Page 16 - Pickleball LTPD_APRIL FINAL_v2

Why Does Pickleball Need LTPD?

LTPD is a framework for optimizing development by matching training, competition, and recovery to the
needs of individual athletes. The following is from a general overview of Canadian sport prepared by Sport

Canada’s LTAD Expert Group, but many points apply to Pickleball as well:

Coaches Organizations

• Coaches are under-educated about Long-Term • Developmental athletes over-compete and
Player Development under-train
• Training methods and competition programs • Adult training and competition programs are

designed for male athletes are superimposed on imposed on developing athletes
female athletes • Chronological rather than developmental age
• Need more female coaches to act as role used in training and competition planning

models for female players • Lack of training facilities
• Lack of understanding of coaching athletes with • Programming for profit vs. development
a disability • Lack of entry level programs
• Coaches largely neglect the sensitive periods of • Clubs lack specific role and mandate linked to a
accelerated adaptation to training coordinated system

• Adult training programs are imposed on
developing youth players Parents
• Preparation is geared to the short-term outcome • Parents are under-educated about athlete

— winning — and not to the process development
• Need to promote lifelong learning and • Parents may not understand the sport system
development for coaches and “which organization does what”
• Sports specialize too early in an attempt to win

or to attract and retain participants; parents
need to understand and resist this tendency
• FUN can be forgotten in pursuit of other goals

16