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USA Hockey and the National Hockey League have a mutual interest in the development of American hockey players. We are making an investment in the future.

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Where We Are Now

Young athletes under-train, over-compete.

Adult competition superimposed on young athletes.

Training in early years focuses on outcomes (winning) rather than processes (optimal training).

Chronological age dominates training rather than biological age.

The "critical" or "sensitive“ periods of accelerated adaptation to training are not utilized Under development between 6-16 years cannot be fully overcome (athletes will never reach genetic potential).

The best coaches are encouraged to work at elite level.

Limited coaching education provided to those working at the youngest age groups. (CEP Level 1) Parent's education is neglected with regards to long-term athlete development (nutrition, regeneration, maturation and psycho-social development, etc...) Lack of the integration of sport science, sport medicine and sport-specific technical-tactical activities Page 3

WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES… With the AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL and its Long-Term Athlete Development Principles (LTAD)

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What is LTAD?

Integrates training, competition and recovery programming with relation to biological development and maturation Is participant/athlete centered, coach driven, and parents, officials, administration, sport medicine & sport science supported

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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Ten year rule

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It takes 10 years of extensive practice to excel in anything ! H. Simon Nobel Laureate 10 year or 10,000 hour rule (Ericsson and Charness, 1994 and Salmela et al., 1999) Page 6

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

2.

FUNdamentals

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A, B, C, Speed

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Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)

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Gymnastics, Swimming, Running, Gliding, (Wheeling) Fundamental Sports Skills (FSS)

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Throwing, Striking, Kicking FMS + FSS = Physical Literacy Page 7

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

3.

Specialization

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Early vs. Late Specialization Reduced time spent on broad based physical literacy Peak at 16 Increased injuries

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Early burnout, early retirement Late specialization athletes have included,

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Wayne Gretzky, Chris Drury, Bill Guerin, Rick Nash, Natalie Darwitz, Angela Ruggiero Page 8

Currently, we first try to make a player and then we want to make an athlete out of the player!

Reverse the Procedure We have to make an athlete first and then make a player out of the athlete !

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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Growth, Development, and Maturation

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Biological Age vs. Chronological Age 13 year old female athletes 14 year old male athletes Page 10

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

4.

Growth, Development, and Maturation

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Average children grows 2.5 inches or 5 cm per year.

Gain about 5 lbs. or 2.3 kg.

Until they hit their growth spurt.

Leg length as a rule reaches its peak first 6 to 9 month ahead of trunk length.

Shoulder and chest breadth are the last to reach their peak.

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Stamina (Endurance) Strength

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Speed Skill Suppleness (Flexibility) Page 12

Key Factors Influencing LTAD Windows of Trainability

Pacific Sports - Optimal Windows of Trainability (Balyi and Way 2005)

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Stamina (Endurance)

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Always trainable

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Critical window of accelerated adaptation to aerobic training begins with the onset of PHV Age 10 – 11 for females Age 12 - 13 for males Monitoring maturation to identify onset Page 14

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Strength

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Always trainable

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Critical window of accelerated adaptation to strength training

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Window 1 for females immediately after PHV

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Window 2 for females with the onset of menarche

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12 – 18 month after PHV for males Page 15

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Speed

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Always trainable but declines with age

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Critical window of accelerated adaptation to speed training:

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Males: - Window 1: 7 - 9 years of age - Window 2: 13 – 16 years of age

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Females: - Window 1: 6 – 8 years of age - Window 2: 11 – 13 years of age

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(Chronological age) Page 16

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Speed

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Window 1 is agility, quickness window.

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Change of direction, linear, lateral and multi directional speed Segmental speed Duration of intervals less then 5 seconds Window 2 is anaerobic lactic power and capacity window

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Linear, lateral, multi directional and chaotic speed

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Duration of intervals 5 – 20 seconds Page 17

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Skill

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Always trainable but significantly declines with age

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Window of accelerated adaptation to motor coordination

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Age 8 – 11 females Age 9 – 12 males Early and late specialization sports The importance of transitional skills Page 18

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

5.

Windows of Trainability Five ‘S’ of Training and Performance (Dick 1985)

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Suppleness (Flexibility)

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Always trainable but significantly declines with age Optimal trainability 6 – 10 (Dr. K. Russel) Special attention during PHV Page 19

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

6.

Mental / Cognitive / Emotional Development Basic Characteristics

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Performance Capabilities and Limitations Implications to the Coach If you want to teach Latin to Richard, you have to know Latin and you have to know Richard.

If you want to teach hockey to Richard, you have to know hockey and you have to know Richard We know hockey well BUT we do not know Richard from age 8-9 to 16-17 PERIOD!!!

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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Periodization and Training Principles

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Optimal Sequencing and Integration of training, competition and recovery activities throughout periods, phases and mesocycles so the athletes reaches an optimal sport’s form for the decisive competitions of the year.

Olympic Coach – Summer 2004 Vol.16, #2

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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System Alignment and Integration

Physical Education Mutually Interdependent Community Recreation Separate Development is Ineffective and Expensive High Performance Organized Sports

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The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

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The System of Competition (Calendar planning)

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Does the coach have enough time to develop the athlete before the competition season begins?

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Does the actual system of competition favour athlete development?

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Does the coach have time to improve the performance capacities (Phys; Tech; Tact and Mental) of the athletes between key competitions?

Dictated schedule or Selective schedule?

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How can you develop talent when you compete more than you train?

System of competition in Fundamentals and Learn to Train Stages is the most critical Page 23

The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTAD

10. Continuous improvement

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Continued evaluation of the LTAD research

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Critical analysis of decisions and implemented actions Study of current literature Be open to change High Performance = Accelerated Rate of Change Page 24

8 STAGES of LTAD Active Start Stage (Ice Hockey) - FUNdamental movement skills FUNdamental Stage Developing ABC’s Learning to Train - Learning fundamental sports skills Active Start

0-6

FUNdamentals

6 and Under Mites 8 and Under Mites

Learning to Train

10 and Under Squirt 12 and Under Peewee

Training to Train - Building the "engine" and consolidate sport skills Training to Train

14 and Under Bantams 16 and Under Midgets

Learn to Compete - Optimizing "engine" and refine sport skills Learning to Compete

18 and Under Midgets

Training to Compete - Optimizing "engine" and refine sport skills and performance Training to Win Training to Compete

Junior, NCAA

Training to Win

19+ Junior, NCAA, NHL

Maximizing "engine“, skills and performance Hockey for Life Hockey for Life Page 25

Why is ADM Important?

New approach /philosophy towards improvement Cash in on “Windows of Trainability” Means to facilitate optimal development of athletes Increase player retention Full sport system alignment and integration (stronger partnerships throughout sport system)

Not just world class… but world leading!

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Mission:

Get more American kids to play, love and excel in hockey.

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I Am Potential

ADM at 6 U & 8 U Mites

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Red, White and Blue Hockey

(6/8 & Under) Develop a passion for our sport first won’t play it and excel at it!

If they don’t love it, they Resource utilization

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In the average youth practice players are active for 12 to 16 minutes in an hour practice slot

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We want to double this to approximately 30 minutes

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Development is cumulative!

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Reduce costs at Mites

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Practices Games Page 29

Red, White and Blue Hockey

(6/8 & Under) Cross-Ice Games for all 8U and 6U Mites

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Increase puck time and play time

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Skating skills repetition - stop, start and change directions far more often

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Increase the competition - number of puck battles goes up

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Reduce the time and space, increase the decision making (hockey sense)

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Playing surface fits the size of our players Players that succeed at the higher levels are the ones who can play in traffic, this playing format increases the traffic Page 30

Playing Surface to fit the Player

A pro-size ball measures 28 inches, while a youth-size ball measures 24 inches.

Field size for U-8 runs between (20yds TO 25yds) & (30yds TO 40yds) while the pro-size International field is between (70yds TO 80yds) & (110yds TO 120yds)

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Red, White and Blue Hockey

(6/8 & Under) Station Practices

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1 station of ABC’s – Agility, balance, coordination & speed

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1 station of puck control

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1 station of passing or shooting

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1 station of hockey play, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3

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2 stations with a skating emphasis Of the 6 stations 2 3 are always done in a ‘games/play’ format “Play is the key to unlock extended effort at repetition” At U6 an even greater emphasis must be placed ‘play’ Page 32

8U Mites – Ice Utilization

8U Mites, 6 Stations, 40 – 60 players Split ice to fit the specific skills, game situational activities or games. 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 6 3 3 3 4 3 5 4 5 4 5 6 4 6 5 Page 33

The Optimal Window of Trainability for 8U Mites is for speed and flexibility On-ice focus for Mites is on Fundamental Movement Skills and ABC’s Off-ice focus is on coordination , balance, flexibility and speed Speed training can also be included on the ice in the form of races and tagging games Mites Page 34

8 & Under - Mites

‘FUNdamentals’ Stage Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) A, B, C’s – Agility, Balance & Coordination Flexibility Optimal window is ‘Speed 1’ and Flexibility Speed 1 - agility, quickness, change of direction, <5 second intervals Off-ice training 1x per week @ 30+ min, prior or post practice (A, B, C’s + Speed + Flexibility) Play multiple sports – 25% hockey/ 75% other sports Running, gymnastics, swimming, skiing, soccer Group players by skills Large disparity at this age due to amounts time involved in hockey Groups can all be on the ice together, open movement between groups Page 35

8 & Under – Mites

40 – 60 players each practice session 2-3 Ice sessions per week 50 – 60 min ice sessions 5 month’s = 20 - 24 weeks per season 50 to 60 ice sessions for the season Approx 40 practices and 20 game days Page 36

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