Our Sports System Needs to Change

Athletes need to develop their skills to become the “best they can be!”

… Sports have to be about Long-term Athlete Development

And Physical Literacy…

I was working on this article while reflecting on the current status of sports in our society: where we have been, where we are, and how we could definitely become better.

Traditionally, programs have been or are based on age group categories, whereby teaching/coaching methods and practices are critical to understanding the teaching and learning process of each specific age group. The current problem centers on the common and traditional system of categorizing young athletes by “chronological versus developmental age”, which does not take into account the physical, physiological, and mental differences of such age group athletes. According to research, this is a critical issue in modern sports and one of the top reasons for the increase in sports burnout and dropout, estimated at 73% at the age of 12-13 years.

The recommended Long-term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Physical Literacy do not occur automatically or through ‘osmosis’ but have to be integrated and applied progressively in everyday training and throughout the annual cycles. There is too much resistance from coaches, clubs, and Sports Federations because it would mean a ‘change’ in the existing format. Such attitude, however, shows a lack of consideration for facilitating and assuring younger athletes' performance success and well-being. Physical preparation, training, and competition have to be designed based on the LTAD model with a focus on the developmental – not the chronological age of the athletes since the latter encompasses too many variances between specific age groups for boys and girls, and of course, between boys and girls (Chart).

The Differences

Reference:

Schloder, M.E. (2022). Age group and gender differences in growth and development. Lecture Notes, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

It is important to understand such discrepancies because of potential learning differences and athletes’ ability to perform required physical and technical skills. This also raises questions about the continuing practice of hiring coaches who were elite or professional athletes but not trained or educated in child/youth pedagogy or coaching sciences.

It is evident now that children and youth lack functional and motor fitness at the entry level of sports programs. The shortfall leads to frustration and under-performance because technical skills require proficient physical abilities to be successful. Consequently, activities and exercises are essential to develop and increase these components and general and sport-specific movement competencies.

Reference:

Balyi, I., Way, R., & Higgs, G. (2013). Long-term athlete development: A guide to developing a philosophy of sport for life. Training frameworks. A consistently successful organization. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Definitions:

• Physical Fitness– the ability of body systems to work together efficiently to allow us to be healthy to perform activities of daily living – describes the condition of a person

It is to “the human body what fine-tuning is to a car engine,” as it enables athletes to perform to their potential. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look good, feel good, and do our best. It involves the performance of the body’s heart, lungs, and muscles.

• Functional Fitness– training muscles to work together and prepare them for tasks and activities by simulating everyday movements one might do at home, at work, or in sports – it is the ability to carry out selected motor activities

The goal of working out or training is to prepare the body so it can perform without pain, injury, or discomfort and sustain the demands of training without losing focus and control or succumbing to fatigue.

• Motor Learning – is the process of acquiring skills, such as movements or strategies, through practice and experience

It is an important concept in sports because it helps coaches create effective training programs to help athletes improve performance

• Mental Fitness– the ability to process and respond to mental challenges healthily and effectively

This means coping with stress, managing emotions, making decisions, and the ability to concentrate and remembering things.

As I was contemplating, an email arrived with a very applicable and timely topic: Recommendations from the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics presenting its final report to Congress recently regarding the configuration of the U.S. Sports system. Restructuring the United States Sports System.

However, once again, bureaucrats at work with a 270-page report dealing with the dire need for systemic change due to reckoning over widespread abuse of athletes and associated cover-ups, disparities in access and accessibility, and deficiencies in accountability and due process. Once again, the real issue and crux of the problem of the development of children and youth sports programs to inspire talent and motivation for the pursuit and engagement of a life-long sport or physical activity for personal physical and mental well-being has been voided while the current societal crisis of overweight, obesity, stress, anxiety and suicides continues and accelerates.