Athletic excellence takes time. There is no fast-track process. Researchers claim it takes 10,000 hours while sport scientists and coaching experts say 8-12 years, meaning a decade should give us an idea as to how LTAD is working. For early adopters of LTAD with almost 10 years behind them, what's the verdict?
No aspect of the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Framework is ever complete. LTAD represents the best practices in coaching and athlete development as they are understood today. But sport science research, technological innovations and best practices in coaching are constantly evolving.
Long-Term Athlete Development Implementation: The Juniper Jams
In the winter of 2013 the staff teams at Freestyle Skiing Ontario (FSO) and Alpine Ontario Alpin (AOA) were exploring why skiers exit the sport in their early teens to late 20s. It was postulated that many athletes were leaving the sport because their focus in skiing was too narrow, and that they were not given the latitude to enjoy all aspects of the sport.
