[ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT MODEL WHY ADM?


] By Michael Conroy There has been a lot of attention directed towards youth participation in all sports. Whether you refer to it as ADM (Athlete Development


Model) or LTAD (Long Term Athletic Development), the philosophy is the same. How do you safely bring young children along the path to highlevel athletic performance, if they choose to do that? USA Weightlifting was involved from the beginning of the USOC’s ADM efforts, which began in the summer of 2013 and concluded in the


fall of 2014. Learn more about the USOC ADM’s initiative here: http://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOC/Athlete-Development/American- Development-Model USA Hockey, USA Tennis and USA Swimming are the champions of ADM. Thirteen years ago, hockey took the first step, and USA Weight-


lifting has borrowed heavily from USA Hockey, as we believe that their approach is sound and has proven results. Recent studies have shown that youth athletes are burning out before they have a chance to excel. They travel too much, compete too


much, do not get a chance to rest and recover, and the focus is on results rather than performance. Sports specialization at a young age can not only result in injury but also, a ‘cap’ on athletic performance. A recent student compiled by the Indonesian Weightlifting Federation tracked the progress of 33 medal-winning athletes, ages 16-17,


from the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 through the end of 2013. The progress of each lifter was recorded. There was a 52% dropout rate over this time period – 15% of the athletes did not compete after the initial year. The remaining 48% had an average increase of only 10% over the next three years. The Indonesians are re-evaluating the importance of high level competition for athletes younger than 18 years of age. Of course, the United States is not Indonesia but the results of its study are worth noting as we want to have our athletes be safe and have


long, productive, careers. The table below indicates how USA Weightlifting has applied USA Hockey’s Play, Love, Excel model.


PLAY


Playing is where young athletes learn that weightlifting is, in its simplest form, fun. And if you can mix in age- appropriate training and practice with skills and athleticism introduction, kids will have even more fun. And to keep it fun, there should be a low priority placed on winning and losing and a high priority placed on just learning the skills and enjoying the activity.


The next challenge is implementing the steps of ADM so that young athletes are brought along a systematic approach to ath- letic development.


ACTIVE START Females 0-6, Males 0-6 Objectives: • Increase coordination, social skills, motor skills, and imagination


• Instill good postural habits • Create enjoyment through exercise and play


• Use exercise to help promote strong muscle and bone growth, flexibility, good sleep habits, and a healthy weight


Training: • Engage kids in both structured and un- structured activities; structured activi-


12 >> USAWEIGHTLIFTING.ORG LOVE


Once a young athlete learns the how of weightlifting and begins to develop skills and athleticism, weightlifting may start to take priority among other activities. Skills become more refined, their physical and mental makeup is stronger and the friendships they developed early on con- tinue to grow. The sport becomes more important and weightlifting in general becomes a bigger part of their life.


ties should range from 30 to 60 minutes per day


• Allow kids to just have fun (unstructured play)


• Keep sedentary time to a minimum • Vary activities and include a variety of different movement patterns


FUNDAMENTALS Females 6-8, Males 6-9 Objectives: • Develop FUNdamental sport movements • Introduce structured sport • Create an environment where kids have FUN and have the opportunity to experi- ence self-improvement


• Continue to improve motor skills, strength, and endurance through nervous system development


EXCEL


Now that they play and love weightlifting, a higher premium is placed on excelling at it. Tougher competition and more of a focus on mastering skills play an increased role in their development. Weightlifting as a sport starts to take a larger priority over other activities. But, above all, it’s still fun and the friendships that were forged at the beginning now grow into a support system for the adventure that lies ahead.


• Option to introduce fundamental weight- lifting movements; such as squats or presses, but this should not be done as a means to improve strength


Training: • Participate in daily unstructured activities • Participate in structured activities (vari- ous sports), ranging from 30 to 60 min- utes per day


• Have fun engaging in unstructured and structured activities


• Keep sedentary time to a minimum


LEARN to TRAIN Females 8-11, Males 9-12 Objectives: • Teach weightlifting movements, with an emphasis on proper technique (during this time period, children are highly recep-


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