What is Long Term Athlete
Development (LTAD)?
Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a model which describes what should be done at
specific ages and stages of development. This is a model for development in physical activity
and sport to provide a safe, enjoyable and progressive pathway for children to pursue healthy
physical activity along with a pathway to excellence.
One of the goals of the LTAD model is Physical Literacy. Physical literacy is defined as the
mastery of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills. A physically literate
person moves with poise, and confidence in a wide variety of physically challenging situations,
is perceptive in reading all aspects of the physical environment. Athletes anticipate the
movement needs or possibilities, and responds appropriately with intelligence and imagination.
USA Synchro has began implementing its own LTAD model for synchronized swimming. LTAD
begins with our new pre-school program through the active for life stages
based on the various research and studies available and what other sports
and countries have created. The principles which underpin the LTAD are
equally applicable to people of all ages and abilities whether they are
participating in elite sport or recreational physical activity.
The 10 S’s...
LTAD looks at 10 S’s of Training and Performance that describe 10 distinct capacities of the athlete.
The first five focus on physical literacy: Stamina, Strength, Speed, Skill and Suppleness (flexibility).
The next five focus on the holistic development: (P)sychology, Structure/Stature, Sustenance,
Schooling, Socio-Cultural.
Each of these 10 capacities is trainable throughout an athlete’s lifetime. However, research shows
that there are sensitive periods of accelerated adaptation to training when each of the first five
capacities is especially receptive to training. If these sensitive periods are missed, the athlete may
never grow to have as much stamina, strength, speed, skill and suppleness as they could have had.
There are also other considerations in trainability.
