Parents u0026 Long-Term Athlete Development
So your child is getting into ultimate…
How can you help your child advance through the world of youth sports in a fun, healthy and age-appropriate way?rnrnParents play a key role in growing ultimate in the youth area. Parents often start youth in sports in a variety of ways through role modeling a sport, providing equipment around the home, and/or enrolling them in programs.rnrnAdditionally, parents are critical in supporting participation in sport through paying fees, providing transportation, and encouragement.rnrnu0026nbsp;
What is the role of a parent in long-term athlete development?
Parents serve the important role of guidance and support for the player during their ultimate experience. Parents can create a positive ultimate experience by:rn
u003culu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eSupporting and encouraging your child to have fun. It’s about them!u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eUnderstanding the USA Ultimate LTAD model and recognizing where their player(s) stand in terms of age and development.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eEncouraging sport sampling at least through age 14 where the player is exposed to many sports and physical activities to develop well-rounded movement abilities.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eEncouraging multi-sport/activity to reduce risk of burnout or overuse injuries.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eRewarding your child for development and proficiency over performance outcomes such as winning.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eEnrolling or exposing your child in age-appropriate activities to develop general movement skills before moving to high amounts of competition.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eBalancing free play and structured practice with rest and recovery.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eRole modeling fair mindedness and being physically active.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAsking coaches and organizers about your child’s development and that you value your child’s experience over outcomes such as winning.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003e
Stage by Stage – rnOne Pagers
The links below provide summaries designed to give you some of the key elements in each stage of the LTAD model, based on your role as a parent: