LTAD Focus on Stage 4 Training to Compete

FUNdamentals	To learn FUNdamental movement skills
Learning to Train	To Learn FUNdamental sports skills
Training to Train	To build fitness and specific sports skills
Training to Compete	To refine skills for the specific event or position
Training to win	To maximise performance in competition
Retainment	For athletes/players retiring from competitive sport, aiming to keep them involved in physical activity.

(Generally: boys 16 - 18+ years / girls 15 - 17+ years)

The vast majority of coaches are working with young people at community or club level, rather than the small percentage that are working with elite performers. The preceding three stages will therefore be most relevant for these coaches. The Training to Compete stage and the following Training to Win stage are most relevant for coaches working at centres of excellence, academies, with representative squads and targeted individuals who have been identified as potential elite performers.

This stage aims to:

Focus on diagnosing individual strengths and weaknesses for selected events/positions and devising training programmes accordingly
Provide all year round training that is high in intensity and specificity
Improve the adaptability of performers by structuring training to stimulate a realistic variety of competitive event conditions
Maximise preparation by modelling training and competition activities

Performers should progress to this stage when the goals of the Training to Train stage have been achieved. The Training to Train stage last for an average of three to five years and another three to five years is required to complete the Training to Compete stage.

The emphasis in the second and third stages of the LTAD model is on the acquisition and development of fundamental and sports specific skills and techniques, rather than entering as many competitive events as possible in order to achieve short-term success. To put the role of success and winning into perspective during the Training to Train and Training to Compete stages, performers should be striving and encouraged by their coaches to win at carefully selected events.

Although the training to competition ratios will vary from sport to sport, the general recommendation for coaches during this stage is that the ratio of training to competitive events and competition-specific training should change to:

40% devoted to the continuous development of fitness, technical and tactical skills
60% devoted to training that is specifically focused on competitive requirements (not just events, but simulated competitive situations in the training programme)

Performers who have progressed to an adequate level of competency in fundamental and sports-specific skills are now exposed to activities that will develop their capacity to produce these skills under a range of simulated competitive situations during training sessions.

This stage should provide emerging performers with opportunities to prepare fully for competitive events by exposing them to a wide range of simulated, realistic and competitive conditions.

For more information on LTAD, visit www.sportscoachuk.org or attend the 'Introduction to Long Term Athlete Development' workshop (click here for details of when this workshop is available)

The information contained within this article has been adapted from the Coaching for Long Term Athlete Development resource book by Ian Stafford (©The National Coaching Foundation 2005), available from www.1st4sport.com