitions.
  • Performance outcomes take first priority.
  • Athletes must develop the ability to produce consistent performances on demand.
  • Coaches must ensure that training is characterized by high intensity and high volume.
  • Coaches must allow frequent preventative breaks to prevent physical and mental burnout.
  • Training must utilize periodization plans as the optimal framework of preparation, according to the periodization guidelines of the sport-specific LTAD plan.
  • The training to competition ratio should be adjusted to 25:75, with the competition percentage including competition-specific training activities.
  • Training targets include the maximization and maintenance of all athlete capacities.
  • Athletes must learn to adapt to different environments to perform their best.

Main issues of youth programs

Following UK coaches and Canadian Sports Center these are the main issues in youth sport:

  • Young athletes under-train, over-compete.
  • Low training to competition ratios in early years.
  • Adult competition superimposed on young athletes.
  • Adult training programmes superimposed on young athletes.
  • Male programmes superimposed on females.
  • Training in early years focuses on outcomes (winning) rather than processes (optimal training).
  • Chronological age dominates training rather than biological age.
  • Under development between 6-16 years cannot be fully overcome (athletes will never reach genetic potential).
  • The best coaches are encouraged to work at elite level.
  • Coach/Teacher education tends to skim the growth, development and maturation of young people.