SOUTH AFRICAN KORFBALL FEDERATION
LONG-TERM PARTICIPANT DEVELOPMENT MANUAL SOUTH AFRICAN KORFBALL FEDERATION
LONG-TERM PARTICIPANT DEVELOPMENT MANUAL
LONG-TERM PARTICIPANT DEVELOPMENT
Korfball Long Term Participant Development Committee:
Chris Theÿse - Chairperson SAKF Coach Committee
Robby Fowels - Junior National Coach
Gertjie Theÿse - Senior National Coach
Zelda Lamprecht - Fitness and Strength Expert
Oupa Masiloane - Development
Elsie Theÿse - Junior National Coach
Christie Theÿse - Child Kinetics Istvan Balyi - Pacific Sport Canadian Sport Centre Vancouver
The South African Korfball Federation thanks all coaches, expert consultants and the many volunteers for contributing to the development of this publication.
South African Korfball Federation Long Term Participant Development Copyright © 2012
South African Korfball Federation P.O. Box 54780 Wierdapark, 0149, Pretoria, South Africa E-mail: [email protected]
Authors: South African Korfball Federation Long Term Participant Development Committee Editors: CHRIS THEŸSE Photo Credits: Marco Spelten (www.actionphotography.nl), Riaan Nel
All rights reserved. No part of this material may be printed or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the South African Korfball Federation
TABLE OF CONTENT
President's message 7
Overview 9
Why do we need LTPD? 10 General observations 10 Korfball specific observations 10 Concepts and advantages 11
The 10 Key Factors Influencing LTPD 11 Excellence Takes Time (10,000 Hour Concept) 11 The Fundamentals 13 Specialisation 14 Developmental Age 15 Trainability 18
The 10 Ss of Training and Performance 20 Skills Development 20 Speed Development 21 Stamina Development 21 Strength Development 21 Suppleness (Flexibility) 22 Stature 22 Psychology 23 Sustenance 25 Schooling 25 Socio-cultural considerations 25
Physical, Emotional, Mental & Cognitive Development 26
Periodisation 26
Calendar planning for competition 28
System alignment and integration 28
Continuous improvement 29
Seven stages of LTPD for Korfball 30 STAGE ONE: Active Start 31 STAGE TWO: FUNdamentals 31 STAGE THREE: Learn to Train 33 STAGE FOUR: Train to Train 34 STAGE FIVE: Train to Compete 36 STAGE SIX: Train to Win 38 STAGE SEVEN: Active for Life 40 Players with disabilities 40
Long Term Coach Development (LTCD) 41
Implementation of LTPD 43 Summary 43
Bibliography 44
Appendix I: Physical, Mental and Cognitive, Emotional Development Characteristics 46
Appendix II: South African Korfball Federation – Optimal Trainability 52
Appendix III: South African Korfball Federation – Periodisation in Long Term Athlete 53
Appendix IV: Examples of Activities for different stages of LTAD 54
Appendix V: Tips for Parents 57
Appendix VI: SAKF Coaching Structures 59
Appendix VII: SAKF Competition structure for players Under 9 and Under 11 61 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT MR. L. WILLIAMS
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), upon advise from the SASCOC Coach Commission, and Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) have decided, after comprehensive research, and as part of the establishment of a coaching structure for South Africa, to introduce the concept of Long Term Participant Development (LTPD) in the South African sports fraternity. This implementation process started in 2010.
The South African Korfball Federation (SAKF) was very fortunate to be selected by SASCOC to participate in the second wave of the LTPD Program introduction. When completed the SAKF LTPD Program and implementation will be one of thirty odd Federations that have introduced the Program. Although we accepted at the time of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with SASCOC that it will bring on a huge burden on our already overstretched volunteers and the SAKF Coach Committee, we accepted the challenge and the Coach Committee immediately started working on the project. The coaches, administrators and officials of the SAKF were first introduced to the concept of LTPD on Wednesday, 13 July 2011 during the SAKF Provincial Tournament in Pretoria. At that time the members present listened and took notice, seeing that the project was only in the developmental stage, and maybe thinking that this was just another planned project that would not be realised. Fortunately for us the end product is now in its final stages of development and signing off on the end product will be in May 2012.
The SAKF is really looking forward to the implementation of the long awaited and much discussed LTPD Program for the Federation and korfball. If all goes according to plan we will see the launch of the Program on Wednesday, 27 June 2012 during the SAKF Provincial Tournament in Sedibeng.
The SAKF Executive and the SAKF Coaches Committee realises the importance of this Project for the future development and transformation of korfball in South Africa. This is the first time in the existence of korfball in South Africa that we have embarked on such a drastic turnaround and change in our structure and way of doing. Yes, we have to acknowledge, the proposals and requirements of this Project will be drastic and I am sure that we are going to receive numerous complaints and inputs from parents, coaches, administrators and even players in this regard when we start with implementation, the fist probably being the change in strategy with the under 9 and under 11 competitions. It must be remembered that the LTPD Program has been introduced with success in Canada and the United Kingdom. The Program addresses the holistic development of players over time and it will definitely take time for us to see the changes and results in future. I therefore request our parents, coaches, administrators and players to accept the requirements and modalities of the Program and to assist and support our coaches in their task of introducing and implementing the LTPD Program for korfball. Your support to the coaches, and most importantly to our youth players, is of the utmost importance for the success of this project. We have no choice; we have to accept and implement the process in order to ensure future recognition and support from SASCOC and SRSA.
7 We thank the SAKF LTPD Committee for the work done in the development of the LTPD document. Your work in this regard will in future be considered to be ground braking as we from korfball in South Africa will be the first korfball playing country in the world to officially introduce the concept and guidelines of LTPD into our coaching and player development system.
Our thanks and appreciation goes to SASCOC and the staff at SASCOC for their support and encouragement to realise this project.
8 OVERVIEW
Long-term Participant Development (LTPD) in the South African sport context is a player-centred approach to holistic player development in the social, psychological and physical dimensions, which is in turn coordinated with proper sport-specific learning and teaching.
This program, pioneered by Istvan Balyi, presents seven stages of logical progression that will assist in the long-term development of korfball players in South African and ultimately, preparing the national players for international participation. Players entering the international competition arena will be equipped, through following the stages of the program, with the necessary coordination, speed and strength skills in order to perform optimally.
Furthermore, LTPD takes into account the many developmental changes that individuals undergo in the process of growing up and defines specific guidelines for teaching early, average and late maturing players. This is defined as developmental age, and is identified as one of the biggest shortcomings in the South African Korfball Federation (SAKF) coaching system as all competitions and most training sessions are structured and planned according to the individual player's respective chronological ages. The change in emphasis to developmental age is vital, as one individual with a chronological age of 14 years could have a developmental age of 16 and the other of 12 years, meaning that there is a 4 year psychological and physical difference between these individuals.
LTPD is therefore a program that will cater for all players needs, from the recreational to the elite to the disabled, and is specifically directed at:
— retaining players in the system, — catering for everyone's needs, — providing highly qualified age-specific coaching, and — creating an opportunity for the masses to participate and enjoy the sport of korfball in South Africa
The focus of LTPD is directed at changing the sport coaching system in general and specifically to focus more on the player. It is a process-orientated, player–directed program which has grown out of the need to correct mistakes and flaws in the current coaching trends in many countries worldwide.
The SAKF also requires the restructuring implied by adopting the LTPD system should the Federation wish to improve overall functioning of coaching in South Africa, as well as producing top, elite level players, an area in which the country has struggled in bygone years. Clearly the reasons for introducing a new coaching system in the SAKF are many. The program that will solve the SAKF's problems and shortcomings with regards to the above-mentioned is LTPD.
Finally, it is a necessity that this program be supported by every system and structure within the SAKF, including clubs, schools, regions, provinces and committees. It is also of the utmost importance that parents and supporters understand the reasons and aims of the LTPD model as implemented by the SAKF. This program has already been accepted as a model for South African sport and therefore we as a Federation need to include this in our all our operating and planning systems.
9 WHY DO WE NEED LTPD? General Observations
General observations in sport have been made and indicate a trend in most countries in terms of the shortcomings of coaching and coaching systems:
— Young players that are in their developmental phases of training are exposed to over competing and under training. — Young players are submitted to training in adult training programs, exposing them developmentally and thereby limiting and harming their proper development. — Female players are forced to train with, and compete in male designed training and competition schedules/programs, thereby undermining their own mental, physical and social development — Due to the emphasis on competition from a young age, development is neglected and preparation is particularly focused on performance outcomes (winning), rather than the vital, long-term process-oriented vision of developing each player to eventually achieve long-term success. — There are certain periods of accelerated adaptation to training that is largely neglected by coaches, both due to high emphasis on performance outcomes and the fact that most coaches are not adequately educated on child/player development from a young age. — Chronological age is emphasised and is the basis for training and competition systems whereas developmental age, which is more important, is ignored. — Due to the lack of knowledge on developmental processes, there is a lack of proper attention and emphasis on the process of teaching fundamental movement skills as well as the basic principles of sport and sport skills. — Often it is found that the most knowledgeable coaches work at the elite level in sport, whereas they are required at the base level of coaching in order to ensure proper development of players at their critical developmental periods. — Parents lack a basic understanding of what LTPD is and the benefits of participating in such a program for their children. — There is a lack of basic understanding and knowledge on how to educate and teach disabled players with regards to their developmental processes and their sport specific learning. — In most sports the competition program is poorly developed, therefore interfering and hindering the natural process of development of young players. — The talent identification system is poorly developed or non-existent. — Schools, clubs, community recreation programs and elite training programs do not integrate and therefore the systems operate on their own with no support from the others. — Sport specialisation occurs much too soon in order to attract children to the discipline. — Coaches on all levels are not fully equipped and knowledgeable on Periodisation and the incorporation and application thereof in their training programs.
Korfball-specific observations
Taking the above-mentioned general observations into consideration, the following observations can be made with specific reference to the SAKF and korfball in general:
— That the above-mentioned factors combine to produce inconsistent and below par international results
10 — An over emphasised competition schedule in South Africa, thereby interfering with developmental factors and processes of young players. — Due to the early emphasis on competition, there is a lack of focus on skills development and many older players have an inadequate skills level to perform at a high level once developmental processes of the body and mind have finished. — There are very few professional volunteer coaches practising within the system and the system also lack sufficient numbers of qualified coaches to enable an optimal one coach to eight players' ratio at all levels of coaching. Resistance to the practising coaches is also an issue. — To early specialisation and training regimes lead to decline in player numbers and smaller player pool at national level to select players for international participation.
LTPD is a program that will introduce the following concepts and advantages
— Attract people to korfball and retain them. — Identify the shortcomings inherent in the system and establish clear methods of correcting these flaws. — Provide integrated programs with the support of all the SAKF structures, which will ensure fun and enjoyable experiences for all the players involved. — Provide a strategy that will enable optimal performance. — Achieve the goals that are outlined within the policy for the SAKF players and coaches. — Develop and put in place structures that will educate coaches not specifically on korfball coaching, but also on developing players holistically. — Develop strategies and programs to adequately coach the disabled
THE TEN KEY FACTORS OF LTPD Excellence Takes Time
The concept of “Excellence Takes Time” is maybe better known as “The 10 Year Rule”, as described by Istvan Balyi. Ross Tucker calls it “The 10,000 Hour Concept”.1
Scientific research has indicated that it takes 10,000 hours of training, an equivalent of 10 years of training, to be world class at anything (Ericsson et al. 1993 and 1994). This averages to approximately 3 hours of training per day. This confirms why the LTPD development program is vital to the success of players. It also indicates that care should be taken not to undermine the process of development that young players must undergo before they compete. There is no short-term key to success. Caution, however, should be taken not to force young players into early specialisation in a late specialisation sport such as korfball.
By the time an athlete has chosen to specialise in one sport – usually around age 14 – they should begin formal daily training for that sport. Their overall training hours should begin to approach 3 hours per day or more if they want to reach an elite or professional
1. Sport Science 2011. Sport Science in the Media 2011: Training, Talent, Doping and Oscar Pistorius. 24 November 2011.
11 level. Not all of these “training hours” will involve training directly in their sport. Many of the hours will include generalised components such as flexibility training and fitness training (e.g. running, gym workouts).2
Matthew Seyd also supports the 10,000 hour concept by arguing that great performers achieve expert performance because they accumulate enormous volumes of deliberate practice.3
On the other hand, coaches should take notice of studies, papers and arguments4 which might suggest that the 10,000 hour rule might not be valid for a very small percentage of a players and athletes and that other factors could also contribute to the rate of rapid continual improvement in the performance success of a player. The Gronigen talent studies have shown that it might be possible to identify players who will become a professional within the first years of playing the sport. Players can, by the age of fourteen, be identified as future professionals because they develop skills, improve endurance and learn tactics faster than their peers. Differences in how quickly players improve, even in a skill sport such as korfball, suggest innate attributes that are predictive for success.
Tucker and Dugas acknowledge that training and practice is vital important for success. However, they conclude that a player's ability to get more out of training and practise, to adapt to training and also to start from a “higher” baseline is just as important. These factors are, according to them, influenced by genes. To argue that success will be guaranteed and attributed to only 10,000 hours of practise and training is wrong. There are many other contributing factors, such as for instance psychological and sociological development, that must also be considered and which could contribute to the ultimate performance success of the player. This argument therefore concludes that success can in some instances be achieved in less than 10,000 hours, but that this success will then be dependent on various contributing factors.
The concept of “Excellence Takes Time” is also applicable to korfball and especially high performance korfball. In all of the above arguments, for and against the 10,000 hour concept, the one issue that is not arguable is the fact that training is still important to achieve success. Korfball players with natural talent, innate ability and the right genes need to train, and train long and hard, before they can achieve success on the highest level. The higher the competition level, the better the competition, the more important the training becomes. A significant issue that coaches in South African Korfball must take note of is the fact that talented individuals can get by in the South African Korfball competitions without deliberate training, but they are always found lacking when it comes to international and high level competition. In conclusion, to achieve success in the high performance environment, a significant amount of training is required. The amount of training required to reach ultimate success will be influenced by genetics factors, talent, entry level and trainability. The concept of “Excellence Takes Time” is not descriptive on the amount of time needed to prepare a player. It only gives a guideline for possible training time to reach ultimate success. Coaches must keep the following in mind: High performance success needs consistent high performance training and investment by the players.
2. http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/ten-key-factors/excellence-takes-time 3. Sport Science 2011. Sport Science in the Media 2011: Training, Talent, Doping and Oscar Pistorius. 24 November 2011. 4. Tucker, Ross (PhD) & Dugas, Johathan (PhD). The Science of Sport: Talent, Training and Performance: The secrets of success. 9 August 2011. Oliver, J.L (PhD), Lloyd, R.S. (MSc) and Meyers, R.W. (MSc). Strength and Conditioning Journal: 12 Training Elite Child Athletes: Promoting Welfare and Well Being. Volume 33, Number 4, August 2011 The FUNdamentals
Fundamental movement skills are vital to the developmental process and are skills without which the young player cannot fully develop. Without these basic skills, young players will never be able to fully expand their range of skills to enable them to participate in a wide range of activities.
The basic movement skills (fundamentals) of 3 activities provide the base for all other sports — Athletics: run, jump or throw. — Gymnastics: ABC's of athleticism —agility, balance, coordination and speed. — Swimming: for water safety reasons; for balance in a buoyant environment; and serves as the foundation for all water-based sports.
The above-mentioned introduces the concept of physical literacy. A physically literate person is described as someone that moves with poise, economy and confidence in a wide variety of physically challenging situations. In addition, the individual is perceptive in 'reading' all aspects of the physical environment, anticipating movement needs or possibilities and responding appropriately to these with intelligence and imagination. Physical literacy requires a holistic engagement that encompasses physical capacities embedded in perception, experience, memory, anticipation and decision-making (Whitehead, 2007).
13 Fundamental skills should be introduced through fun and games, thereby instilling the natural pleasure of participating in physical activity and in turn also keeping young children involved in sport. Some of the basic skills referred to as 'fundamentals' are depicted in table 1 below.
Travelling Skills Object Control Skills Balancemovements Boosting Sending: Balancing/Centring Climbing Kicking Body rolling Eggbeater Punting Dodging Galloping Rolling (ball) Eggbeater Gliding Strike (ball, puck, ring) Floating Hopping Throwing Landing Ice Picking Receiving: Ready position Jumping Catching Sinking/Falling Leaping Stopping Spinning Poling Trapping Stopping Running Travelling with: Stretching/Curling Sculling Dribbling (feet) Swinging Skating Dribbling (hands) Skipping Dribbling (stick) Sliding Receiving and Sending: Swimming Striking Swinging Striking Wheeling Volleying
Table 1: Skills learned in all four environments: ice, water, earth and air (Jess 1999, adapted Balyi and Way 2004)
Specialisation
When considering specialisation in sport there is an important determining factor that influences the type and amount of training done and the intensity thereof from a young age. The factor being referred to is whether the discipline is an early or a late specialisation sport.
Early specialisation sports require a massive amount of very complex skills that cannot be mastered fully after puberty and therefore specialisation has to occur before the onset of puberty. These sports would typically include gymnastics, figure skating and diving.
The majority of remaining sports, including korfball, is classified as late specialisation sports. This implies that more time should be spent and more emphasis should be
14 placed on general and holistic development through developmental activities at a young age in order to enhance the potential genetic ability of each player to achieve their highest physical capabilities. Should physical literacy be acquired before puberty, players can generally select a late specialisation sport between the ages of 12 and 15 and have the possibility of achieving great heights in their selected sport.
Consequences of too early specialisation in a late specialisation sport:
— One-sided, sport-specific preparation — Lack of ABC's, the basic movement and sports skills — Overuse injuries — Early burnout — Early retirement from training and competition — Loss of motivation
Developmental Age
When referring to age and the considerations to be made for training and competition, reference is not merely made to chronological age, i.e. your age as from date of birth. Rather, there are different ages for each individual that influences his/her biological development.
— Growth refers to observable step-by-step changes in quantity and measurable changes in body size such as height, weight, and fat percentage. — Maturation refers to qualitative system changes, both structural and functional, in the body's progress toward maturity such as the change of cartilage to bone in the skeleton.
PHV 10 10 PHV
9 9 PEAK GIRLS MENARCHE BOYS STRENGTH 8 8 VELOCITY GROWTH GROWTH 7 SPURT 7 SPURT 6 6
5 5
4 ONSET OF 4 GROWTH 3 SPURT 3 ONSET OF GROWTH 2 2 SPURT
1 1
0 0 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 19 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 19 AGE AGE BREAST PENIS
PUBIC HAIR TESTES Diagram 1: Maturity Events in Girls5 PUBIC HAIR (Balyi & Way, 2009; Modified after Ross & Diagram 2: Maturity Events in Boys6 Marfell-Jones, 1991) (Balyi & Way, 2009; Modified after Ross & Marfell-Jones, 1991)
5. “PHV in girls occurs at about 12 years of age. Usually the first physical sign of adolescence is breast budding, which occurs slightly after the onset of the growth spurt. Shortly thereafter, pubic hair begins to grow. Menarche, or the onset of menstruation, comes rather late in the growth spurt, occurring after PHV is achieved. The sequence of developmental events may normally occur two or even more years earlier or later than average.” (Ross & Marfell-Jones, 1991). 6. “PHV in boys is more intense than in girls and on average about two years later. Growth of the testes, pubic hair, and penis are related to the maturational process. Peak Strength Velocity (PSV) comes a year or so after PHV. Thus, there is pronounced late gain in strength characteristics of the male athlete. As with girls, the developmental sequence for male athletes may occur two or more years earlier or later 15 than average. Early maturing boys may have as much as a four year physiological advantage over their late-maturing peers. Eventually, the late maturers will catch up when they experience their growth spurt” (Ross & Marfell-Jones, 1991). — Development refers to “the interrelationship between growth and maturation in relation to the passage of time. The concept of development also includes the social, emotional, intellectual, and motor realms of the child.” — Developmental age refers to the degree of physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional maturity. Children of the same chronological age may differ by 5 years in terms of their developmental age. — Physical developmental age can be determined by skeletal maturity or bone age after which mental, cognitive, and emotional maturity is incorporated. — Training age refers to the age at which serious, sport-specific training commences. Training age is very important as players may vary according to their tempo of development as to when they commence in serious sport-specific training. Some players will therefore excel in the train to train phase due to early maturation, but late maturers are often those that will perform the best in the long-term should they receive optimal instruction throughout the process of development.
LTPD requires the identification of early, average and late maturers in order to design developmentally appropriate training programs and competition schedules for each individual.
Highly important considerations of age and development are the onset of the growth spurt in adolescence and the peak of the growth spurt, aka Peak Height Velocity (PHV). “PHV in girls occurs at about 12 years of age. Usually the first physical sign of adolescence is breast budding, which occurs slightly after the onset of the growth spurt. Shortly thereafter, pubic hair begins to grow. Menarche, or the onset of menstruation, comes rather late in the growth spurt, occurring after PHV is achieved. The sequence of developmental events may normally occur two or even more years earlier or later than average”. (Ross & Marfell-Jones, 1991)
Figure 1 illustrates the stage difference in puberty between boys (age 14) and girls (age 12).
Pre-puberty Mid-puberty Post-puberty Pre-puberty Mid-puberty Post-puberty Late maturer Average maturer Early maturer Late maturer Average maturer Early maturer Figure 1: Maturation in boys and girls (Adapted from “Growing Up” by J.M.Tanner, Scientific American 1973, Source Canadian Sport for Life 2005, p23)
During these critical periods the young person should be exposed to specific types of training, especially during phases of rapid growth, and the types of training should change with patterns of growth. This is typically between the ages of 11 to 15 years for girls and 12 to 16 years for boys. The development of the internal organs (important for aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism) follows the same growth pattern as that of
16 height.
Changes in strength follow the growth pattern of body weight. Biological or developmental age is one of the major criteria to determine a body's biological readiness for different types of endurance and strength training. It is very important that correct posture and technique are established before load and intensity are progressed in strength training.
During puberty there can be significant differences between chronological age (age of the body in relation to time: years, months, days) and developmental age (level of biological maturity of the body). Indeed, developmental age can range from 9 to 16 years in a group of 13 to 14 year olds. Some early maturing players may have as much as a four-year physiological advance over their late maturing peers.
The same may be said of the mental, cognitive and emotional development of the individual. All of these factors need to be incorporated into the long-term plan if the child is to develop physical competence, positive self-perception and self-confidence to participate in sport.
The onset of the major growth spurt and Peak Height Velocity (PHV) are often used as markers of maturation levels. Tracking the rate of change in height can monitor this. It is important to measure this regularly, accurately and consistently. Before the onset of PHV it is recommended that height be measured monthly and after the onset of PHV a weekly measurement should be taken. These measurements should enable the identification of the onset of the adolescent growth spurt and PHV. Growth measurement are needed to monitor and identify the maturity level of the player, so training, competition and recovery programs can be designed on developmental age and not on chronological age.7
The protocols and processes to measure growth can be found in the Canadian Sport for Life document describing “The Role of Monitoring Growth in Long Term Athlete Development”. 8
Considering the information above, this clearly illustrates why a competition structure based on chronological age groups such as in the SAKF is not sufficient in catering for the developmental needs of all players. Some players might mature at an early age, and therefore be selected for teams, but once puberty has passed, those players with a long- term approach to development and skill acquisition are the ones that perform better.
It is very important to address the psychological approach of early maturers so that they understand that they need to spend time on skill development despite their early success. Also, once the late maturers catch up to them, they must be made aware that
7. Balyi, I. and Way, R. The Role of monitoring Growth in Long Term Athlete Development. Canadian Sport For Life. 8. http://www.candiansportforlife.ca
17 their decline in performance is not due to a personal decline, but rather just a rapid improvement in their opponents due to biological processes.
Females PHV
Physical Mental Skills Skills Speed Speed Stanima
Suppleness Strength 1 2 3
Rate of Growth
Development Age Chronological Age under 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20+
Males PHV
Mental Skills Suppleness Stanima Physical Skills Strength Speed Speed 2
Rate of Growth
Physical, Mental - Cognitive, Emotional Development Chronological Age under 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20+
Diagram 3: Sensitive periods of Trainability
Trainability
Optimum trainability is graphically illustrated in Appendix II.
Trainability refers to the faster adaptation to stimuli and the genetic endowment of players as they respond individually to specific stimuli and adapt to it accordingly. Trainability has been defined as the responsiveness of developing individuals to the training stimulus at different stages of growth and maturation.
All the physiological systems are always trainable, but there are critical periods in development when the body is particularly responsive to specific types of training. These critical periods, also known as 'sensitive periods of accelerated adaptation to training' need to be exploited to the maximum in order to achieve the full genetic potential of each and every player with regards to motor skills, muscular strength, an/aerobic power and flexibility adaptation and are depicted in Diagram 4 below.
18 Variation in trainability Diagram 4 illustrates the evidence (Adapted from work by Bouchard et.al., 1997) from research that supports the fact that there is a high degree of variation Fast and large response in the trainability of players, both from Slow and large response the standpoint of the magnitude of change and the time course of response to a given stimulus. This probably reflects the 'elasticity' of response to various stimuli and human diversity (as largely dictated by the underlying genetic matrix and Fast and small response supported by the environment in which an individual is immersed). (Norris & Smith, 2002)
Slow and small response LTPD, in essence, will help coaches to Magnitude of training response be sensitive to, and therefore to more Timing course of training response easily identify the vital stages of trainability. Thus training effects will be Diagram 4: Variation in Trainability maximized for young players.
The sensitive periods of trainability are divided into the five original/basic Ss and five additional Ss of training and performance. The 5 Basic Ss of Training and Performance are: 9 — Stamina (Endurance) — Strength — Speed — Skill — Suppleness (Flexibility)
9. Dick, 1985 19 SENSITIVE PERIODS GIRLS BOYS Fundamental movement skill development Age 6 to 9 Age 5 to 8 Speed Sensitive Period 1 Age 7 to 9 Age 6 to 8 Specialist skill development Age 9 to 12 Age 8 to 11 Stamina From start of From start of growth spurt growth spurt
Speed Sensitive Period 2 Age 13 to 16 Age 11 to 13 Strength Sensitive Period 1 12 – 18 months after Immediately PHV End of PHV after PHV
Strength Sensitive Period 2 No 2nd window Onset of for boys menarche
Table 2: Sensitive periods of opportunity to develop the 5 Ss
THE 10 Ss OF TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE
Skill Development
— First sensitive period – Fundamental movement skill development The development of fundamental skills for boys should take place between 6 and 9 years old and for girls between 5 and 8 years old. Training sessions during this phase should emphasise the development of agility, balance and coordination skills and can be developed through fun and game activities as depicted in Table 1.
— Second sensitive period – Specialist skill development This window focuses on the development of general support skills that form the foundation for any sporting development. In other words, holistic development of a young player takes place in this phase and therefore it is suggested that they take part in as many sports as possible, as each sport will develop certain aspects. Sports such as any ball sports, team sports, gymnastics, water sports, racket sports etc. are suggested during this phase. The developmental window for this phase for boys is between 9 and 12 years of age and for girls between 8 and 11 years of age.
20 Speed development
— First sensitive period Linear, lateral and multidirectional speed should be developed in five-second bursts. This develops the central nervous system and with it agility, quickness and the ability to change direction at speed. For boys the first window occurs between the ages of 7 to 9 years and for girls it occurs between 6 to 8 years.
— Second sensitive period Anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity interval training should be performed during this window using five to fifteen-second sprints. For boys the second window occurs between 13 to 16 years of age and for girls it occurs between 11 to 13 years.
Stamina Development
Optimal aerobic training begins with the onset of the growth spurt. Aerobic activity before this trains the child to become more economic in movement, but with little improvement in VO2 max. However, at the onset of the growth spurt, the VO2 max increases significantly and this development can be facilitated through correct training. The sensitive period occurs at the onset of PHV. Aerobic capacity training is recommended before players reach PHV. Aerobic power should be introduced progressively after growth rate decelerates.
Physical conditioning programs must provide a varied and stimulating physical conditioning program and also allow adequate recovery between training sessions to allow for training adaptations and growth and development processes to occur. Physical conditioning programs need to provide suitable progression; movement/motor skills need to be established before progressing to more advanced forms of training. Training should not only focus on the physical conditioning but also consider the holistic development of the child player, which will also include psychological and sociological development.10
Strength Development
Strength gains before the first strength sensitive period11 occur because of improvements in movement efficiency, learning movement patterns and through improved muscle activation. The muscles do not increase in size because of training, but become more effective at doing their job. It is important that before a child reaches the strength training sensitive period, they have learnt the correct etiquette for strength training and the movements of the exercises that will be expected during this sensitive period. Free weight lifting technique should be learnt with manageable weights to allow quality skill acquisition. At the start of the strength training sensitive period, strength training should be performed 3 or 4 times per week with each session being no more than 30 minutes long. The sensitive period of trainability is immediately after PHV or at the onset of menarche for girls, while for boys it is 12 to 18 months after PHV.
Oliver, J.L, Lloyd, R.S. and Meyers, R.W. are of the opinion12 that it is now widely accepted that children can safely engage in formalised strength training and conditioning programs, provided it is done in a structured and supervised environment.
10.Oliver, J.L (PhD), Lloyd, R.S. (MSc) and Meyers, R.W. (MSc). Strength and Conditioning Journal: Training Elite Child Athletes: Promoting Welfare and Well Being. Volume 33, Number 4, August 2011. Page 11. For boys at 12 – 18 months after PHV or at the end of PHV and for girls immediately after PHV 12.Oliver, J.L (PhD), Lloyd, R.S. (MSc) and Meyers, R.W. (MSc). Strength and Conditioning Journal: Training Elite Child Athletes: 21 Promoting Welfare and Well Being. Volume 33, Number 4, August 2011. Page 73 This implicates that the coach or strength and conditioning instructor must understand the interaction between growth, maturation and training. However, in korfball, the coach or the strength and conditioning instructor must decide on the priorities at that time, i.e. correct weight training and lifting techniques versus general korfball specific strength training.
Suppleness (Flexibility)
The sensitive period for flexibility is six to ten years of age. When the normal growth spurt begins a sudden lengthening of the bones (firstly in arms and legs and then in the back), tendons, ligaments and muscles occur. This can cause the body to become tight, stiff and prone to injury. It is important to include flexibility training into the young players' training. Flexibility training during and after the growth spurt should include dynamic mobility, static stretching and pro-prioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) exercises. Flexibility training sessions should be performed as sessions in their own right, rather than as part of the warm up, or on rest days.
Stature
This refers to the height of a human. The six phases of growth are identified and parents and coaches are instructed how to measure and monitor growth of the child. This phase is particularly directed at determining developmental age and links with the sensitive periods of skill and physical development. Monitoring the growth of each player helps to identify sensitive growth periods and therefore enables the correct training procedures.
Six phases of growth:13
Phase 1: Chronological age 0 to 6 This phase is characterised by very rapid growth during infancy and very rapid deceleration after age two.
Phase 2: Age 6 to the onset of the growth spurt This phase is characterised by steady growth (an average of 5 – 6 cm per year)
Phase 3: From the onset of the Growth Spurt to PHV This phase is characterised by rapid growth
Phase 4: From PHV to slow deceleration This phase is characterised by rapid deceleration; about 7 cm in boys and 6 cm in girls in the first year after the peak and 3cm in the next year.
Phase 5: From slow deceleration of growth to cessation of growth Slow deceleration will start one to two years after PHV and will end with cessation of growth.
13.See http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca and select 'The Role of Monitoring Growth in Long Term Athlete Development
22 The six phases of growth can be illustrated in Diagram 5.
Phase Phase Phase Phase Phase Phase CM 1 2 3 4 5 6
25 Very Rapid Growth
20 Very Rapid Deceleration
15 Rapid Growth Rapid Deceleration
10 Slow Deceleration 5 Cessation Steady Growth of Growth 0
Age 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Diagram 5: Six phases of growth
Phase 6: Cessation of growth The optimal development of children is considered vital to society and it is important to understand the social, cognitive, emotional, and educational development of children. Every 3 month 3 protocols
(P)Sycology
Sport psychology identifies four key mental components that must be incorporated into training, namely concentration, confidence, motivation and handling pressure.
The guiding force behind sport psychology is cognitive-behavioural psychology. This term stems from the focus on thinking, which is not observable (cognition) and the observable actions one can see (behaviour). The cognitive-behavioural theory emphasizes that, by changing someone's though process, one can change that person's behaviour. In sport, for example, imagery exercises can be used in order to train the mind to engage in certain thought processes during difficult times in competition (Murphy, 2005).
It is a necessity that these components be included from a young age in order to prepare the young athlete for the mental challenges that will be experienced in the future.
Motivation
Motivation is a complex subject as it entails an intangible variable that can vary greatly in different situations. According to the latest theoretical drive behind sport psychology,
23 the greatest drive behind motivation lies within athlete's own power. Their free will determines their motivation greatly; however, there is still an effect from the environment, such as external rewards of prize money, medals, etc. A good and experienced coach will follow great examples such as Joe Torre, Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach, all coaches that did not allow the external influences from the environment to control or manipulate their athlete's innate drive/motivation to succeed (Eliot, 2005).
Furthermore, Eliot (2005) also highlights the following characteristics that influence an athlete's potential:
Self-efficacy (Bandura, 2005)
High self-efficacy is a judgment about one's capability to perform a particular task at (1) an elevated level, (2) with certainty and (3) repeatedly over time. In terms of motivation, athletes with higher levels of motivation usually show a greater tendency to try harder, be more determined, experience less anxiety and choose more difficult tasks and challenges. In more simple terms, self-efficacy can be referred to as an athlete's faith in their abilities. High self-efficacy is extremely important as it may lead to an athlete achieving much more than would be realistically achievable.
Goal orientation (Treasure, 2005)
In order for an athlete to remain in one sport, such as Korfball, for an extended period of time, they require a type of motivation called 'sustainability'. Athletes remain high on sustainability if they experience regular feelings of high self-efficacy, autonomy and purpose and they continue to participate out of own choice and because the sport and the experience fulfils their needs and the interests that they value highly.
When examining the above-mentioned, it is clear that some athletes compete for other reasons than others. These athletes are either task-mastery oriented or ego-oriented. Task-mastery orientation is displayed by an athlete that finds their motivation based on personal improvement, such as learning a new korfball technique or movement, or being able to execute a new korfball technique in a certain situation. Ego-orientation refers to those athletes that seek social acceptance through their performance. These korfball players may find their success in winning a gold medal and thereby displaying social dominance. Researchers note that society is filled by social comparison and it is therefore vital for the coach to develop both types of goal-orientation in order to create the most successful athletes.
Performance feedback and interpretation (Weiner, 2005)
Accomplishment does not always lead to greater confidence, better future performance or higher motivation. What matters is how athletes interpret their performances. This interpretation can more precisely be described in terms of attributions.
There are three characteristics that underlie attributions and are vital in order to understand the athlete's method of drawing conclusions with regards to the success or failure of their performance(s):
24 — Locus of causality – perceiving an outcome to have resulted from either internal or external factors — Stability – perceiving the likelihood of the same outcome recurring — Locus of control – perception of whether an outcome can be manipulated
Higher performance consciousness (Csikszentmihalyi, 2005)
This topic can most easily be described through Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi's model of flow in which he describes the athlete's ideal state within performance as being a state of automatic performance at highest level. This is usually a momentary feeling. Csikszenmihalyi describes that when the athlete's ability is equal to the challenge, flow is experienced, whereas, in contrast, a higher level challenge as compared to ability usually produces anxiety and the opposite, boredom.
Sustenance
Improper sustenance, like overtraining, can result in poor recovery and poor performance. Sustenance refers to sleep, rest, nutrition, hydration and regeneration and these key components should be included into the training program depending on the phase of LTPD.
The coach has the following important roles to play with respect to nutrition:14
— Educate child players to foster an awareness and a positive attitude towards nutrition and an understanding of its importance in growth, training and competition. — Monitor their player and identify and intervene where they suspect and player is a state of negative energy balance. — Help promote a balanced and varied diet that meets the nutritional needs of their players (which will be influenced by age, maturation, gender, the competitive event, the training regime, the time in the competitive cycle and the development stage of the player). This may means making appropriate foods and drinks available during training and competitions. — Adolescent players can be provided drinks of 200 – 250 ml every 15 minutes (when required) to maintain hydration.
Schooling
It is important to remember that young players who are at school do not just have the stresses of korfball training and competition in their lives. Academic pressure, school sport, friends, peer pressure, love relationships and examinations all play a role in the individual's life and should be kept in consideration when planning tournaments, training camps and tours so that they do not interfere with school requirements (where possible). The influence and pressure from other sports should be minimised and therefore there should be good communication between coaches, parents and relevant school parties.
Socio-cultural Considerations
With proper planning on tours and tournaments players will be able to learn about other
14.Oliver, J.L (PhD), Lloyd, R.S. (MSc) and Meyers, R.W. (MSc). Strength and Conditioning Journal: Training Elite Child Athletes: Promoting Welfare and Well Being. Volume 33, Number 4, August 2011. Page 77 – 78.
25 cultures in terms of their history, architecture, literature, music, etc. This should be managed and encouraged in order to provide an experience in which the player does not merely commute between hotel room and competition venue.
Also very important is the sub-culture that is created within the sporting community. Good values and ethics should be incorporated into training from a young age in order to evade misconduct from players on national and international events.
Istvan Balyi has the following to say about the socio-cultural situation in South Africa:15 “The socio-cultural aspects of sport are significant and must be managed through proper planning. South Africa has a tremendous need for the transformation of sport too all sectors of its society. Our Regional Federations and clubs must at all times seek to make our sport equally accessible to all members of our country. Socialisation via sport will ensure that general societal values and norms will be internalised via sport participation. This occurs at the community level and as an athlete progresses through the LTPD stages it can lead to international exposure. This socialisation can be a broadening of perspective including ethnicity awareness and national diversity. Within the game travel schedule, discovery can include education of competition locality, including history, geography, architecture, cuisine, literature, music and the visual arts. Proper annual planning can allow sport to offer much more than simply commuting between hotel room and field of play.
Sport socialisation also must address sport sub-culture. Coaches and parents must guard against group dynamics that create a culture of abuse or bullying. Ethics training should be integrated into training and competition plans at all stages of LTPD.
Overall socio-cultural activity should not be seen as negative distraction or interference with training and competition activities. It is a positive contribution to the holistic development of the person and the player.
Children often choose to play a sport after the optimal windows of trainability for speed, skill, and suppleness have passed. These children are therefore dependent on schools, recreation programmes and other sports to provide timely training in these capacities. LTPD advocates that sports build relationships with these organisations to promote and support appropriate training. If athletes miss these training periods entirely, coaches will need to design individualised programs to remedy any shortcomings.
PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL & COGNATIVE DEVELOPMENT
It is very important to realise that all but the speed window of development are based upon the onset of the growth spurt, i.e. puberty. During this period there are very important and drastic changes emotionally and physically, thus influencing both training as described above, but also the relationships between the player and his/her coach, peers and parents. Coaches should be sensitive to these changes and structure their
15.Istvan Balyi. 31 March 2012.
26 training programs, recovery sessions and periods, and competition schedules around them to ensure optimal participation and performance of their players. See Appendix I
PERIODISATION
Periodisation, in simplified terms, is the process of time management. This method of time management provides a framework whereby training, competition and recovery are scheduled according to scientifically proven guidelines, thereby enhancing the quality of the coaching system and producing peak performances from players at vital times during competition.
Diagram 6 graphically illustrates the periodisation of long-term training.16 Although Diagram 6 outlines the ages associated with each stage, it is important to understand that this model shifts considerably depending on the sport.
Periodisation of training
Specialised Generalised 15 years +Initiation 6 – 14 years 6 – 10 years
Athletic High Initiation formation Specialisation performance 6 – 10 years 11 – 14 years 15 – 18 years 19 years
Post-puberty Pre-puberty Puberty and Maturity adolescence
Diagram 6: Periodisation of long-term training
It is also critical to understand that children and youth develop at various rates. Therefore, you must consider the individual maturation of each player and adjust training and competitive programs accordingly. Familiarity with the physical, metal and social characteristics of player in the initiation, athletic formation and specialisation stages allows the coach to better establish training guidelines that will enhance development of the players and result in high performance. Diagram 6 shows how coaches are expected to integrate all the Ss of training and performance needed to produce top level sporting performance. This is done through proper Periodisation
16.Bompa, T.O. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. 4th Edition. Page 258
27 Training Horizontal Progression Diagram 7 illustrates Stamina h o w c o a c h e s a re Strength Speed Intergration expected to integrate Skill Vertical all the Ss of training and Suppleness performance needed to Performance Structre (Stature) produce top level Sustenance sporting performance. Sychology This is done through Schooling proper periodisation.
Annual Cycle/Week 1 - 52
Diagram 7: Horizontal and Vertical Integration of Expanded S's - The Art and Science of Coaching (Balyi, 2004 and Norris, 2000)
CALENDAR PLANNING FOR COMPETITION
In order to fully integrate LTPD and create a program with sustenance, it is vital that the competition schedule be adjusted and planned in accordance to each stage of LTPD. Especially during the developmental stages of the young player, critical developmental phases can be undermined and development of children harmed due to a focus on competition and over-competing, instead of training as a primary goal.
Considerations for the competition schedule are:
— Review the length of the competition season in accordance with each stage of LTPD. — The competitions must be developed and structured in such a way as to consider the cognitive, physical and technical and tactical levels of each stage of LTPD. — Coaches, together with their players, should select appropriate competition schedules for each individual player.
SYSTEM ALIGNMENT AND INTEGRATION
LTPD acknowledges the fact that all structures within the sport system must be integrated and aligned in order to fully realise the potential benefits thereof. These structures include the educational system, recreational activities, clubs, school sports and competitive sports. Should these structures be correctly aligned and integrated, the goals envisaged for LTPD, namely physical literacy and fitness, should be realised.
In accordance with the above-mentioned, the sport-specific institutions need to align their structures with the national sporting federations. In other words, the SAKF must strive towards fully functional and cooperative school, club, provincial and national structures in order for LTPD to be fully integrated in the Federation.
Each element in the system plays a crucial role in the player's development. For the system to work well they must be mutually supportive and clear on how they can contribute to “the bigger picture” of player development. Players will do best in a korfball system that is seamless and based upon a consistent set of principles. LTPD allows players and coaches to identify opportunities available to them and to understand the pathway that they need to follow.
28 Similarly, the parents of each and every player will understand the system and the requirements for their children to achieve optimally in the sport. This will ensure that there is a smaller drop dropout rate from clubs to national levels within South African Korfball.
LTAD System Development • Clubs Performance Priorities • Community Initiatives • Athlete Performance • Communications and Support Training Active For Life • Facility Plans • Coach Education To Win • Financial Sustainability and Support Training To • Governance • Competition Compete • Games • Equipment International • Facility Access Training To Train National • Sport Medicine Provincial • Sport Science Learning To Train • Event Resources
• Talent ID - Scouting Other Sports • Marketing • Teams National FUNdamentls • Organizational Provincial Club • School Sports Academies • Training and other initiatives • Research Active Start • Risk Management • Sport Sector • Technology Participant / Athlete • Volunteers Diagram 8: System Alignment and Integration (Way et. al 2005)
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Continuous improvement is a concept in LTPD that is derived from the Japanese industrial philosophy named 'Kaizen'. Applying this principal will ensure that LTPD will respond to scientific and sport-specific invitations and will maintain a leading perspective on any new research within korfball. Furthermore, LTPD will ensure a logical delivery of programs to all ages as well as promoting ongoing education and integration with government, mass media, sport and recreation administrators, coaches, sport scientists, school and community sports, and high performance sport. The cycle of a kaizen activity in korfball can be described as:17 — Standardise the execution of a korfball skill, technique or activity — Measure and record the standardised operation — Gauge measurements against international and generally accepted high performance requirements — Innovate, research, consult and enquire how to meet requirements and increase effective execution — Standardise the new, improved operations — Continue cycle ad infinitum The following main elements of Kaizen will contribute towards effectiveness and improvements in standards as well as the improvement in the performance of individual players and the team as a whole: — Teamwork — Personal discipline — Improved morale — Quality circles — Suggestions for improvement
17.This is also known as the Shewhart cycle, Deming cycle, or PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)
29 Player and team performance improvement must be a continual improvement process (CIP). The core principle of CIP is the (self) reflection of processes (Feedback). The purpose of CIP is the identification, reduction, and elimination of suboptimal processes (Efficiency). The emphasis of CIP is on incremental, continual steps rather than giant leaps (Evolution). The following key features of Kaizen, of which coaches should take notice, include:
— Improvements are based on many, small changes rather than the radical changes that might be expected — All players should continually be seeking ways to improve their own performance — All Coaches should continually be seeking ways to improve their own performance — It helps to encourage players to take ownership for their performance, and can help reinforce team cohesiveness, thereby improving player and team motivation
STAGES OF LTPD FOR KORFBALL There are two models for sport, namely (1) Early specialisation and (2) Late specialisation.
Early Specialisation Model Late Specialisation Model
1. Active Start 1. Active Start 2. FUNdamentals / Learning to Train / 2. FUNdamentals Training to Train 3. Learn to Train 3. Training to Compete 4. Train to Train 4. Training to Win 5. Train to Compete 5. Active for Life 6. Train to Win 7. Active for Life
Table 3: Specialisation models
Korfball is a late specialisation sport and therefore follows a logical seven-step process as described above.
30 1. Active Start
Chronological Age —Male: 4 to 6 years —Female: 4 to 6 years
General Objectives
— Develop the fundamental movement skills (running, jumping, throwing, swimming, etc.). — ABC's of athleticism should be introduced (Agility; Balance; Coordination). — Develop and improve basic range of motion/flexibility. — The priority should be to develop the ABC's of athleticism through general exercises and korfball-related games. — Short duration speed, agility and aerobic efforts should be incorporated into the program without a structured time limit to each exercise. — Flexibility exercises should be incorporated into games that require agility and balance as well.
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Include limited basic korfball related activities in the activities as described in the general objectives
Recommendations for Training and Competition
General sport and physical activity — 30 to 60 minutes of structured physical activity where-ever (school, home, etc) — At least 60 minutes of unstructured play every day
Korfball Specific Training Sessions age 4-6 — 30 minutes in duration and once per week — Should lay the foundation for future exercises and korfball techniques. — A healthy perspective on the enjoyment and importance of training should be created. — The majority of training should be fundamental movement skills (running, jumping, throwing, etc.) orientated (70%) and only 30% of time should be spent on korfball techniques.
Competitions — Only shooting and movement orientated games at the club and must not be the major part of the training sessions
2. FUNdamentals
Chronological Age — Male: 6 to 9 years — Female: 6 to 9 years
31 General Objectives
— Learn all the basic fundamental movement skills. Fundamental movement skills must be developed and mastered before specific skills are introduced — Develop general body awareness and general fitness — Technical development of body awareness — Avoid unnecessary emphasis on discipline. — Develop and refine movement patterns such as walking, running, climbing, catching, throwing, kicking, jumping and locomotion — Introduce these skills in a fun, positive, largely games-based approach — Participation in a wide range of sports and physical activities is also vital for a more holistic fundamental movement skill development. — No Periodisation, but well structured programs
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Introduction ball handling skills — Introduction shooting skills — Learn basic korfball rules — Basic korfball match situation — Importance of cooperation and gender equality — Introduce sportsmanship and fair play
Recommendations for training and competition
General sport and physical activity (4 to 6 sessions per week)
— Day to day activities (cycling, walking to school, disco dancing, etc) — Other sports (gymnastics, athletics, swimming, netball, rugby, hockey, softball, basketball, volleyball, etc) — School physical education — Social activities (walking, games, skipping, etc)
Korfball specific training sessions
— Weekly participation in 1 - 2 korfball specific training sessions which should last between 45 – 60 minutes — The majority of training should be fundamental movement skills (running, jumping, throwing, etc.) orientated (70%) and only 30% of time should be spent on Korfball techniques. — Korfball games should be directed at developing speed, power and endurance. — Body-weight exercises should be introduced, for example training with a medicine ball.
Competitions
— 7 and 8 year olds can be introduced to modified competitions and should not compete more than twice per year. — 9 and 10 year olds should be introduced to competitions that emphasize multiple skill experiences and as much opportunity as possible for team participation and team winning.
32 — See Apendix VII for more detail on the prescribed SAKF competition for children aged 9 years and younger
Supplementary knowledge
— Sport is fun and good for you! — Introduction to good nutritional practice and enjoyment of healthy food (education for the parents) — Understanding the role of personal hygiene and health — Introduction to core stabilisation training using medicine balls, Swiss balls and own body strength exercises — Optimize flexibility — Introduction to discipline and etiquette and understanding the sport ethos
3. Pre-Start Stage – Learn to Train
Chronological Age
— Male: 9–12 years — Female: 8–11 years
General Objectives
— Consolidate already acquired skills — Learn all fundamental sports skills (build overall sport skills) — All fundamental movement skills should be further developed and general overall sports skills should be learnt — Emphasis on games and general fitness development — Continued speed development — Continued improvement of suppleness — Ethical behaviour should be improved and the concept of fair play further encouraged and developed. — The concept of mental training should be introduced. — Talent Identification — Single or double Periodisation
Bypassing the fundamental and sport specific skill development stage is likely to be detrimental to the child's future engagement in physical activity and sport. This is also the first stage where the coach needs to think about differentiation between males and females in terms of developmentally designed activities. If fundamental motor skill training is not developed between the ages of eight to eleven (females) and nine to twelve (males), a significant opportunity has been lost, which may compromise the ability of the young player to reach his/her full potential at later stages of development.
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Consolidate already acquired shooting and ball handling skills — Team training — Basic individual attack skills — Basic team attack and defence patterns
33 — Introduction to individual defence technique and skills — Stage where more attention and time must be invested in the basic individual skill and techniques
Recommendations for training and competition
General sport and physical activity (3 to 4 sessions per week)
— Day to day activity (cycling, walking to school, disco dancing, etc) — Other sports (gymnastics, athletics, swimming, netball, rugby, hockey, softball, basketball, volleyball, etc) — School physical education — Social activities (walking, games, skipping, etc) — Mind sports (chess, etc)
Korfball specific training sessions
— Weekly participation in 2 to 3 korfball specific sessions that should last 45-75 minutes
Competition
— 2-4 regional competitions per year — National championships — Competition should be well structured. The emphasis of the competition at this stage is on development and opportunities for learning and expression. — See Apendix VII for more detail on the prescribed SAKF competition for children aged 11 and 12
Supplementary knowledge
— Develop flexibility and optimize range of motion about the major joints — Introducing more responsibility to good nutritional and hydration practices — Introduction to the concept of recovery and regeneration — Introduction to the concept of healthy lifestyle — Introduction to core stabilisation training using medicine balls, Swiss balls and own body strength exercises.
4. Start Stage – Train To Train
Chronological age / Developmental age
— Male: 12-16 years — Female: 11-15 years
General Objectives
— Building the aerobic base — Building strength towards the end of the stage — Further development korfball specific skills — Integrated mental, cognitive, and emotional development — Development of mental preparation
34 This stage is vital as it transcends the onset of puberty and therefore requires considerations towards both the pre- pubertal and post-puberty stages. Necessarily the coach will have to be sensitive towards each respective individual's development, which includes the physiological changes that occur in reproductive organs and physical structures from infancy to the adult stages. Together with these changes comes the onset of Peak Height Velocity
(PHV), which is a reference point for all coaches in order to carefully select the activities that the player should be undertaking.
Furthermore, this phase is vital for aerobic conditioning (fitness) and sport development. Greater individualisation of fitness, technical training and techniques takes place. Korfball requires speed, agility and power and therefore the focus of this stage should be directed at developing anaerobic and aerobic systems through high intensity, low volume exercise.
Players who miss this phase of training may not reach their full potential, as the individualised development of potential will have been missed. The reason why so many players plateau during the later stages of their careers is primarily because of an overemphasis on competition instead of on training during this important period in their athletic development.
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Consolidate already acquired shooting and ball handling skills — Team training — Individual attack and defence skills — Team attack and defence patterns — Introduction to decision making i.e. anticipation of opponent's moves, not reacting but pro-acting, interceptions and technical and tactical decision making — Gradually introduce concept of pursuing high performance career. — Emphasis should be on training and not competing.
Recommendations for training and competition
General sport and physical activity (2 to 3 sessions per week)
— Day to day activity (cycling, walking to school, disco dancing etc) — Other sports (gymnastics, athletics, swimming, netball, rugby, hockey, softball, basketball, volleyball, etc) School physical education. At this stage the player should have decided on no more than two additional other sport to participate in. — Social activities (walking, games, skipping, etc) — Mind sports (chess, etc) — Include an introduction to fitness and strength conditioning such as interval training, supervised free weight lifting etc. — Weight training with barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls and cables
35 Korfball specific training sessions
Participant pathway — Weekly participation in 2 to 3 korfball specific training sessions that should last between 45– 90 minutes — 70% technical and tactical training and 30% competitions
High Performance pathway — Weekly participation in 3 to 4 korfball specific training sessions that should last between 45– 90 minutes — 70% technical and tactical training and 30% competitions
Competition
— Regional competitions, national champions and international event for the elite players — Competition should be well structured.
Supplementary knowledge
— Development of personal responsibility for nutrition, hydration, recovery and regeneration, lifestyle management — Introduction to ancillary capacities- dynamic warm up/cool down, nutrition, hydration, taper and peak, recovery and regeneration, cultural and lifestyle — Towards the end of the stage, develop concept of tapering for peak performance — Introduction and education regarding doping control and substance abuse
The Pre-start and start stages are the most important stages of athletic preparation
5. Potential Stage –Train to Compete Chronological age / Developmental age
— Male: 16-20 years — Female: 15-20 years General Objectives
— Optimise fitness preparation and sport specific skills, as well as performance — A holistic approach to training is necessary, including physical, psychological, social and cognitive aspects — Advanced mental training and preparation — Optimise ancillary capacities — This phase of development is introduced after the goals and objectives of the “training to train” stage have been achieved, when the player has reached physiological maturity. — Players should now be well skilled in both fundamental and sport specific skills and
36 therefore they progress towards doing high intensity competition specific training throughout the year — Special emphasis is placed on optimal performance through competition modelling at training — Fitness, recovery and psychological and technical training programs are individually tailored to a much higher degree — Assessing strengths and weaknesses become very important (coaches use video analysis, performance reviews, fitness tests, etc) — Single, double, or triple Periodisation — Players should now scale back on other sports and start concentrating on korfball as the major priority sport — Introduction to High Performance program
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Continue to develop korfball skills relevant to competitions, rule changes etc. — Specialisation in more specific application to competition situations — Encourage originality and innovation — Development of coping with and countering opposition plays — Strengthen under-developed skills — Further develop contest strategies and decision-making under pressure — High volume of training including both strength and endurance training — It is vital that the coach designs a well structured training program that helps his/her players' peak at the right time for important competitions.
Recommendations for training and competition
General sport and physical activity (2 to 3 sessions per week)
Sessions must focus on fitness and strength conditioning
Korfball specific training sessions
Participation pathway
— 2 to 3 sessions per week
Performance pathway
— 3 to 4 sessions per week
Competition
— Weekly regional and club competitions — National tournament and events — International tournaments yearly
37 6. Performance Stage – Train to Win
Chronological Age — Male: 20+ years — Female: 20+ years
General Objectives
— This is the final phase of preparation and support groups such as families should be available to support players through potential setbacks — This is the stage of High Performance training — Fitness, performance and sport-specific skills should be maximised — Physical, tactical, mental, technical, personal and lifestyle capacities are now fully developed and therefore the focus of training is now fully directed at maximum performance. — Training methods, technical/tactical execution and decision-making strategies are refined for specialised performance development. — Aids such as diagnostic tools (video analysis, performance reviews, fitness tests, etc.) are continually used to assist in continually assessing players. — Training is now characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume and therefore more emphasis should be placed on cross-training and recovery sessions to avoid mental burnout. — Players now peak for major tournaments and the importance of tournaments increase for them, thus creating added mental pressure. — Players also need to learn to cope with the stresses of winning, which has different implications on the structure of the training program.
Korfball Specific Objectives
— Maximise speed, agility, coordination, stamina and explosive power — Continue to reinforce each player's specific techniques and their application in competition situations. — Further develop match strategies and tactics — Continued encouragement of originality and innovation — A structured Periodisation program that enables the player to peak for major identified target tournaments is recommended. — It is absolutely vital that the training schedule, training tournaments and target tournaments are identified in an annual program
Recommendations for training and competition
General sport and physical activity 3 to 4 sessions per week:
— These sessions should be conditioning sessions — Strength training 1 to 3 times per week depending on training phase and needs of the individual player — Endurance training 1 to 2 times per week depending on training phase and needs of the individual player — Complementary, but low-risk activities for rest and recovery
38 Korfball specific training sessions
Participation pathway
— 2 to 3 sessions per week — Should last 60 – 90 minutes per session — 1 Individual skills session per week — High volume and high intensity training
Performance pathway
— 4 to 5 sessions per week — Should last 90 – 120 minutes per session — 1 Individual skills session per week — 3 Korfball sessions per week — 2 Fitness and strength training sessions per week — High volume and high intensity training
Competiton
— Peaking for major championships as necessary
Supplementary knowledge
— Nutrition (including individual nutritional strategies and food preparation), hydration, tapering training to allow for peak performances, recovery (including the use of ice baths and swimming pool recovery sessions) and regeneration, cultural and lifestyle demands of performance sport. — Maximize weightlifting and physical training techniques and their integration into the overall program — Weight training sessions could include progressions on pulling, pushing/pressing and trunk exercises. — It is important to ensure that physical limiting factors are being addressed in an integrated training program. — The optimisation of effective weight control practices — Understand responsibility for healthy lifestyle role modelling and promotion — Maintenance of flexibility to suit specific individual needs
39 7. Retainment – Retire and Retrain Active for Life? The idea behind this stage is to: 18
— Promote the philosophy of "sport for life" — Motivate a goal-oriented and long-term attitude towards sport and physical fitness — Encourage mature individuals to participate in sport regardless of age, sex, race, religion or sport status. — Set an example of the participants to inspire the youth of South Africa to acknowledge that competitive sport may continue throughout life Age Start age: SAKF guidelines are as follows:
— 30 to 34 Sub-Veterans — 35 – 39 Veterans — 40 > Masters
— Age limit Own choice
Objectives
— To be actively involved in the korfball community, whether it is coaching, refereeing, management, technical officiating, administration, etc — This stage is designed for players that were involved in high-level competitive korfball and would like to stay involved due to interest in the sport as well as for general health and enjoyment. — There is also a master's competition program for those that wish to continue competition involvement. — SAKF will need to develop a specific program that is directed at providing all high performance players the opportunity to remain involved in korfball at an active level in terms of one of the above-mentioned careers.
PLAYERS WITH DISABILITIES The aim of the SAKF is to create equal opportunities and inclusion of all players. Therefore, the SAKF will have to make provision for the inclusion of the deaf and visually impaired players in the SAKF programmes and competitions.
— Players can enter at any age. — Players may have congenital or acquired disabilities. — Players may need specialised training and competitive opportunities. — Modified rules and/or practice regimes might be required. — Players may or may not be able to train/compete with able-bodied players (with modifications) — The same developmental phases, training regimes and Periodisation strategies can be used with consideration of the above. — Involved parties need to consider ancillary services and daily living support in addition to sport needs.
18.South African Masters Sports Association. www.samasters.co.za Retrieved on 17 July 2012
40 LONG TERM COACH DEVELOPMENT In order for the South African Korfball Federation to successfully introduce and implement the LTPD Program, all role-player, and especially the coaches involved in the Federation, must be empowered to deliver the LTPD Program on all levels, club to national, in the Federation. With regards to coaching and the empowerment of korfball coaches, the South African Korfball Federation has, embarked on a process to implement a Long Term Coach Development Plan (LTCD) for the Federation, which will run concurrently with the implementation and execution of the LTPD plan. Appendix VI contains the SAKF Coaching Structures and illustrates the inter- relationships and lines of management, reporting and communication on all matters relating to the LTPD and the LTCD programs within the Federation. The South African Korfball Federation has for the past twenty years trained coaches and presented the following coaching courses based on the IKF coaching system and structure:
— SAKF Introduction to Korfball Coaching This course focuses on the entry level coach and coaches obtaining this qualification are normally involved with coaching at club level and the coaching of junior players in the age groups 7 to 13. The aim of this course is to teach the new coach the basics of korfball techniques, without delving into korfball tactics at all. The course is presented over ten hours. On the negative side is the fact that the course content, due to the experience and korfball knowledge of the attending and potential coaches involved, does not touch on issues such as working with children and youth players.
— SAKF Level I Coaching This course is presented over a period of forty hours and concentrates exclusively on korfball basic techniques and match situations. Again not much tactics is included in the course material. After this course the coach will be able to plan and execute a training session and lead a team in a competition match. Coaches who attend this course will be able to coach players and teams in age groups 7 to 19 on club and provincial level.
— SAKF Level II Coaching This course is presented to the more experienced and knowledgeable coaches that are coaching in a korfball environment for at least ten to fifteen years. Experience of coaching on senior club and provincial level is a prerequisite to attend this course. This course concentrates solely on korfball tactics and coaching and teaching didactics. After obtaining this qualification coaches will be able to present coaching courses and coach senior teams on provincial and national level. This qualification also allows a coach to be considered for national coach positions after gaining sufficient coaching experience in the field. In most instances these coaches are the senior coaches within the provincial coaching structures.
— SAKF Level III Coaching The SAKF Level III Coach course was introduced in 2009 and the aim of this course is to train Master Coaches for the Federation. These coaches are involved with training
41 and education of other coaches in South Africa and after gaining sufficient experience could be nominated as an international Coach Instructor. This course focuses on didactics, generic scientific coaching knowledge and human resource management. The introduction of the SAKF LTPD Program has necessitated the total rethinking and restructuring of the SAKF korfball coach structures and course material. The following changes are to be effected in the SAKF coaching system: — Concept of modified games for ages 7 to 11 — Concept of training of age 7 to 11 — No competition for players in the age groups 7 to 11 — Competition adaptations for ages 10 to 13 — Content and material for the training of under 7 to under 11 players — Adaptation to SAKF coach course material to include: — Working with children and youth — Structuring of training sessions involving players from age 7 to 11 — LTPD information and requirements — Coach – parent relationship — Ethics — Communicating the advantages and requirements of LTPD with all the South African korfball coaches — Liaison with all role players on the process of LTPD implementation — Ensuring that more experienced and knowledgeable coaches are involved with coaching the age groups 7 to 13 — Alignment of the LTCD program to the requirements of the LTPD program — Development of an additional coach course for coaches involved with coaching of the younger aged players — Adaptations to existing korfball equipment, development for and inclusion of new equipment (We Play, Monkey-nastics, Playball, etc.) in the training programs of youth players. A very difficult concept to be introduced into our korfball fraternity will be the concept or idea of participating in less sporting codes as the player progresses through the developmental stages of the LTPD Program as it is customary in the South African sporting environment that players, especially at school level, and with the pressure from schools, teachers and parents, participate in multiple school sport codes. The stage of player development dictates, to an extent, the ideal number of sporting codes that a player should participate in during every developmental stage. Coaches must take notice of this phenomenon and should be able to discuss the issue with the parents, schools and teachers and to negotiate a mutually acceptable arrangement to the best advantage of the player's development. The South African Korfball Federation Coach Committee is also in the final stages of the development of a Korfball Fitness and Strength Manual for Coaches. This manual was developed with the requirements of the SAKF LTPD Program in mind. It will be expected from all Coaches to undergo basic fitness and strength training in future and to incorporate the fitness and strength training principles in all korfball coaching sessions. The high performance Coaches of the Federation, and especially the national Coaches, will be required to undergo Fitness and Strength Instructor training provided by the International Institute for Fitness Training – South Africa (iift SA).
42 IMPLEMENTATION OF LTPD Investment in the implementation of LTPD will ensure its success, but require support from the SAKF and its members. The model needs to be accepted across the whole of the SAKF.
Implementers and Facilitators
— South African Korfball Federation — High Performance Training Centres — Provinces — Clubs — Schools — Regional and national squads — Local authorities — Parents — Coaches — Volunteers — Players — Competitors — Administrators — Event organizers This document is the first step in the process of developing LTPD for korfball in South Africa. It provides an overview and guidelines for the implementation thereof and for the guidance of implementers, parents and players. The stages of development in LTPD and the key objectives are provided and will assist in developing a well-structured, professional system that will ensure the success of korfball in South Africa as a whole in the long-term.
SUMMARY Further development of this document and the processes described therein will take place as coaches, administrators and players in all regions undertake this program and provide feedback in order to adjust and expand it accordingly. Long-term Player Development is a well structured, scientifically proven, player-centred approach to holistic player development. It does not just develop the korfball skills of players in general, but rather focuses on each player as an individual and targets the specific physical, psychological and developmental needs of each player in order to produce a player that is physically literate. Furthermore, LTPD caters for all needs, from children to masters to disabled players and is a goal-directed program that will ensure a higher standard of players being developed in South Africa as well as better international performers.
Finally, administration will also be better as LTPD has solid principles and provides clear guidelines on the timelines and competition schedules in terms of developmental phases of the players. LTPD will therefore create a professional, integrated competition, training and recovery schedule for the national team, something that is non-existent at the moment.
43 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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44 Ross, W., & Marfell-Jones, M. (1982). Kinanthropomerty. In J. MacDougall, H. Wenger, & H. Green, Physiological Testing of the Elite Athlete (pp. 75 – 104). Ithaca, N.Y.: Movement publications.
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Whitewater Slalom Long-Term Paddler Development Model.
45 APPENDIX I
Physical, Mental and Cognitive, Emotional Development Characteristics
The following moving scale provides a guideline on how to utilise the Physical, Mental and Cognitive and Emotional Development Characteristics tables pointing out the overlaps at various stages of LTPD
FUNdamentals Pre-START START POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE
FUNdamentals Learning to Train Training to Train Training to Compete Training to Win
Late Childhood Late Puberty
Early Puberty Early Adulthood
Late Childhood – Physical Development
Basic characteristic General impact on performance Implications for the coach
Larger muscle groups are more The child is more skilful in Emphasise the development of developed than smaller ones. movements requiring the use of general motor skills involving the large muscle groups. the large muscle groups. Then gradually introduce more precise, coordinated movements requiring the interaction of smaller muscle groups.
Heart size is increasing in Endurance capacity is more than Understand that the child has relation to the rest of the body adequate to meet the demands the capacity to keep going. of most activities.
Anaerobic system is not There is a limited ability to work Plan short duration anaerobic developed. an-aerobically. activities. The ability to hold breath must be practiced and built up gradually.
Motor patterns become more Greater improvement in agility, Emphasise coordination and refined and the balance balance, coordination and kinaesthetic sense when doing mechanism in the inner ear flexibility occurs towards the activities. Balancing in the water gradually matures end of this phase. using buoyancy aids is one way to develop these abilities.
Children have a shorter Children may show symptoms of To acclimatise children will take tolerance time for exercise in overheating or hypothermia longer so longer warm-ups may extreme temperatures. more quickly. be required. Watch closely for signs of distress caused by extremes of temperatures.
Children subjectively feel able to Postpone or restrict exercise in be active in the heat before heat or humidity and ensure physiological adaptation has that plenty of fluids are ingested occurred
Strength develops by There is apparent improvement Plan coordination activities. improvement in the neural in strength not brought about by pathways. the neuro-muscular adaptations of muscle fibres.
46 Late Childhood – Mental and Cognitive Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach
The attention span gradually Children find it hard to listen or Provide short and precise increases. stay still for long periods. instructions. Children learn well by imitating and practicing correctly modelled movements.
Children are enthusiastic and Children will want to move and Do not bombard children with often impatient. not listen. technical information. Give only sufficient detail for the activity to be undertaken. Keep the activity fun.
Children have limited reasoning Children love to be led. Direct the training and give it a ability. tight focus with activities that are fun and well planned. Introduce imaginative ways of achieving performance goals.
Children enjoy the repetition of Skill learning must be directed; Provide correct demonstrations activities and improve through children do not learn correctly of the basic sport skill. Personal experience. just by trial and error. demonstrations must be accurate.
Children establish their preferred Learning is through verbal, Use a variety of learning styles learning style. visual or manual means. to suit individual needs.
Imagination is blossoming. Creativity should be encouraged. Allow the children to play and experiment. Use their ideas to create exciting sessions. Structure to encourage individuality and creativity. Sport provides an excellent vehicle for expression.
Language skills may be limited Children can't make corrections Use terminology that can be but are improving. to their performance unless they easily understood. Gradually understand what is being asked introduce technical terminology. of them. Children love long words.
47 Late Childhood – Emotional Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Children like to be the centre of Develop this characteristic. Plan attention. activities that guarantee success. Always move from simple to more complex when teaching a skill movement. Allow children to show their skills. Children are developing their Children tend to evaluate their Provide positive reinforcement self-concept. performance as a whole and in to build self-esteem. Children terms that may be black and are likely to perform actions white (I was brilliant, I was again if they are successful and useless). feel good about it. Build on success.
Children feel secure with a Introduce change sensitively Build a structure that is structure and a routine to and gradually. progressive and maintains training. continuity.
Children like things to be fair. Children feel secure when Set and maintain high levels of coaching is constant. expectancy, but be consistent. Don't let mood swings/personal situations change coaching behaviours.
Early Puberty – Physical Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Significant proportional changes Players may temporarily lose Because players will need to occur in bone, muscle and fat some of their kinaesthetic constantly change their tissue. awareness, their ability to 'know positions, monitor carefully to where they are'. ensure appropriate adaptations are being made. Girls begin their growth spurt Players are very different sizes Be aware that age-related between the ages of 10 - 14 at the same age. groupings may not be years and grow at very different appropriate. rates.
Different parts of the body grow Players may appear gangly and Make players aware of the effect at different rates. Leg and arm lose control of their extremities. of their changing body shapes. length increases before the Skills already refined may need trunk. to be re-learned. There is a significant increase in The oxygen transportation Introduce structured aerobic red blood cells. system is limited. training to make the most of these changes. Only short duration of anaerobic training is recommended.
The central nervous system is Agility, balance and coordination Use this period for maximum almost fully developed. are fully trainable. improvement in skill development. Decreases in flexibility result Movement may become Emphasise slow stretching directly from growth. restricted. exercises. Increases in growth and Injury can result from exercise Vary land-based activities and decreases in flexibility make of an acute nature such as activities to avoid overuse. adolescents prone to injury from forced elongation of muscles acute impact. during kicking and jumping on
48 Early Puberty – Mental and Cognitive Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Abstract thinking becomes firmly Adolescents should be part of Base decision making for established decision-making processes and strategies on skill level. be more responsible for their decisions.
.A new form of egocentric The result may be a strong fear Plan for success. Introduce thought develops. of failure. coping strategies, including mental imagery. Young people are eager to Structure successful skill Provide positive reinforcement. perfect their skills. learning based on individual Build on success. Be aware that needs. athletes develop at very different rates and although early developers make early progress, include all players. Be aware that late developers may have greater potential.
Early Puberty – Emotional Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach
Physical, mental and emotional Players who look mature may Develop communication skills maturity may not develop at the not act it. Confusion or anxiety and understanding. same time. may arise.
Tensions may arise between Adolescents need help to Ensure two-way communication adults and adolescents. cope with their physical and channels are open. Allow players emotional changes. input into the decision making.
Hormonal activity increases. Players may experience mood Communicate and accept swings and behavioural change. changes but don't let hormonal changes be an excuse for negative behaviour.
Social interaction between males Players want to form friendships Try to organise social events and females becomes important. and it is important to allow time that allow social interaction. for them to develop positive relationships.
Late Puberty – Physical Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach
Post menarche height begins to Muscles have grown to mature Develop communication skills and stabilise. Increase in height is size but increases in muscular understanding. about 5%. Stabilisation of strength continue into the muscular systems also occurs. twenties.
Skeletal maturation continues. Connective tissue is Continue progressive overloading strengthening. in training.
By age 17, girls have generally Girls proportionally gain more Optimise aerobic training. Be reached adult proportions. weight during this period. aware how to deal with weight gains. Teach players how to compete in varied circumstances.
Rate of improvement in motor Rate of development in skill Be aware that the rate of ability declines. development declines. improvement in motor ability will
49 Late Puberty – Mental and Cognitive Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Generally by 16, the brain has Players can understand the Make sure players understand reached adult size, but technical requirements of their why they are doing certain continues to develop sport things. neurologically. Critical thinking becomes more Players can make decisions Allow players input, reduce the established. about their training pathways. amount of feedback and make players think for themselves. Develop awareness of performance by increasing kinaesthetic knowledge.
There should be complete Rules are seen in simplistic Always be seen to be fair understanding and acceptance terms and must be clear and because adolescents have a of the need for rules, well defined. strong sense of fairness in regulations and structures. making decisions. Making players' part of the decision- making process.
Late Puberty – Emotional Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Major decisions about There are 'pulls' on time and Build on prophylactic examinations, further or higher energy. (preventative) breaks. Be aware education and employment have if external pressures. Seek to be made. professional guidance to ensure the correct career pathway. Be sensitive in goal setting to Peer pressure groups lead to A player may give up sport ensure that common goals are conflicting loyalties. because of peer pressure and the need to be seen as one of established and met. the gang.
Self actualisation and self Treat players as adults. Share expression are important. goals and work cooperatively towards them. Maintain a coach- led structure. Interactions with friends of both Allow time to establish sexes continue to be a priority. independent social interaction.
50 Early Adulthood – Physical Development Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Physiologically the body reaches All physiological systems are Ensure that physical training maturity during this phase. fully trainable. programs employ the most advanced techniques and sport science information to facilitate maximum adaptation and minimise injuries. Ensure that all muscle groups and body alignments are well balanced, complemented with optimum flexibility ranges. State of the art testing and monitoring programs to be used. Carefully monitor overtraining and overstress. Organise regular medical monitoring.
Early Adulthood – Mental and Cognitive Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach Neurologically the brain matures Players are capable of self Establish winning as the major about 19-20 years of age. analyzing and correcting and objective. refining skills. Players can analyse and conceptualise all facets of their sport.
Well developed information Implement principles of adult processing skills improve the learning. players' ability to visualise verbal instructions. Involve players in decision There is a complete The young adult must perceive the rules and structure as being making and planning team or understanding and acceptance group activities. of the need for rules, clearly defined and fair. regulations and structure.
Early Adulthood – Emotional Development
Basic characteristics General impact on performance Implications for the coach There is a need to be self-directed Players are ready to assume Emphasise goal setting to give and independent. responsibility and accept the definite direction and purpose to consequences of their actions. the player's overall program. Treat players as adults and with Self-actualisation and self- respect. Remember that the expression are important. coach's direction and structure remain important.
Major decisions on career, Major changes in interests, Make professional guidance education and lifestyle are priority hobbies and physical activities available, considering off-season at some point in this stage. occur. and educational pursuits. Interactions with others continue Provide players with ample to be a strong priority with lasting opportunities for independent relationships developing. social interaction.
51 APPENDIX II South African Korfball Federation – Optimal Trainability
52 APPENDIX III
53 APPENDIX IV
Examples of Activities for different stages of LTPD
Active Start
— Frog Jumps – sitting in squat position and then jumping as high as possible; clap hands above head with outstretched arms simultaneously with jump — Bulldog – running on hands and knees — Kangaroo Jumps – hopping on both legs from one side of korfball court to the other — Crab walks – crawling on hands and knees with back lifted off the ground — Ninja jumps – jumping 180 degrees and landing on both feet — Hopping on one leg — Balancing on one leg — Rolls — Korfball related modified games FUNdamentals
— Similar to Active Start exercises, but must gradually become more complex, for example: ¡ Forward roll followed by a frog jump ¡ Alternate forward and backward rolls ¡ Forward roll followed by ninja jump
— Basic gymnastic exercises such as ¡ Cartwheels ¡ Forward rolls ¡ Backward rolls ¡ Head stand
— Korfball games
—`Swiss ball exercises, for example: ¡ Learning to sit on Swiss ball ¡ Learning to sit on Swiss ball without touching the floor with your feet
— Balancing and hips trengthening exercises
— Medicine ball exercises (light), for example: ¡ Side passes to partner ¡ Overhead throws ¡ Catching and controlling ¡ From squat position throwing ball backwards overhead
54 Pre-Start: Learn to Train
— Free movement in 8 major throwing directions — Consolidation and continuation of the basic movement skills acquired in previous phases
— Continue to increase complexity of skills, for example: ¡ Frog jump, followed by forward roll, followed by sideway jump, then backward roll ¡ Skipping ¡ Sprints and running ¡ Fast movement in different directions (besides forwards such as when running) ¡ Emphasize footwork as appropriate for korfball
— Core stability exercises, for example: ¡ Lying supine and squeezing medicine ball between legs ¡ Lying supine and lifting hips to a position where the body is straight ¡ Lying on one side and lifting the leg in order to strengthen hips ¡ Stability exercises on Swiss ball ¡ Stability and explosive exercises with medicine ball, for example: ¡ Overhead throws ¡ Side passes ¡ Backward overhead throws ¡ Emphasis should be on activating and using the hip stabilizers
— Own body strength exercises which include, for example: ¡ Push-ups ¡ Sit-ups ¡ Pull-ups ¡ Crawls (walking in all fours position with knees slightly lifted off the floor; no hip rotation) ¡ Side Crawls (same as crawls, only sideways)
Korfball techniques Start: Train to Train
— Start weight training: (emphasize correct technique) ¡ Bicep Curls ¡ Triceps Curls ¡ Dips ¡ Pull-ups ¡ Etc
— Cables/Elastics: ¡ Pulling exercises for arms, shoulders, wrists, etc.
— Continued work on medicine balls and Swiss balls with increased difficulty and intensity — Skipping — Explosive movements in all directions should be practiced — Continue own body weight exercises from previous phase and increase intensity and complexity thereof — Stretching exercises are vital for this age group
55 Potential: Train to Compete
— Increase intensity and complexity of already developed skills and exercises in previous stages of development — Gym and fitness training should be goal-directed and periodised appropriately in order to compliment both korfball training and competition schedules — Training should be individually tailored
— Exercises in the gym will include: ¡ Front squats ¡ Back Squats ¡ Split leg squats ¡ Lunges ¡ Pull-up and dips ¡ Bent over rows ¡ Seated rows ¡ Plyometrics ¡ Stability exercises ¡ Directional change exercises such as sprints ¡ Etc. Performance: Train to Win
— High intensity and high volume strength, endurance and Korfball training — Type of training depends on period of season — Strength training should be based on individual needs and happen frequently (2 – 3 times per week) — Endurance training should also be based on individual needs and should happen less than strength training (1 – 3 times per week) — Build on the foundation of basic skills acquired with previous stages of development — Cross training such as swimming, rowing, cycling, squash, tennis, etc. become very important
Active for Life
— Depends on goals of the individual as well as purpose of training
56 APPENDIX V Tips for Parents
Follow these tips to help your child get the most out of their sport experience.
Girls and Boys all ages and stages
— Talk to your child about their interests. Find out what physical activities or sports appeal to them. — Recognise and respect your child's reasons for playing a sport or practicing a physical activity. They might want to compete for medals and titles, or they might simply want to have fun and socialise through activity. — Be positive when supporting your child, regardless of results. (Research has shown that children retreat from activity when their parents become demanding about results!) — Support your child's activities as a parent, not as a 24-hour coach. Your role is to assist with transportation, good nutrition, rest and a balanced lifestyle. — Support your child's coaches and instructors. If you have questions or concerns other than physical safety, approach them when they are not busy coaching or instructing. — Your child might pursue extra interests outside sport and physical activity, and things can get busy in a hurry. Help them to balance their time according to their best interests. — Educate yourself on good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits for your child. Consult sport and health websites, books, magazines and videos, and ask your child's coach or instructor for guidance.
FUNdamentals stage (Girls 6-8 years, Boys 6-9 years)
— If your child has a preferred activity, encourage her or him to participate once or twice per week. — At the same time, encourage participation in a variety of other fun physical activities 3 or 4 times per week to develop a wide range of skills and abilities. — Encourage your child to attend fun multi-sport camps during summer and winter holidays. — Check if your child's activities address the ABCs of athletic development: Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed . Learn to Train stage (Girls 8-11 years, Boys 9-12 years)
— Identify sports and physical activities that your child enjoys. Start to focus on three during the course of the year — Encourage your child to focus on fun and mastering skills. Winning should be secondary at this age. — Recognize and celebrate your child's individual improvement. — In team environments, help your child celebrate the success and improvement of the team. — Encourage your child to pursue unstructured play outside of organized sport and physical activity.
Train to Train Stage (Girls 11-15 years, Boys 12-16 years)
— If your child is identified as a special talent, celebrate! However, be cautious about specialising in one sport, event, or position before age 13 to 14.
57 — Remember that your child might still have undiscovered talent and interest in other physical activities. — Be careful that your child does not over-train or over-compete, as injury and burnout can result. — Ask the coach or instructor how the training program fits your child's stage of maturation. — Talk with your child about key values in sport and activity: fun, fairness, respect. — Avoid putting pressure on your child to perform and compete! This stage has the highest
58 APPENDIX VI
SAKF Coaching Structures
SAKF Executive
SAKF SAKF SAKF Development Player Finance Committee Committee Committee
SAKF SAKF Referee Coaches Committee Committee
Regional Korfball Structures
Clubs
59 60
SAKF SAKF
LTPD Committee Coaches Committee National Structures
Gauteng Provincial Structures
Northern Eastern Gauteng Gauteng Sedibeng Mpumalanga Stellaland Northern Southern Kwa-Zulu East North South Cape Natal Kwa-Zulu Cape Cape Natal
Regional Structures
Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs Clubs
Club Structures
APPENDIX VIII
SAKF COMPETITION STRUCTURE FOR PLAYERS UNDER 9 AND UNDER 11
UNDER 9 The following will be applicable for Provincial, Regional and District competitions:
— Two competitions per month during the korfball season — The competitions will consist of the following: ¡ 1 x match per league day ¡ 1 x Skills set per month — Players will receive a Provincial, Regional or District participation certificate at the end of the season — No league points will be applicable and no league winner will be announced at the end of the season — No player of the season will be announced
The following will be applicable for the SAKF Tournament:
— Round robin matches against all teams entered — The competitions will consist of the following: ¡ Matches against all other teams ¡ 1 x Skill set completed over the period of the SAKF Tournament ¡ Participation in the goal scoring challenge for Under 9's — Players will receive a participation certificate stating the following: ¡ Participation in x number of matches during the SAKF Tournament ¡ Completed the skill set ¡ Participated in the goal scoring challenge for Under 9's — Medals could be awarded to all participants — No league points will be applicable and no league winner will be announced at the end of the SAKF Tournament — No player of the SAKF Tournament will be announced
The following rules will be applicable
— Matches will consist of two halve of 20 minutes each with a 5 minute break — No scores will be kept and no winner will be determined — Players will change function after every 5 minutes of play irrespective of the number of goals scored. Time will therefore determine function changes and not score. — Ball against the leg or foot will not be considered a transgression — No free pass or penalty will be awarded — All infringements of the rules will be penalised with a restart — When a player falls while in possession of the ball or when a player play the ball in a fallen position, the referee will not penalise the transgression but rather whistle to stop the match, instruct the player to stand up, explain to the player the transgression, and then resume play by whistling. The player must then pass the ball to one of his fellow team mates and may not take a shot at goal from the restart. — No scores will be kept and therefore no winner will be determined.
61 The following skills set are applicable:
— Penalty shot — Shooting from distance (3.5 meters) — Rebound — Assist — Passing ¡ Two hands ¡ One hand (dominant hand) — Catching — Two hands — Individual defence technique — Players will be required to participate in each skill set and complete the required number of repetitions irrespective of the number of successful completed — Coaches will be allowed to assist and correct the players while they are busy completing a particular skill set
The following general guidelines will be applicable:
— These competition guidelines will be introduced to all new Under 9 players on Provincial, Regional, District and Club level in the 2013 season. — Under 9 players already in the current SAKF process will not participate in this endeavour — The SAKF Coach Committee will determine the number of repetitions in each skill set and the SAKF Coach Committee may add additional skill sets to the process if and when needed or applicable. — The process will be reviewed after a period of 2 years. — UNDER 11
The following will be applicable for Provincial, Regional and District competitions:
— Two competitions per month during the korfball season — The competitions will consist of the following: — 1 x match per league day — 1 x Skills set per month — Players will receive a Provincial, Regional or District participation certificate at the end of the season — No league points will be applicable and no league winner will be announced at the end of the season — No player of the season will be announced
The following will be applicable for the SAKF Tournament:
— Round robin matches against all teams entered — The competitions will consist of the following: ¡ Matches against all other teams ¡ 1 x Skill set completed over the period of the SAKF Tournament ¡ Participation in the goal scoring challenge for Under 11's — Players will receive a participation certificate upon achieving the required success rate of 20% in the skill set stating the following: ¡ Participation in x number of matches during the SAKF Tournament ¡ Completed the skill set ¡ Participated in the goal scoring challenge for Under 11's
62 — No league points will be applicable and no league winner will be announced at the end of the SAKF Tournament — No player of the SAKF Tournament will be announced
The following rules will be applicable
— Matches will consist of two halve of 20 minutes each with a 5 minute break — No scores will be kept and no winner will be determined
The following skills set are applicable:
— Penalty shot — Shooting from distance (4 meters) — Rebound — Assist — Passing ¡ Two hands ¡ One hand (dominant hand) — Catching ¡ Two hands — Players will be required to participate in each skill set and complete the required number of repetitions — Players need to complete each skill set and with at least a 20% success rate.
The following general guidelines will be applicable:
— These competition guidelines will be introduced to all new Under 11 players on Provincial, Regional, District and Club level in the 2013 season. — Under 11 players already in the current SAKF process will not participate in this endeavour — The SAKF Coach Committee will determine the number of repetitions in each skill set and the SAKF Coach Committee may add additional skill sets to the process if and when needed or applicable. — The process will be reviewed after a period of 2 years.
63 South African Korfball Federation LTPD Manual