Stages of Long Term Athletic Development

 

The Stages of Long Term Athletic Development
Stage
Age
Objectives
Active Start
 Under 6
  • Create a daily routine of fun and exciting play and physical activity to set the foundation for life
Learning to Train (Fundamentals 1)

6-9 (boys)

6-8 (girls)
  • Begin teaching agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABCs)
  • Continue with focus on fun, play and daily physical activity
Learning to Train (Fundamentals 2)

9-12 (boys)

8-11 (girls)
  • Develop endurance, strength and speed
  • Develop athletics-specific skills and fitness
Training to Train

12-16 (boys)

11-15 (girls)
  • Develop endurance, strength and speed
  • Develop athletics-specific skills and fitness
Learning to Compete

16-18+ (boys)

15-17+ (girls)
  • Develop event area specific physical preparation
  • Introduce event specific protocols to ID strengths/weaknesses
  • Implement event area specialization
  • Integrate physical mental cognitive and emotional development
Training to Compete

18-21+ (boys)

17-21+ (girls)
  • Optimize event specific prep for competition
  • Refine event area specialization
  • Continue with integration of physical mental cognitive and emotional development
  • Conduct event specific testing and monitoring
Learning to Win
 20-23+(male/female)
  • Maximize event specific prep for high performance results
  • Introduce formal performance enhancement team
  • Continue with integration of physical, mental cognitive and emotional development
  • Learn to compete when it counts
Winning for a Living
 23+(male/female)
  • Maximize event specific prep for results at Oly and World level
  • Max training competition and recovery activities in support of professional athletics career
  • Attain competitive repeatability, when it counts
  • Work with professional support team
  • Plan for retirement from athletics competition
Active for Life
 Any age
  • Make preparations for integration into society

Chart adapted from Canadian Sport for Life: Long Term Athlete Development