A Closer Look at the 10 Pillars of LTAD – Part 3: The Participant Pillars of LTAD for Strength and Conditioning Professionals
by Rick Howard, DSc, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA
NSCA Coach
July 2022
Vol 9, Issue 1
As the final article of the three-part series on long-term athletic development (LTAD), this article will focus on enhancing physical fitness and participation in LTAD programs that promote physical fitness and physiological wellbeing, regardless of age, ability, and aspirations.
The NSCA Position Statement on Long-Term Athletic Development
Long-term athletic development (LTAD) was created as a framework for maximizing athletic performance through each stage of development, from “the playground to the podium” (1). Much of the attention of early models of LTAD focused on elements of training that positively influenced preparation for sporting excellence (2,5). As the models evolved, greater attention was directed toward the developmental pathway and the balance between sporting excellence and lifelong participation in physical activity (1,26). The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) published a position statement on LTAD, which expanded the framework to include the essentials of strength and conditioning along the developmental continuum (19). The developmental continuum tracks key indicators of the pathway that youth follow throughout childhood and adolescence (13). It is a continuum because children and adolescents do not pass through each phase at the same rate nor at the same time (Pillar 1 states that growth and development are non-linear) (19). Several factors such as age periods (early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood), maturational status (years before puberty, onset of puberty, and years after puberty), and training adaptations (neural and combination of neural and hormonal) are taken together to enable strength and conditioning coaches to create appropriate age and developmental stage strength and conditioning programs (14).
The NSCA LTAD framework informs strength and conditioning coaches, sport coaches, parents, and athletes of the key concepts in strength and conditioning that provide positive experiences for children and adolescents in physical activity. To summarize these important concepts within the position statement, 10 pillars were established to address growth and development, testing and measurement, the importance of developing motor skills and muscle strength, and a focus on the health and wellbeing of the child throughout the LTAD framework. The 10 pillars were later organized into three broad categories (programs, practitioners, and participants) (Figure 1) (27). Each of the articles in this three part-series feature one of the broad categories and explain how the strength and conditioning coach can implement LTAD into strength and conditioning programs for youth athletes at all levels of ability, skill, and maturity.
This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »
Related Reading
References
1. Balyi, I, and Hamilton, A. Long-term athlete development: Trainability in childhood and adolescence. Windows of opportunity, optimal trainability. National Coaching Institute and Advanced Training and Performance, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 2004.
2. Balyi, I, Way, R. and Higgs, C. Long-Term Athlete Development. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2013.
3. Bell, DR, Post, EG, Trigsted, SM, Hetzel, S, McGuine, TA, and Brooks, A. Prevalence of sport specialization in high school athletics: A 1-year observational study. American Journal of Sports Medicine 44: 1469-1474, 2016.
4. Caruso, T. Early sport specialization versus diversification in youth athletes. NSCA Coach 2(4): 22-25, 2013.
5. Caterisano, A, Decker, D, Snyder, B, Feigenbaum, M, Glass, R, House, P, et al. CSCCa and NSCA joint consensus guidelines for transition periods. Strength and Conditioning Journal 41(3): 1-23, 2019.
6. Centers for Disease Control. How much physical activity do children need? Retrieved November 11, 2011 from https://www.cdc. gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/index.htm.
7. Faigenbaum, AD, Kraemer, WJ, Blimkie, CJ, Jeffreys, I, Micheli, LJ, Nitka, M, and Rowland, TW. Youth resistance training: Updated position statement paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23: S60-79, 2009.
8. Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe, A, Romero-Rodriguez, D, Montalvo, A, Kiefer, AW, Lloyd, RS, and Myer, GD. Integrative neuromuscular training and injury prevention in youth athletes. Part I. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38(3): 36-48, 2016.
9. Howard, R. The ABCs of long-term athletic development. NSCA Coach 4(2): 36-38, 2017.
10. Howard, R. Why coaches should know about wellness. NSCA Coach 3(4): 16-17, 2016.
11. Howard, R. What coaches need to know about the NSCA position statement on long-term athletic development. NSCA Coach 3(3): 2014.
12. Howard. R. Integrative neuromuscular training for youth basketball players. NSCA Coach 3(1): 44-45, 2014.
13. Impellizzeri, FM, Rampinini, E, and Marcora, SM. Physiological assessment of aerobic training in soccer. Journal of Sports Science 23(6): 583-592, 2005.
14. Jayanthi, NA, LaBella, CR, Fischer, D, Pasulka, J, and Dugas, LR. Sports-specialized intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: A clinical case-control study. American Journal of Sports Medicine 43: 794-780, 2015.
15. Jayanthi, NA, Post, EG, Laury, TC, and Fabricant, PD. Health consequences of youth sport specialization. Journal of Athletic Training 54(10): 1040-1049, 2019.
16. Jayanthi, N, Saffel, H, and Gabbett, T. Training the specialised youth athlete: A supportive classification model to keep them playing. British Journal of Sports Medicine 55: 1248-1249, 2021.
17. Jordan, JV. Recent developments in relational-cultural theory. Women and Therapy 31(2-4): 1-4, 2008.
18. Leek, D, Carlson, JA, Cain, KL, Henrichon, S, Rosenberg, D, Patrick, K, and Sallis, JF. Physical activity during youth sports practices. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 165(4): 294-299, 2011.
19. Lloyd, RS, Cronin, JB, Faigenbaum, AD, Haff, GG, Howard, R, Kraemer, WJ, et al. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement on long-term athletic development. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(6): 1491-1509, 2016.
20. Lloyd, R, and Oliver, J. The youth physical development model. Strength and Conditioning Journal 34: 61-72, 2012.
21. Montella, M, Ceciliani, A, Morsanuto, S, Federici, A, and Altavilla, G. Development of motor skills applied to basketball in the developmental age. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise 14(4): S835-S840, 2019.
22. Mosher, A, Till, K, Fraser-Thomas, J, and Baker, J. Revisiting early sport specialization: What’s the problem? Sports Health October 2021.
23. Oliver, J, and Lloyd, R. Physical training as a potential form of abuse. In: Lang, M and Hartill, M (Eds.), Safeguarding, Child Protection and Abuse in Sport: International Perspectives in Research, Policy and Practice. London, UK: Routledge; 163-164, 2014.
24. Sabato, TM, Walch, TJ, and Caine, DJ. The elite young athlete: Strategies to ensure physical and emotional health. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 7: 99-113, 2016.
25. Soligard, T, Schwellnus, M, Alonso, JM, Bahr, R, Clarsen, B, Dijkstra, HP, et al. How much is too much? (Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine 50: 1030-1041, 2016.
26. United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. American development model. Retrieved April 28, 2021 from http://www. teamusa.org/About-the-USOC/Athlete-Development/American- Development-Model.
27. Virgile, A. Long-term athletic development. Retrieved April 27, 2021 from https://adamvirgile.com/category/infographics/.
28. Wiersma, LD. Risks and benefits of youth sport specialization: Perspectives and recommendations. Pediatric Exercise Science 12: 13-22, 2000.
Audience:
Coaches
Coaches
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Retraction and Correction Policy
- © 2024 National Strength and Conditioning Association
#NSCAStrong
#NSCAStrong