Chapter 11/12

Learning outcomes 

• Develop a program structure based on opportunities for training and competition 

• Develop practice plans that reflect seasonal training priorities 

• Establish indicators of athlete development in a program 

Introduction 

• Sport program: a sport program is a planned and progressive sequencing of events. The nature, number, frequency, duration, and content of these activities is adapted to athletes age and sport experience 

• Sport form: sport form refers to the level of development of athletic activities at a given time compared to what is required in competition 

LTAD considerations 

• Puberty 

• Puberty onset is highly variable, though it typically occurs earlier for females than males 

• Males – begins on average at 12.5-13 years old, however may begin 2-4 years earlier or later 

• Females – begins on average at 11-15.5 years old, however may begin 2-2.5 years earlier or later    

• In puberty, there will be early developers and late developers – participants of the same age are not necessarily in the same development stage 

• This may create some inequalities in the short term as early developers may be training / competing against late developers 

• Athletic success as an adult isn't determined by how early individuals reached or went through puberty 

• Training may be appropriate for some participants, but not others – some characteristics such as intensity, duration, practice conditions, etc – might need to be adapted 

• Coaches should focus on adapting activities to the developmental stage of participants

• Understanding and coaching to developmental differences lead to better long term sport performance, higher participation rates =, being active for life, lower dropout rates and a number of other benefits

• Additional information can be found in the NCCP reference manual 

Early specialization sports 

• Refers to a sport in which, to be successful, athlete must begin serious and systematic training at a relatively young age 

• Only a handful of sports require early specialization

• Gymnastics – artistic and rhythmic

• Figure skating 

• Diving 

• Female tennis 

• Sprint swimming 

• Aside from these sports, specialization before age 10 in not recommended; contributes to burnout, dropout and premature retirement

• Volleyball – late specialization

• Hockey – the rest of the world is catching up and we might not be the country known for hockey. American teams do it a little differently  

Components of a sport program 

• Main components of a sport program: 

• Time dimension 

• Events 

• Intentions, objectives and priorities (why are athletes there)

• Structure 

• Progression (evolve training)

• Adjustment and evaluation (assess a starting point)

• More information can be founded in the design a basic sport program, reference manual 

Sport form 

• Refers to the level of development of athletic activities at a given time compared to what is required in competition 

• Represents an athletes level of readiness to meet requirements of competition ( physical, technical, tactical, and mental perspective) (mental is what coaches are least prepared to deal with)

• Specific to: 

• Sport 

• Age and gender of the athletes 

• Level of competition

• Progression of sport form 

• Building sport form

1. Develop the basic athletic abilities 

2. Progressively increase the amount of work 

• Intensity of exercise / activities is not very high  

• Consolidating and stabilizing sport form 

• Characterized by an increase and a levelling off of sport form 

• Training of athletic abilities becomes sport specific 

• Decline in sport form 

• Occurs after the end of the program, consists of a decline in sport form and performance 

Knowing your athletes of programs 

• Who are your athletes (coach workbook)

• Important to record essential information about your athletes 

• gender , age, height, weight, skill level, experience  

• Growth and development  (coach workbook)

• Guidelines on when to emphasize and when to avoid training certain abilities 

• What is your program orientation (coach workbook)

• Ie., where do you put most emphasis 

Structure of a sport program 

• Periods and phases of a sport program: 

• Preparation

• Athletes get in shape to be ready to perform well in competition

• beginning : first practice of the program 

• End: first “official” competition of the program  

• The preparation phase is usually divided into three phases

1. General preparation phase (GPP)

2. Specific preparation phase (SPP)

3. Pre-competition phase (PCP)

• Competition

• Practice continue but are more focused on preparing for competition; athletes take part in competitions of varying importance 

• Beginning: first “official competition of the program

• End: last competition of the program   

• The competition phase is usually divided into two phases 

1. Regular competition phase (RCP)

2. Major competition phase (MCP)

• Transition 

• There is much less training and practice, but some activity should continue to encourage active recovery between the end of the competition period and beginning of the next program 

• Beginning: last competition of the program 

• End: last structured training activity of the program 

• The transition phase is not usually divided into smaller units 

Types of sport programs 

• There are three main types of sport programs 

1. Single periodization – a sport program that only has one competition period per year. Eg. league play in fall / winter + championships in spring

2. Double periodization – a sport program that consists of two distinct competition periods each year. Eg, a sport that has a summer + a winter season 

3. Multiple periodization – consists of more than two distinct competition periods, as well as several times when an athlete must achieve high-performance goals  

Training objectives and methods

• Types of objectives in a sport program 

• General

  • participation , fun, experience 

• Athletic, physical, and motor abilities

  • Develop / improve. Maintain  

• Technical elements specific to sport 

  • Acquire, perform, consolidate, increase success

• Tactical elements specific to sport 

  • Read situation, vary motor responses 

• Performance 

  • Effort, personal best, win, finish amongst “x” position 

Types of exercise 

• Training exercises are divided into 3 main categories 

1. General exercises

• Have no elements specific to sport or competition movement; serve as general preparation 

• Eg., pushups, situps, skipping etc.  

2. Specific exercise 

• Contain some elements of sport and certain parts of competition; conditions are not identical to competition 

• Eg., run in the woods weather than a track 

• Simple specific exercise – perform technical movement in keeping with rules of sport; only one predetermined motor response to perform 

• Complex specific exercise (or serial skills) – execution of several different movements in the correct order 

3. Competition exercise 

• Also referred to as “simulated competition” are the most specific form of preparation 

• Consist of executing movements or tasks in the same conditions as those that will be encountered in competition and take into account rules, equipment used, environmental conditions, and opponents levels 

• NOTE: at young levels, general and specific exercises should be used most of the time (not competition exercise)

• Simulated competition exercise – place athlete in competition – like situations

• Competition exercises – modified game – competition exercise modified to break down parts of games ( 2 on 2, modified rules etc)

• Competition exercises – directed game – whole team, with or without opponents going through partial phase of a game  

• Competition exercise – exhibition game – exhibition game vs a real opponent 

• Proportion of general, specific, and competition varies from phase to phase, progression should occur to promote to sport form 

Motor athletic abilities 

• Refers to agility, balance, and coordination 

• Little information is available about optimal training frequency and the nominal amount of time necessary for a training response for motor abilities 

• Important to incorporate on a regular basis into activities, especially at the beigning 

Analyzing your program 

• Number of competitions fays 

• Number of practice days

• LTAD

• Athletes are most often children or young adolescents 

• Participation in sport is seasonal 

• There is a wide range in athletes experience in sport and in their levels of performance 

• Challenges 

• Logistical constraints 

• Developmental needs and athletes interests 

• Athletic development 

• Common issues and possible solutions 

• See reference manual (design a basic sport program tab)

Team selection 

• Team selection is unavoidable as a coach 

• Make selection criteria and procedure known in advance 

• Selection criteria should reflect the values and objectives of the coach, club and sport association 

• If an athlete gives you their time for tryouts, you owe them some time to have a conversation with them – humanistic approach 

• Be prepared to answer questions