Athletes who progress through the stages of LTAD experience instruction, training and competition in
programs that have been developed in consideration of their specific biological and developmental needs.

Benefits of the Long Term Athlete Development framework

• Is based on the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive development of children and adolescents,
  Each of the stages of LTAD reflects a different point in athlete development.
• Ensures physical literacy upon which excellence can be built and
• Builds literacy in all athletes, from early childhood to late adolescence and into adulthood by promoting
  quality daily physical activity in the schools and a common approach to developing physical abilities through
  community recreation and elite sport programs.
• Recognizes the need to involve all Canadians in LTAD, including athletes with a disability.
• Promotes a healthy, physically literate nation whose citizens participate in lifelong physical activity.
• Ensures that optimal training, competition and recovery programs are provided throughout an athlete’s career.
• Provides an optimal competition structure for the various stages of an athlete’s development.
• Has an impact on the entire sport continuum, including participants, parents, coaches, schools, clubs,
  community recreation programs, provincial sport
• organizations (PSOs) national sport organizations (NSOs), sport science specialists, municipalities and
  several government ministries and departments (including health and education) at the provincial/territorial and federal levels.
• Integrates elite sport, community sport and recreation, scholastic sport and physical education in schools.
• Is ‘Made in Canada”, recognizing international best practices, research and normative data

Stages of Long Term Athlete Development in Alpine Skiing

STAGE	DESCRIPTION	WHERE DOES IT FIT?
Skiing For Life	Skiing recreationally, volunteering, maintaining fitness, having fun, sharing with family and friends Involvement for fun, fitness and for the challenge Continue to seek improvement and retain skills and techniques	CADS-NCD Programs & Black Diamond Initiative
Train to Win	Realization and refinement of winning strategies Podium performances at elite levels Mastery of skiing skills in a competitive environment Continue to stress speed generation through a rhythmical blend of movements in relation to force Techniques become automatic	Para-Alpine Partnership
Train to Race	“Optimizing the Racer” Optimize the engine for specific ski racing competition Master event specific skills and techniques Learn winning strategies Focus on gaining speed, maintain the agility and reaction on skis Maintain and improve good technical skiing in all situations, all conditions Technique will be a function of line, creative variations, physical and cognitive ability, and a personal style that is efficient	ODART/SQA Partnership into Para-Alpine Partnership
Learn to Race	“Building the Racer” Gate and race training Train start to finish Develop fitness for ski racing Generate and maintain speed through turns Continue refinement and focus on techniques, timing & coordination, balance I increased ability to self detect and correct Tactics of racing	Black Diamond Initiative into ODART/SQA Partnership
Learn to Train	Beginning to focus on sport specific skills Correct, consolidated basic skiing skills foundation Eliminate over rotation; demonstrate quiet upper body Work on finesse, symmetry, technique Adaptation and consolidation in all planes of balance Coordination and rhythm All terrains and snow conditions Introduction to racing (but not a focus) Introduce self-detect and correct techniques	Black Diamond Initiative
Skier Essentials	Add FUNdation skills Introduce vertical movement , experiment with fore/aft movements Stance and Balance Angulation, separation, carving basics introduced	CADS-NCD Programs
Gliding Start	Initiation to the sport (first contact) Learn the FUNdamentals (movement, equipment, coordination) – and link them into play (keep it fun!) Build confidence, ski in many types of snow conditions Develop capacity to turn, stop, control speed	CADS-NCD Programs

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