Integrating models of long-term athletic development to maximize the physical development of youth

Abstract

Long-term athletic development is important to prepare youth for sport and an active lifestyle. Several models have provided general frameworks for long-term athletic development from different perspectives that consider factors such as when to sample and specialize and what physical qualities to train and when. More recently, more specific models of long-term athletic development have emerged that focus on both specific modes of training and specific fitness qualities. This includes models focused on the development of speed, agility, power, and endurance as well as models devoted to resistance training, plyometric training, and weightlifting. These models incorporate factors such as technical competency, developmental stage, maturation, and training age to describe the long-term progression of athletic development. A challenge for the coach is to understand how these models inform one another and how they integrate into practice to allow the use of multiple modes of training to develop multiple components of fitness simultaneously throughout childhood and adolescence. This review will examine how information from various models can be integrated to maximize the physical long-term athletic development of youth.

Effects of Supplementary Strength–Power Training on Neuromuscular Performance in Young Female Athletes

“…Long-term athlete development models provide general frameworks to prepare youth for sports and a physically active lifestyle [1]. These models aim to align practice with growth, maturation, and early sport specialization and to consider factors such as injury risk [2,3] and the limitations of the existing training practice schedules [3,4].…”

“…Resistance and plyometric training are efficient methods to improve strength, power, speed, and general athleticism in youth athletes [11,12]. Importantly, enhanced physical fitness is a prerequisite for motor competence and technical skill acquisition, in youth athletes [1]. Recently, Lesinski et al [13] demonstrated the positive effects of resistance training (including weight-bearing exercises) on muscular strength and jumping performance in youth athletes, and especially in adolescents, with boys improving more than girls [13,14].…”

“…An important limitation of the existing training practice schedules in most youth sports is that training time per session (typically 1.5 h) may not be sufficient for learning new skills and improving muscular fitness. However, there is limited information on possible modifications needed in such training schedules in order to conform to the guidelines of current long-term athlete development models [1]. For example, Moeskops et al [26] used two weekly neuromuscular training sessions that lasted 35 min each, during an 8 week period and found increased leg stiffness and muscular endurance in 8-9-year-old gymnasts.…”

Effect of Plyometric Training on Jumping, Sprinting and Change of Direction Speed in Child Female Athletes

“…Leg muscle power and sprinting ability are important performance parameters in several youth sports [1,2]. The effects of training on muscular power and jumping ability are more pronounced in adolescence than childhood, with boys improving more than girls [3].…”

“…The effects of training on muscular power and jumping ability are more pronounced in adolescence than childhood, with boys improving more than girls [3]. Adaptations to sprint training are more variable, showing an initial spurt during the ages of 5–9 years, which is followed by a second period of rapid improvement during puberty and beyond [2,4]. A more complex fitness component associated with straight line sprinting, muscular power, and motor coordination, is the change of direction (COD) speed [5].…”