Development is the key to build a Long Term Athlete. It is required that organizations, coaches, parents, teachers, and everybody involved in an athlete’s life, understand the importance of the developmental process in order to provide children with an opportunity to enjoy a long life in sports.
“Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) is a movement to improve the quality of sport and physical activity in Canada through improved athlete training and better integration between all stakeholders in the sport system, including sport organizations, education, recreation and health.”
LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development) is the flagship program of CS4L to ensure that athletes have optimal training, competition and recovery regimes from childhood through all phases to adulthood.
London Sharks Volleyball Club is committed to delivering the best quality programs to all of its members; thus, every one of its programs is based on the LTAD model proposed by CS4L. Starting with the introduction of volleyball at the age of five, during a period of eight weeks at a time, the Little Sharks have the opportunity to enjoy physical activities that will develop their motor skills in compliance with the stages 1 (Active Start) and 2 (FUNdamentals) of the LTAD model. At this point, kids will be developing the required basic skills to participate in any sport or physical activity.
Nine or ten-year-old kids can join the Developmental League and Instructional Program, which is a 10-week program that runs twice a week where all the skills and game fundamentals are learned during a weekly practice session and a weekly game. This program follows Stages 3 and 4 of the LTAD model to ensure a strong solid base for specialization in the sport and future competition at the highest levels. The Developmental League and Instructional Programs include kids from 10 to 15 years old.
The Little Sharks and Developmental Leagues programs are now open for registrations for the January to March session. To register or to obtain more information on any of these programs, please visit www.londonsharks.ca or email info@londonsharks.ca.
— Submitted by London Sharks Volleyball
