LONG TERM ATHELETE DEVELOPMENT by Nick Hume, National Performance Director

Over the weekend of the 5 & 6 of March 2004 the GB and ASA water polo committees presented a planning report for the future water polo.

A number of strategic guidelines were presented, they were as follows:

  1. Establishing water polo’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programme.

LTAD is the buzzword in current sporting circles. Over the past 6 months GB Water Polo has been fortunate to work directly with Dr Istvan Balyi (sports development pioneer who assisted with GB swimming, tennis and women’s football LTAD) on developing our own strategic development plan.

Simply put LTAD is based on the scientific principles of growth and development (i.e the various stages of an individuals maturation) and sets that against the best practices in water polo for that stage of maturity. In other words, it recognises and explains the appropriate training needed for each level of development.

So how does it work? Table 1 explains the present age group set up along with the appropriate water polo skills. A more detailed framework will be delivered at the National Coaching Conference Sept 4 & 5th 2004 at Nottingham University.

Table will be published shortly.

Like swimming, water polo will use LTAD as the framework from which to build itself into an internationally competitive nation. LTAD in its truest form dictates the type and amount of training that is required for an athlete to achieve their ultimate goal. This for all water polo players is winning Olympic Gold. At present our resources are not conducive to help facilitate this dream. What we are doing at present is to offer the path by which this can become a possibility. We must recognise what other countries are achieving and learn to adapt it to what we have here in the UK.

The first step is for individuals to recognise their ability to change their own training environment. LTAD offers the guidelines on the minimum amount of swimming required at each stage.  Similarly it has introduced land training exercises that range from rudimentary medicine and Swiss ball exercises up to Olympic lifts. By reaching these levels on a week to week, month to month, year to year basis we will rapidly improve our overall fitness and strength that so often lets us down. All that takes is hard work and commitment, and can be achieved anywhere in the country.

With respect to water polo we have to find a way to make our players more skilful. Since August 1999 the ‘Water Polo Academy Week’ at Millfield has become the first taste of national team training for our young players.  Over an intensive week the players are introduced to the skills and drills, the swimming and the land activities that we want them to learn and develop. Last year we expanded this program. Firstly the Academy was increased to include a half yearly review. Secondly both youth and academy-aged players were invited to participate in ‘Regional Training Centres’ (RTC’s). The purpose of the centres is to enable young players to train throughout the year (on a weekly basis) and improve their technical proficiency. RTC’s are a training program that develop not only good skills but also underpins the culture of hard work and dedication that we are striving to develop.  What they learn there will carry them through their national team development.  It will condition the players to the required training and will mean coaches can advance training and not have to start again after every two-year cycle. 

For further information about LTAD see;

Links:

1) Swimming’s LTAD Short Version

2) http://coaching.usolympicteam.com/coaching/kpub.nsf/v/0304
Homepage of: USOC Olympic Coach E-Magazine

3) http://coaching.usolympicteam.com/coaching/kpub.nsf/v/2ltad04
Istvan Balyi article on: LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT: TRAINABILITY IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

envelope.gif (852 bytes) nick.hume@swimming.org

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