What is Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)?

LTAD is a training, competition, and recovery program. It establishes guidelines for coaches, athletes, administrators, and parents in all areas, including planning, training, competition, and recovery. It takes into account the ever-changing competitive program and the overall demands on the athletes. Long-term athlete development is also about identifying potential and providing appropriate developmental pathways for that potential to be fully realized. It is about ensuring that everyone who wants to learn sport has the opportunity. … The best sport development programs have a long-term vision, adapt and account for the rates at which an athlete matures rather than planning programs based solely on chronological age, are athlete centered, coach driven, but strongly supported by administration, sport science, and sponsors. 

To learn more about Canada's generic LTAD model please visit Canadian Sport For Life.

Please download Volleyball for Life, to learn more about indoor & beach volleyball specific Long Term Athlete Development.

Information for Parents

 

Articles/Downloads

Competition is a Good Servant but a Poor Master 
By: Istvan Balyi & Richard Way
"Competition is a critical issue in all sports, especially team sports. Unfortunately, the system of competition in many sports was never properly designed; it simply ‘evolved’ on an improvised basis without consideration for the sport science of athlete development. Now many competition schedules are considered part of the tradition of certain sports, and these habitual patterns are passionately adhered to.”

A Sport Parent's Guide 
Canadian Sport for Life
Sports and physical activity play an important role in our children’s healthy growth and development, but in recent times physical activity has suffered serious decline among Canadian children. The goal of this booklet is to help you understand the needs of young athletes and what may be done to promote their best interests in staying active and healthy.