LTAD NCCP Integration - Coaching Association of Canada

Paradigm Shifts in Sport 

NCCP – LTAD Integration 

Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Conference 

Istvan Balyi 

National Coaching Institute BC 

LTAD Advisor 

sportscoachUK, Republic of South Africa, 

Kingdom of Bahrain, Sport Canada

Paradigm Shifts in Sport 

• LTAD 

– 10 key Factors 

– 10 S’s 

• Functional training 

– Pre-habilitation or 

Rehabilitation 

• The Myth of the Aerobic Base 

in Power Sports 

• Transfer of Strength 

• Speed Training All Year 

round 

• The Myth of Periodization of 

Strength 

– Or endurance or speed, or 

skill or flexibility 

• Overtraining or underrecovery 

• Female Athletes and the 

Menstrual Cycle 

• Chrono or time 

– Chrono-nutrition 

– Chrono-hydration 

• Hygiene 

• Flexibility 

• Ancillary Capacities 

• Periodization 

– Junior periodization 

• The Diminishing Return 

Phase and the Elite Athlete 

• Taper

But what is a paradigm 

• Thomas Kuhn in his book “The Structure of Scientific 

Revolutions” (1996) describes paradigms as “the 

overall framework of basic assumptions used by 

scientists when they analyze and interpret their 

data.” 

• A paradigm can also be thought of as a pattern that is 

superimposed on the world in order to make sense of 

it.

What is a Paradigm 

• When enough significant anomalies have accrued 

against a current paradigm, the scientific discipline 

is thrown into a state of crisis, according to Kuhn. 

• During this crisis, new ideas, perhaps ones 

previously discarded, are tried. 

• Eventually a new paradigm is formed, which gains 

its own new followers, and an intellectual "battle" 

takes place between the followers of the new 

paradigm and the hold-outs of the old paradigm.


• The approach to athletic training has undergone 

radical changes over the last decade. 

• These changes are sometimes referred to as 

paradigm shifts. 

• New paradigms for short and long-term athlete 

preparation, planning, and periodisation are 

challenging coaches and sport administrators to 

rethink and restructure training, competition and 

recovery.


• Coaches also use a framework of assumptions when 

they construct, implement and evaluate athletic 

training programs. 

• Coaching paradigms include assumptions about the 

nature of athletic training and competition. 

• Every coach has his/her paradigm of athletic 

preparation.


• Coaches often evaluate the value of their coaching 

paradigms based on athlete performance. 

• If a coaching paradigm has been successful in the 

past, there is a tendency for the coach to continue to 

use it. 

• However, history has shown that past success 

doesn’t guarantee future success.

« La définition de la folie, c’est refaire toujours la 

même chose en s’attendant à un résultat différent. » 

Albert Einstein 

“The definition of insanity is doing the same 

thing over and over again and expecting 

different results.” 

Albert Einstein

LTAD is 

• Optimal training, competition 

and recovery programming with 

relation to biological 

development and maturation 

• Equal opportunity for 

recreation and competition, it 

is not an elitist model

Seven 

Stages 

of 

Long-Term 

Athlete 

Development 

Active Start 

FUNdamental 

Learning to Train 

Training to Train 

Training to Compete 

Training to Win 

Active for Life

LTAD 

is the 

border collie 

of 

sport system 

building !

A Framework for Activity

Cumann Lúthchleas L 

Gael – Builds Character

Contents 

Foreword 

Acknowledgements 

Introduction Learn to Train (Under 12) 

Strength Training 

Speed 

Aerobic Training 

Flexibility 

Mental Training 

Hydration and Nutrition 

Planning for Games 

Lets Go Games 

Games Skills Tactical Awareness 

Programmes for Development 

Coaching Skills 

Technical Development - Football 

Technical Development - Hurling 

Warm up 

Games for Better Team Play 

Code of Conduct 

Bibliography 

4 

5 

6 

21 

51 

61 

64 

70 

78 

84 

95 

106 

113 

137 

146 

197 

245 

266 

283 

289 

Istvan Balyi 

World leading expert on Long Term Player 

Development 

who described our Fundamentals manual as 

an example of good practice world wide


• History of LTAD and a brief review of the literature 

• 10 Year Rule 

• The FUNdamentals - PL 

• Specialization 

• Developmental Age 

• Trainability 

• Mental, Cognitive and Emotional Development 

• Periodization 

• Calendar Planning for Competition 

• System Alignment and Integration 

• Kaizen

Coaching LTAD Models 

A brief review

• LTAD is based on coaching science 

literature and NOT on the acquiring 

expertise literature 

• However, LTAD is supported by the 

acquiring expertise literature

Ericsson and Cote 

• Very interesting debate 

• Deliberate Practice 

• Deliberate Play 

• Sportscoach UK Athlete Development Pathway 

– Active Start 

– FUNdamental 

– Lear to Train = Learning to Play and Practice

Harsanyi, , (1985) 

• Reviewed long-term athlete development 

coaching models 

E 

Junior 

Juvenile 

Mass sport 

“Pyramid” 

T2W 

T2C 

T2T 

A4L 

L2T 

F 

AS


Classical models 1 

Usually based on 4 stage models 

– Child 

– Juvenile 

– Junior 

– Adult 

• Thiessen- 

Seibmann(1959) 

• Filin (1964) 

• Tscheiene (1970) 

• Hess (1971) 

• Feige (1978) 

• Frey (1980) 

• Basic 

• Intermediate 

• Advanced 

• Elite



• Age independent models 

– Martin (1977) 

– Nadori (1981)



• “Anti” early specialization models 

– Matveyev (1957) 

– Stemmler (1959)

Contemporary Models 

Long-term Structure of Training in Athletics 

(Thumm,, 1987) 

1. Basic training = over-all movement, many-sidedness, overall 

sports, rough structure of many or all athletic movement 

2. Build–Up training = Introduction of suitable competitive 

events, improvement of movement technique, rough 

differentiation into sprinting, middle and long distance events, 

throwing, jumping or multiple events 

3. Top-level training = Mastering of the technically finest form 

in changing situations, realization of conditional, coordination 

and psychological potential


LTAD for Tennis (Holm, 1987) 

Four Stage Model 

• Pre-Competitive = 6 - 10 years 

• Overall = 11 - 14 years 

• Specific = 15 – 18 years 

• High 

Performance = 18+


Biomotor Ability / Trainability (Holm, 1987) 

Ages: Boys Girls 

• Dexterity / Coordination 6 – 10 6 – 10 

• Flexibility 13 12 

• Speed Agility 

– Acceleration run 12 – 14 10 -12 

– Slalom run 13 11 

– Interval training 15 13 

• Strength 

– Stage 1 Neural Adaptations 10 – 14 10 – 12 

– Stage 2 Hypertrophy 15 – 16 13 – 15 

– Stage 3 Max Strength 17 – 18 16 – 17 

• Aerobic Capacity 12 - 14 11 – 13 

• Aerobic Power 17 – 18 16 - 17


Long-term Structure of Training in Athletics 

(Thumm,, 1987) 

• Three stage model Duration years Age 

• 1 Basic training 4 - 5 9 – 14 

• 2 Build –Up training 3 – 4 15 – 18 

• 3 Top-level training 6 – 10 19 +


Sanderson (1989) 

• Duration Developmental stage 

• Initiation 3-4 years Early school years 

• Basic training 5-7 Pre-puberty & puberty 

• Build up training 3-4 Post puberty 

• Systematic 

high level training 6-10+ Adulthood 

Sanderson U of S – reflected on developmental age, and 

was part of his model


Multi Year Planning for Rugby (King, 1992) 

• Stage Age Training Age Training Phase 

• 1 12 - 13 1 - 2 Preliminary 

• 2 14 - 15 3 - 4 Basic Specialization 

• 3 16 - 17 5 - 6 Specialization 

• 4 18 - 19 7 - 8 Advanced Specialization 

• 5 20 - 21 9 - 10 Phase of Perfection 

• 6 22+ 11 High Performance

Contemporary coaching models 

Touretski (1993) 

AIS Swimming 

• Stage 1 - Preliminary preparation 7-9 (f) 8-10 (m) 

• Stage 2 - Initial sport-specific prep 9-10 (f) 10-11 (m) 

• Stage 3 – In-depth specialization 12-14 (f) 13-15 (m) 

• Stage 4 – Sporting perfection 15-16 (F0 16-19 (m) 

(lasts 2 to 8 years)


Belov (1995) 

Soviet Gymnastics 

• Stages 

– Initial 

– Intermediate 

– Final 

• Sub-stages 

– General preparation 

– Initial technical preparation 

– Specialized perfection 

– Elite (high performance) 

– Retirement

• Four stage model: 


Bompa, 1995 

1. Initiation 6 - 10 

2. Athletic formation 11 - 14 

3. Specialization 15 - 18 

4. High performance 19 +

Four Stages Model

Stages of Training and Puberty

Platonov (1985) A Five Stage Model 

Stages General 

Training Load 

Complementary 

Training Load 

Specific 

Training Load 

Annual 

Training Load 

(in hours) 

Initial 50 45 5 100-250 

Basic 35 50 15 350-500 

Specific 

Base 

20 40 40 600-800 

Maximization 15 25 60 900-1100 

Maintenance 10 25 65 1200-1400

LTAD 1 

• F. Dick 1985 – periodization article 

–Train to Train 

–Train to Compete

LTAD 2, BC Tennis 

•T2T 

•T2C 

•T2W

LTAD 3, BC Tennis 

• Early and Late Specialization sports are 

distinguished – introduction of the 

FUNdamental stage 

•FUNdamentals 

•T2T 

•T2C 

•T2W

LTAD 4 BC 

• FUNdamentals 6 – 10 years 

•T2T 

•T2C 

•T2W 

• Retirement / Retainment


Research on Physical Literacy and Skill Acquisition 

“skill hungry years” or “the golden age of skill learning” 

• FUNdamentals 6 – 8 F and 6 – 9 M 

• Learning to Train 8 – 11 F and 9-12 M 

• T2T 11 – 15 F and 12 – 15 M 

•T2C 

•T2W 

• Retirement / Retainment


•Active start 

• Active for Life


•Active Start 

•FUNdamentals 

•L2T 

•T2T 

•T2C 

•T2W 

• Active for Life


• Variations 

– Terminology (Diving, Triathlon) 

– Number of stages ( L2C, L2W, Winning for a 

Living, etc.)

LTAD a Paradigm Shift in Sport 

• Coaching athletes on developmental age 

• Finding solutions for “relative age” 

• Training programs are designed on biological markers 

• The sensitive periods of accelerated adaptation to 

training is utilized 

• Exclusion to inclusion

FUN …Adapt and Modify Games - GO GAMES 

Go Hurling 

Go Gaelic 


FUNdamentals 

( 6 To 8 yrs.) 

Learn TO Play 1 

(8 To 10 yrs.) 

Learn to Play 2 

(10 To 12 yrs.)

Traditional Games V Go Games: The Advantages 

Turn more on than Off 

Traditional Model 

Full Games 

Full Rules 

Go-Games Model 

Conditioned Game 

Modified Game 

‘Outcome’ Focused 

‘Processed’ Focused 

Substitutions 

Everyone Plays 

Dominated Better Players All ability levels 

Less Skilled Discarded Special Needs 

Parent/Mentor Pressures Non-Threatening 

Too much competition can 

limit early development 

Turn them onto Sport 

Fun, Fair Play, and 

Full Enjoyment will

FUN ….GO GAMES v 15 a Side…The Evidence 

Turn more OFF than ON 

Traditional Model 

Little Ball to Player Contact – Little Action 

Turn more ON than OFF 

Go-Games Model 

More Ball to Player Contact – More Action 

Ball and Player out of range – Ball and Player in range at all times - 

Little Interest and Boredom 

More concentration – More Fun 

Ratio 15 a side 1: 29 Ratio 7 a side 1:6 

More numbers – difficult decision making Less numbers – easier decision 

leading to beehive football and hurling making and Better Team Play 

Bigger Space – Greater Scanning ability Less Space – Less scanning 

- Player needs to use it. Better Spatial Awareness

• Physical Literacy 

• A hierarchy, level and number of competitions are 

designed for all stages (taking into consideration 

limitations of capabilities before, during and after 

puberty 

• Random to planned change 

• System alignment and integration 

– Provincial level 

– Federal level 

• Kaizen

10 S’s S s of LTAD 

• The Original 5 S’s 

– Stamina 

– Strength 

– Speed 

– Skill 

– Suppleness 

– (Trainability) 

• The Additional 5 S’s 

– Structure/Stature 

– (p)Sychology 

– Sustenance 

– Schooling 

– Socio-Cultural

Trainability 

• Speed, Skill and Suppleness is based on 

Chronological Age 

• Stamina and Strength are based on Developmental 

Age 

• Biological markers for Developmental Age: 

– Onset of the PHV or Growth Spurt 

– PHV (after growth decelerates) 

– Onset of Menarche

Structure / Stature 

Kinanthropometry 

(Ross, 2008) 

A scientific specialization for human biology and the health professions 

Identification 

Specification 

Application 

Relevance 

Kinanthropometry 

for study of : 

to understand: 

Implications for: 

movement 

Size 

Shape 

Growth 

Exercise 

Health 

Education 

human 

Proportion 

Composition 

Performance 

Nutrition 

Government 

Commerce 

measurement 

Maturation 

Gross 

Function 

Aim: 1) optimal growth and development of 

all the children of all the people 2) health and 

vigor of adults throughout their life span

www.ltad.ca 

Later this year

Age 13 14 13 14

Forthcoming: 

Mental Skills for LTAD Stages 

www.ltad.ca

Operationalizing LTAD 

• Competition Reviews 

– Rowing 

– Speed Skating 

– Rugby 

– XCountry skiing 

– Swimming 

• Athletics 

– Annual periodized plans for the T2T, L2C and T2C stages 

• Sprints and hurdles 

• Distance 

• Jumps 

• Throws 

• Multiple events 

• Curling

COMPETITION PLAN FOR CURLING 

TWO GAME DAY #1: 8:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. 

Wake-up 

Light aerobic 

stretching 

Breakfast 

Hydrate 

Snack 

Debrief 

Reload 

Mental Recovery 

Lunch 

Napping 

Less than 

30 mins. 

Hydrate 

Snack 


Debrief 

Reload 

Supper 

Relax 

Reset 

Sleep 

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

GAME 1 GAME 2 

Pre-Competition Routine: 

Warm up 

Psychological prep. 

Hydrate and Snack 

Post-Comp. Routine 

Cool down 

Rehab/ Recovery/Ice 

Light Stretch Snack 

Recommend leaving 

the building 

Pre-Competition 

Routine: 

Warm up 



Cool down 



Can watch 30 min. 

Notes: 

Snack (reload) within 20 minutes of end of each Game 

Even if you are going for dinner 

Dagg-Jackson; Way; Balyi; Comartin; 

Parsons; Cox; Farres; 2005


TWO GAME DAY #2: 9:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. 

Wake-up 

Light aerobic 

stretching 

Breakfast 

Hydrate 

Snack 

Debrief 

Reload 

Lunch 


Napping 

30 mins. 

Wake-up 

Light aerobic 

Stretching 

Go for walk 

Supper 


Debrief 

Reload 

Hydrate 

Snack 

Relax 

Reset 

Sleep 

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

GAME 1 GAME 2 


Warm up 




Cool down 



Recommend leaving 

the building 

Pre-Competition 

Routine: 

Warm up 



Cool down 



Can watch 30 min. 

Notes: 

Snack (reload) within 20 minutes of end of each Game 

Even if you are going for dinner 




3 GAME DAY #1 – 9 am; 4 pm; 8 pm 

Wake-up 

Light aerobic 

stretching 

Breakfast 

Hydrate 

Snack 

Debrief 

Reload 


Lunch 

Napping 

30 minutes 

Hydrate 

Snack 


Debrief 

Reload 

Bigger 

Snack 

Disengagement 

Mental cool-down 

Sleep 

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

GAME 1 

GAME 2 GAME 3 


Warm up 




Cool down 



Leave the building 


Warm up 



Cool down 


Light Stretch 

Bigger Snack 

Notes: 

• If the Game is short modify times. 

• If the Game goes into extra end again 

modifications need to be made. 

Abbreviated 


Cool down 


Light Stretch/Snack 




3 GAME DAY #2 – 8 am; 11:30 pm; 3 pm 

Wake-up 

Light aerobic 

stretching 

Debrief 

Reload 


Debrief 

Reload 


Breakfast 

Hydrate and snack throughout day - games and breaks 

Meal 

Travel or Sleep 

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

GAME 1 GAME 2 GAME 3 

Modified 


Warm up 




Cool down 



Leave the building 


Cool down 


Light Stretch/Snack 

Notes: 

• If the Game is short modify times. 

• If the Game goes into extra end again 

modifications need to be made. 

• Benefits of fitness enable coping with this schedule 

• Meal evening before is essential 



NCCP and LTAD Alignment 

• LTAD is content 

• Not only the stages but the 10 Key Factors and the 

10 S’s 

• GAA example of full integration of LTAD and 

Coaching education 

• Taekwondo integration

Long-Term Athlete Development 

C. Flett, Director, NCCP

Performance 

Oriented 

Athletes/Teams 

Participation 

Oriented 

Sportspeople 

Talents 

High 

Performance 

Beginners 

Participation 

Oriented 

7 

Master Coach 

EQF 

Levels 

(1- 8) 

- 

Senior Coach 

Coach 

National 

Levels 

3 

Apprentice Coach

Draft Long Term Participant Development Pathway 

Participation-Oriented 

Performance-Oriented 

LEARNING & 

RE-LEARNING 

TO PARTICIPATE 

Sustaining 

Participation 

Developing 

Participation 

Sustaining 

Performance 

Developing 

Performance Podium 

Development 

Talent 

Talent Development 

LEARNING TO PLAY AND PRACTICE 

EARLY 

SPEC. 

FUNDAMENTALS 

SPORTS 

ACTIVE START

Long Term Coach Development Model

Questions

Definitions 

• Growth refers to observable step-by-step changes in 

quantity, “measurable changes in body size, for 

example, height, weight, fatness.” (Malina, 1986) 

• Maturation refers to “qualitative system changes, 

both structural and functional in nature, in the 

organism’s progress toward maturity, for example, 

the change of cartilage to bone in the skeleton.” 

(Tihanyi, 1990)

• Development refers to “the 

interrelationship between growth 

and maturation in relation to the 

passage of time. 

• The concept of development also 

includes the social, emotional, 

intellectual and motor realms of the 

child.” (Tihanyi, 1990)

• Chronological age refers to “the number of 

years and days elapsed since birth” (Haywood, 

1993) 

• Skeletal age refers to the maturity of the 

skeleton “determined by the degree of 

ossification of the bone structure.” (Haywood, 

1993)

• Critical periods of development: A 

critical period refers to a point in the 

development of a specific behaviour when 

experience or training has an optimal 

effect on development. The same 

experience, introduced at an earlier or 

later time, has no effect on, or retards 

later skill acquisition. (Zaichkowsky, 

Zaichowsky and Martinek, 1980)

Trainability 

• Malina and Bouchard (1991) defined 

trainability as “the responsiveness of 

developing individuals at different stages 

of growth and maturation to the training 

stimulus.”.

• Malina and Bouchard (1991) also referred to 

“readiness and critical periods” of trainability during 

growth and development of young athletes, thus the 

stimulus have to be timed 

to achieve optimum adaptation with regard to motor 

skills, muscular and/or aerobic power .

• Adaptation refers to a stimuli or a series of 

stimuli which induces functional and/or 

morphological changes in the organism. 

Naturally, the level or degree of adaptation 

is dependent on the genetical endowment of 

an individual. However, the general trends or 

patterns of adaptation are identified by 

physiological research and the facts and 

guidelines of the different adaptation 

processes, such as adaptation to muscular 

endurance or maximum strength, are clearly 

delineated. 

• Diagnostics before and after maturation 

• Moving scales during PHV

LTAD NCCP Integration - Coaching Association of Canada

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