where we are now

USA Hockey and the National Hockey League have a mutual interest in the development of American hockey players. We are making an investment in

the future.

Where We Are NowWhere We Are NowYoung athletes under-train, over-compete.

Adult competition superimposed on young athletes.

Training in early years focuses on outcomes (winning) rather than processes (optimal training).

Chronological age dominates training rather than biological age.

The "critical" or "sensitive“ periods of accelerated adaptation to training are not utilized

Under development between 6-16 years cannot be fully overcome (athletes will never reach genetic potential).

The best coaches are encouraged to work at elite level.

Limited coaching education provided to those working at the youngest age groups. (CEP Level 1)

Parent's education is neglected with regards to long-term athlete development (nutrition, regeneration, maturation and psycho-social development, etc...)

Lack of the integration of sport science, sport medicine and sport-specific technical-tactical activities

WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES…

With the AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL and its Long-Term Athlete Development Principles (LTAD)

Integrates training, competition and recovery programming with relation to biological development and maturation

Is participant/athlete centered, coach driven, and parents, officials, administration, sport medicine & sport science supported

What is LTAD?What is LTAD?

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD1.Ten year rule

• It takes 10 years of extensive practice to excel in anything ! H. Simon Nobel Laureate

• 10 year or 10,000 hour rule (Ericsson and Charness, 1994 and Salmela et al., 1999)

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD2. FUNdamentals

• A, B, C, Speed

• Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)

– Gymnastics, Swimming, Running, Gliding, (Wheeling)

• Fundamental Sports Skills (FSS)

– Throwing, Striking, Kicking

• FMS + FSS = Physical Literacy

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD3. Specialization

• Early vs. Late Specialization

• Reduced time spent on broad based physical literacy

• Peak at 16

• Increased injuries

• Early burnout, early retirement

• Late specialization athletes have included, • Wayne Gretzky, Chris Drury, Bill Guerin, Rick Nash,

Natalie Darwitz, Angela Ruggiero

Currently, we first try to make a player and then we want to make an athlete out of the player!

Reverse the Procedure

We have to make an athlete first and then make a player out of the athlete !

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

4. Growth, Development, and Maturation

• Biological Age vs. Chronological Age

13 year old female athletes

14 year old male athletes

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD4. Growth, Development, and Maturation

• Average children grows 2.5 inches or 5 cm per year.

• Gain about 5 lbs. or 2.3 kg.

• Until they hit their growth spurt.

• Leg length as a rule reaches its peak first 6 to 9 month ahead of trunk length.

• Shoulder and chest breadth are the last to reach their peak.

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTADThe 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD5. Windows of Trainability

• Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

• Stamina (Endurance)

• Strength

• Speed

• Skill

• Suppleness (Flexibility)

Key Factors Influencing LTAD

Pacific Sports - Optimal Windows of Trainability (Balyi and Way 2005)

Windows of Trainability

5. Windows of Trainability


• Stamina (Endurance) – Always trainable

– Critical window of accelerated adaptation to aerobic training begins with the onset of PHV

– Age 10 – 11 for females

– Age 12 - 13 for males

– Monitoring maturation to identify onset




• Strength – Always trainable

– Critical window of accelerated adaptation

to strength training

– Window 1 for females immediately

after PHV

– Window 2 for females with the onset of

menarche

– 12 – 18 month after PHV for males




• Speed – Always trainable but declines with age

– Critical window of accelerated adaptation

to speed training:

– Males:

- Window 1: 7 - 9 years of age

- Window 2: 13 – 16 years of age

– Females:



– (Chronological age)




• Speed – Window 1 is agility, quickness window.

– Change of direction, linear, lateral

and multi directional speed

– Segmental speed

– Duration of intervals less then 5 seconds

– Window 2 is anaerobic lactic power

and capacity window

– Linear, lateral, multi directional

and chaotic speed

– Duration of intervals 5 – 20 seconds




• Skill– Always trainable but significantly

declines with age

– Window of accelerated adaptation

to motor coordination

– Age 8 – 11 females

– Age 9 – 12 males

– Early and late specialization sports

– The importance of transitional skills




• Suppleness (Flexibility)– Always trainable but significantly declines with age

– Optimal trainability 6 – 10 (Dr. K. Russel)

– Special attention during PHV


6. Mental / Cognitive / Emotional Development

• Basic Characteristics• Performance Capabilities and Limitations

• Implications to the Coach

If you want to teach Latin to Richard, you have to know Latin and you have to know Richard.

If you want to teach hockey to Richard, you have to know hockey and you have to know Richard

We know hockey well BUT we do not know Richard from age 8-9 to 16-17 PERIOD!!!


7. Periodization and Training Principles• Optimal Sequencing and Integration of training,

competition and recovery activities throughout periods, phases and mesocycles so the athletes reaches an optimal sport’s form for the decisive competitions of the year.

Olympic Coach – Summer 2004 Vol.16, #2Olympic Coach – Summer 2004 Vol.16, #2


8. System Alignment and Integration

Community Community RecreationRecreation

Physical Physical Education Education

High High Performance Performance Organized Organized SportsSports

Mutually Mutually InterdependentInterdependent

Separate Development is Ineffective and Expensive Separate Development is Ineffective and Expensive


9. The System of Competition (Calendar planning)

• Does the coach have enough time to develop the athlete before the competition season begins?

• Does the actual system of competition favour athlete development?

• Does the coach have time to improve the performance

capacities (Phys; Tech; Tact and Mental) of the athletes between key competitions?

• Dictated schedule or Selective schedule?

• How can you develop talent when you compete more than you train?

System of competition in Fundamentals and Learn to Train Stages is the most critical


10. Continuous improvement

• Continued evaluation of the LTAD research

• Critical analysis of decisions and implemented actions

• Study of current literature

• Be open to change

High Performance = Accelerated Rate of Change


8 STAGES of LTAD8 STAGES of LTAD (Ice Hockey)(Ice Hockey)Active Start Stage - FUNdamental movement skills

FUNdamental Stage - Developing ABC’s

Learning to Train - Learning fundamental sports skills

Training to Train - Building the "engine" and consolidate

sport skills

Learn to Compete - Optimizing "engine" and refine sport skills

Training to Compete - Optimizing "engine" and refine sport skills

and performance

Training to Win - Maximizing "engine“, skills and performance

Hockey for Life

Active Start0-6 FUNdamentals6 and Under Mites 8 and Under Mites

Learning to Train10 and Under Squirt12 and Under Peewee

Training to Train14 and Under Bantams16 and Under Midgets

Learning to Compete18 and Under Midgets

Training to CompeteJunior, NCAA

Training to Win19+ Junior, NCAA, NHL

Hockey for Life

Why is ADM Important?Why is ADM Important?New approach /philosophy towards improvement

Cash-in on “Windows of Trainability”

Means to facilitate optimal development of athletes

Increase player retention

Full sport system alignment and integration (stronger partnerships throughout sport system)

Not just world class… but world leading!

Mission: Get more American kids to play, love and excel in hockey.

I Am Potential

ADM at 6U & 8U Mites

Red, White and Blue Hockey Red, White and Blue Hockey (6/8 & Under)(6/8 & Under)

Develop a passion for our sport first - If they don’t love it, they won’t play it and excel at it!

Resource utilization

– In the average youth practice players are active for 12 to 16 minutes in an hour practice slot

– We want to double this to approximately 30 minutes

- Development is cumulative!

– Reduce costs at Mites

- Practices

- Games


Cross-Ice Games for all 8U and 6U Mites

– Increase puck time and play time

– Skating skills repetition - stop, start and change directions far more often

– Increase the competition - number of puck battles goes up

– Reduce the time and space, increase the decision making (hockey sense)

– Playing surface fits the size of our players

Players that succeed at the higher levels are the ones who can play in traffic, this playing format increases the traffic

Playing Surface to fit the PlayerPlaying Surface to fit the Player

A pro-size ball measures 28 inches, while a youth-size ball measures 24 inches.

Field size for U-8 runs between (20yds TO 25yds) & (30yds TO 40yds) while the pro-size International field is between (70yds TO 80yds) & (110yds TO 120yds)

In pro baseball, the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60’6”, while in Little League it’s only 46 feet.

Pro base lines are 90 feet while Little League the base line are 60 feet.

A pro basketball hoop measures 10 feet high. Younger kids play with a hoop that’s as much as 2 feet lower. They also play cross court.


Station Practices

– 1 station of ABC’s – Agility, balance, coordination & speed

– 1 station of puck control

– 1 station of passing or shooting

– 1 station of hockey play, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3

– 2 stations with a skating emphasis

Of the 6 stations 2-3 are always done in a ‘games/play’ format

“Play is the key to unlock extended effort at repetition”

At U6 an even greater emphasis must be placed ‘play’

8U Mites – Ice Utilization8U Mites – Ice Utilization8U Mites, 6 Stations, 40 – 60 players

Split ice to fit the specific skills, game situational activities or games.

1 2

5 4

1 2

45

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

3

63

5

6

5

6

The Optimal Window of Trainability for 8U Mites is for speed and flexibility

On-ice focus for Mites is on Fundamental Movement Skills and ABC’s

Off-ice focus is on coordination , balance, flexibility and speed

Speed training can also be included on the ice in the form of races and tagging games

Mites

8 & Under - Mites8 & Under - Mites

‘FUNdamentals’ Stage

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)

A, B, C’s – Agility, Balance & Coordination

Flexibility

Optimal window is ‘Speed 1’ and Flexibility

Speed 1 - agility, quickness, change of direction, <5 second intervals

Off-ice training

1x per week @ 30+ min, prior or post practice (A, B, C’s + Speed + Flexibility)

Play multiple sports – 25% hockey/ 75% other sports

Running, gymnastics, swimming, skiing, soccer

Group players by skills

Large disparity at this age due to amounts time involved in hockey

Groups can all be on the ice together, open movement between groups

8 & Under – Mites8 & Under – Mites

40– 60 players each practice session

2-3 Ice sessions per week

50 – 60 min ice sessions

5 month’s = 20 - 24 weeks per season

50 to 60 ice sessions for the season

Approx 40 practices and 20 game days

where we are now

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