What happens when we coach outside of models? Today’s featured guest is Jim Kielbaso, the President and CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association! Jim is the owner of one of the most successful sports performance training centers in the country, Impact Sports Performance, and has trained thousands of athletes during his career. We’ll have a fantastic conversation as we break down the long term athletic development model from the lens of a coach in an applied setting. Jim provides a fresh take on LTAD and brings up the problems that come with it. In a perfect world, how could we fix these issues? We’ll talk about everything from technical skills, player retention, training windows, and more to learn what coaches can do in our imperfect world to find possible solutions for the future of athletic development. If you’re a coach or a parent of young athletes, this is one discussion you don’t want to ignore. Join us in rethinking how we approach LTAD and its impact on high performance sports!

02:30 What is your article about and why did you write it?

04:40 What are the three stages of the model?

09:20 Defining ‘framework’ versus ‘model’.

11:45 From a coach’s perspective, what are the big problems with the model?

14:05 The underlying pressure of LTAD on coaches & parents.

19:35 What are your thoughts on assumptions around training windows?

25:50 Why do we need more coaches, not models?

30:40 The significance of training technical skills.

34:50 How do people make up a sport?

39:10 Fixing the model through education & coaching.

41:50 How has the off season changed for young athletes?

45:40 Do we abandon the model?