STAGE 1—FUNdamentals ™

Both males and females six to 10 years old.1 The FUNdamental stage is well structured and fun! The emphasis is on the overall development of the athlete’s physical capacities, fundamental movement skills, and the ABC’s of athleticism. Participation in as many sports as possible is encouraged. Speed, power, and endurance are developed using FUN games. Correct running, jumping, and throwing techniques are taught, using the ABC’s of athletics.

Strength training during this stage should include exercises using the athlete’s own body weight, medicine ball, and Swiss ball exercises. Athletes should be introduced to the simple rules and ethics of sports. No periodisation takes place, but all programs are structured and monitored. Activities revolve around the school year, and during summer and winter holidays multi-sport camps are recommended. If athletes and parents have a preferred sport, participation once or twice per week is recommended, but participation in other sports three or four times per week is essential for future excellence. If the athletes later decide to leave the competitive stream, the skills they have acquired during the FUNdamental stage will still benefit them when they engage in recreational activities, which will enhance their quality of life and health.

STAGE 2—TRAIN TO TRAIN ™

Males 10 to 14 years old/females 10 to 13 years old

During the Training to Train stage, young athletes learn how to train and they also learn the basic skills of a specific sport. As well, they are introduced to the basic technical/tactical skills and ancillary capacities including warm-up and cool-down, stretching, hydration and nutrition, recovery and regeneration, mental preparation, taper and peak, integrated pre-competition routines, and post-competition recovery.

During competitions, athletes play to win and to do their best, but the major focus of training is on learning the basics as opposed to competing. Training and competition ratios are optimized because too many competitions waste valuable training time and conversely, not enough competition inhibits the practice of technical skills and learning how to cope with the physical and mental challenges presented during competition.

A 75 per cent training to 25 per cent competition ratio is recommended by experts during the Training to Train stage; however, these percentages vary according to sport and individual specific needs. Athletes undertaking this type of preparation will be better prepared for competition in both the short- and long-term than athletes who focus solely on winning. During this phase, athletes train in competitive situations daily in the form of practice matches or competitive games and drills.

The Training to Train stage addresses the critical or sensitive periods of physical and skill development. Athletes who miss this stage of training will never reach their full potential, regardless of remedial programs they may participate in. The reason why so many athletes plateau during the later stage of their careers is primarily because of an overemphasis on competition instead of on training during this important period in their athletic development.

STAGE 3—TRAIN TO COMPETE ™

Males 14 to 18 years old/females 13 to 17 years old

This phase of development is introduced after the goals and objectives of the Training to Train stage have been achieved. The training to competition and competition-specific training ratio now changes to 50:50. Fifty per cent of training is devoted to the development of technical and tactical skills and fitness improvements, and fifty per cent is devoted to competition-specific training.

During the Training to Compete stage, high intensity individual and sport-specific training is provided to athletes year round. Athletes, who are now proficient at performing both basic and sport-specific skills, learn to perform these skills under a variety of competitive conditions during training. Special emphasis is placed on optimum preparation by modeling training and competition. Fitness programs, recovery programs, psychological preparation, and technical development are now individually tailored to a greater degree. This emphasis on individual preparation addresses each athlete’s individual strength and weaknesses.

STAGE 4—TRAINING TO WIN ™

Males 18 years and older/females 17 years and older.

This is the final stage of athletic preparation. All of the athlete’s physical, technical, tactical, mental, and ancillary capacities are now fully established and the focus of training has shifted to the optimization of performance. Athletes are trained to peak for major competitions. Training is characterized by high intensity and relatively high volume. Frequent “prophylactic” breaks help to prevent physical and mental burnouts. Training to competition ratio in this stage is 25:75; the 75 per cent competition ratio includes competition-specific training.

STAGE 5—THE RETIREMENT/RETAINING

This stage refers to the activities performed after an athlete has retired from competition permanently. During this final stage, ex-athletes move into sport-related careers that may include coaching, officiating, sport administration, small business enterprises, masters’ competition, and the media.