Welcome to the Long Term Athlete Development website.  Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a approach that helps coaches, parents and athletes understand the importance of doing the right things at the right times.  Science, research, and decades of experience all point to the same thing: kids and adults will get active, stay active, and reach the greatest heights of sport achievement if they approach development in this way.

Many LTAD models have been created that provide a framework in which to fully develop an athlete, but it’s important to note that every person is unique and must be handled with this in mind.  There is no single model that is right for everyone to achieve the greatest results, so this site contains a variety of options and approaches.

The Blog section of the site includes articles, videos, images and programs to help you gain a complete understanding of Long Term Athlete Development.  The Recommendations section offers additional resources that will help coaches implement an LTAD strategy.

This site is overseen by the International Youth Conditioning Association, which is the only worldwide organization dedicated to the development of young athletes.