LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT - Skate Canada

Athletes with a disability are integrated into Skate
Canada’s LTAD stages of development as appropriate,
as well as having tailor-made opportunities. There is no
specific age bracket as athletes may enter skating at any
age. Skating programs and coaching requirements must
reflect this reality. Athletes with a disability pass through
the same stages as able-bodied athletes, although the
ages and rate of progression may differ.
Philosophy
LTAD for athletes with a disability is focused on providing
opportunity for social, mental, and physical development
through the sport of skating. Participants should be
introduced to the concept of physical literacy and
experience gains in health, wellness, and functionality. As
in all stages of development age, gender, sexuality, race,
ethnicity, body type, physical and intellectual abilities,
accessibility and geography should not be factors in the
provision of opportunities to this potentially large group
of athletes.
General Objectives
A T H L E T E S W I T H A D I S A B I L I T Y
• To encourage integration and life long
participation in skating at all levels, as part of a
healthy lifestyle activity choice;
• To foster partnerships between Skate Canada
and other athletes with a disability groups.
These groups include athletes with an
intellectual disability through Special Olympics
Canada, athletes who are deaf or have a hearing
impairment through Canadian Deaf Sports
Association and athletes with a physical disability
through Paralympics.
Windows of Trainability (5 S’s)
Very little is known about periods of optimum trainability
for individuals with a disability. In the absence of
information to the contrary, it is suggested that the
windows of trainability (5 S’s) are always trainable
and require specific individual physiological testing,
a thorough review of health issues, constant and
consistent tracking.
L o n g - Te r m A t h l e t e D e v e l o p m e n t
865 Sheord Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1J 1H9
Phone 613.747.1007 I Toll Free 1.888.747.2372 I Fax 613.748.5718 I Toll Free Fax 1.877.211.2372
67
Guiding Principles
For additional information related to athletes with a disability, please refer to the following documents:
1. Long-Term Athlete Development for Athletes with an Intellectual Disability. Special Olympics Canada 2007
http://www.specialolympics.ca/en/images/pdfs/soc_ltad_dec_4_2007_english.pdf
2. No Accidental Champions. Sport Canada’s LTAD Guide for Athletes with a Disability 2006
3. Coaching Athletes with a Disability. Coaching Association of Canada 2005
In order to allow athletes to develop and acquire the
skills outlined, programs and coaching for athletes with a
disability must:
3 Provide a fun, safe, environment that will
enhance learning and mastering of skating skills
3 Provide appropriate guidelines for the 5 S’s for
all athletes with a disability;
3 Recognize the abilities and limitations of all
athletes with a disability and set realistic, safe
and competitively fair progression within a test/
competition system
3 Provide sound technical, biomechanical and
adaptation information to promote safe skill
development
3 Promote the concept that participation and
progressive learning equals success;
3 Promote that all athletes with a disability are
equally valued members of Skate Canada
3 Encourage all coaches to work with athletes with
a disability
3 Integrate effectively with existing programs
and be cost effective, utilize ice well, and work
toward program growth and development.
Photo: Special Olympics
A T H L E T E S W I T H A D I S A B I L I T Y