Policymakers need to have a clear vision for Irish sport to help talented young athletes develop, writes Giles Warrington
SPORT AND a sporting culture is a critical element of modern Irish life - the Irish are intensely passionate about their sport.
Sport provides a basis for healthy recreation, creates social networks and success at an elite level provides a source of immense national pride and celebration.
Critical to the sustained success in the internal sporting arena is the careful nurturing of our future champions.
If our success in international sport is based purely on medals won in major competitions then it is critical that that the policymakers have a clear performance-driven vision for Irish sport. This should put the necessary underage structures in place to allow our talented young athletes to develop.
Such initiatives would include prioritising sports as well as scientifically based talent identification, talent transfer and most importantly talent development programmes. These would have to holistically support and nurture young athletes during the critical stages of growth and maturation.
It is essential that the critical phases along the athlete performance pathway from aspiring junior to world class international athletes are clearly mapped out. The appropriate support structures must also be put in along the way.
With a small population, the number of Irish children possessing the necessary genetic potential to become world class athletes is minuscule.
It is therefore essential that we protect this scarce resource and nurture the tiny talent base appropriately.
Specific and well-planned training, competition and recovery regimes need to be put in place appropriate to the athlete's stage of development. This is to ensure optimum development throughout their athletic career.
On this basis, there can be no corner cutting or quick fixes in the quest for sporting excellence. Unfortunately, many parents and underage coaches in a number of sports still adopt a short-term approach. This focuses on attaining immediate results rather than taking a balanced approach to sports participation and performance through the athlete's long-term development.
According to Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon "it takes 10 years of extensive training to excel at anything".
This notion is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence which suggests it takes eight to 12 years for a talented young athlete to reach elite status.
This has been coined the "10-year or 10,000-hours rule" and equates to the accumulation of approximately three hours per day of deliberate play and practice over the course of this period.
Based on this premise, the National Coaching and Training Centre in conjunction with Dr Istvan Balyi, a world renowned athlete development expert, have produced a Long Term Player Athlete Development (LTPAD) model.
The LTPAD model states that "the health and wellbeing of the nation and the medals won at major games is a simple byproduct of an effective sport system".
During the early phases (six to 12 years of age) the LTPAD model emphasises the importance of the development of general, fundamental motor and technical-tactical skills; the avoidance of early specialisation in single sports; balancing training and recovery; focusing on training and development rather than competition; and emphasising the importance of fun and participation.
Once the fundamental movement skills have been mastered, more specific sport skills can be integrated with a natural shift towards sports specialisation and age-appropriate competition structures.
By laying a solid foundation and equipping athletes with the right technical, tactical mental and physical performance skills, although international success is not guaranteed (you can only control your performance!), the opportunities for optimising athletic performance will be greater.
Next week we will look at the LTPAD model in more detail and in particular the critical phases of the athlete performance pathway
• Dr Giles Warrington is a sport and exercise physiologist and lecturer in the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU