LONG TERM PLAYER DEVELOPMENT ....
LTPD stands for Long Term Player Development. It represents a philosophy that is much more focused on ensuring players who love soccer stay in the game for life and enjoy the experience. It further ensures that all players, recreational and the competitive, are developed to their full potential. The LTPD approach is common practice in many of the best soccer nations in the world. It stresses, especially at the crucial early development ages, far less emphasis on games and “winning”, and much more on practice, touches, creativity, skill development and learning how to play and enjoy the game. In Ontario, we have already implemented this approach where players U12 and younger practice and train much more than they play in “games”, with field sizes and training methods geared to specific development stages, which can be different for every young player.
We are committed to a different mindset, creating a soccer culture that is about really getting the best out of our players, so they continue to learn and grow every day. Everything we do going forward will be rooted in this objective: what is best for the player to help them reach their potential.
The focus of LTPD is to help both the player who is in youth soccer strictly for fun and fitness, but also the talented youngster who dreams of a future in the sport. At the young ages, we stress basic physical literacy, and players go through the various development stages not worried about “winning games” but instead actually developing their individual skills. There will still be competition but the emphasis is not on avoiding “mistakes”, or coaches selecting the biggest, fastest players to help “win” league games, but rather giving all players the opportunity to play and develop their skills.
Our commitment is to make the game more fun than ever before for the recreational player and to provide better development opportunities than ever before for those with aspirations for a future in the sport. LTPD is a key aspect of ensuring that will happen.
LTPD is about putting player-development first. At the end of the day, that’s what everyone involved with our great sport wants.
More LTPD Information from Ontario Soccer ...
More LTPD Information from Canada Soccer ...
Long-Term Player Development: A Community Guide
Canada Soccer Pathway Coach's Tool Kit: Stage Two - FUNdamentals
Canada Soccer Pathway Coach's Tool Kit: Stage Three - Learn to Train
LTPD for Players with Disabilities
PHYSICAL LITERACY
Just as learning the alphabet is necessary to read, the development of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills is critical if children are to feel good about physical activity. The ABCs – Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed are the four skills that underpin physical literacy. We encorage and expect all recreational and competitive coaches to incorporate physical literacy in all of their sessions.
Incorporating Physical Literacy into Practices
DEVELOPMENT MARTICES
GRASSROOTS SOCCER
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 May 2018 13:59