The Long-Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD) is a framework adopted by the FLVB to enhance the potential of volleyball in Luxembourg. As a holistic approach, the model considers all the factors that influence athlete development, including the influence of coaches, referees, clubs, systems, parents, fans, and the athletes themselves. This model considers an athlete’s development from birth through all stages of life, starting with fundamental movement and initial exposure to sport, all the way to high performance athletes. It also includes the average person enjoying sport by living a healthy, active lifestyle. In Luxembourg the focus is on fostering good people, good programs and good places for sport to flourish. The model categorizes athlete development into stages based on developmental age and guides the appropriate introduction, acquisition, consolidation, and refinement of skills at distinct points of life. It encompasses not only sport-specific technical skills, but also physical, mental, social and tactical skills. The model is all-encompassing, representing all participants in sport, not just focusing on elite athletes. Using this model will help us identify best practices to cultivate highly skilled athletes for our national programs, elevate the overall level of national and youth leagues, and maximize participation in the sport of volleyball here in Luxembourg.

This stage begins at birth with an emphasis placed on acquiring fundamental human movement skills and promoting healthy habits through first involvement and awareness of sport. It plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' perceptions of physical activity. Therefore, children at this stage should engage in enjoyable physical activities to ensure that being active is seen as a positive and enjoyable part of the day.

In the "FUN"damental stage, the focus is on enjoyment. The primary objectives are to teach fundamental movement skills and enhance athletes' physical literacy. These skills serve as the foundation for athletes to acquire body movement proficiency. At this stage, modified versions of volleyball can be introduced with adjusted rules, such as incorporating catching or allowing the ball to bounce.

During the learn-to-train stage, athletes focus on developing fundamental movement patterns and learning the basics of sport-specific skills. The key objective is to further develop the athlete's physical literacy within introductory volleyball skills, which is achieved by avoiding specialization within the sport. This approach ensures that athletes acquire a broad understanding of all essential skills, rather than just position-specific skills.

In the train-to-train stage, youth development is at a crucial point. This stage often serves as the deciding point for an athlete, determining whether they will commit to train as an elite athlete, continue participating in the sport at some capacity, or quit altogether. It is a pivotal phase for maintaining athlete participation, as many individuals tend to drop out of volleyball or all physical activities during this period. It is important to focus on consolidating fundamental sport-specific skills while introducing intermediate skills and systems through meaningful competition.

At this stage, athletes begin to focus on competing and decide to take their sport more seriously. They are consolidating and refining intermediate skills while learning advanced tactics and techniques. Athletes commit to more rigorous physical training to enhance their skill development. Teams are starting to learn complex systems that require athletes to specialize in their positions. Training is individually tailored to help athletes develop skills specific to their position.

Athletes in the Train to Compete stage demonstrate full commitment to their sport and take necessary measures to fully develop and enhance their skills in order to progress to become top athletes. Tailored training plans are created to facilitate targeted growth in areas relevant to the athlete's position and individual weaknesses. The focus of this stage is to refine the athlete's abilities to compete at the highest level.

Athletes in the Train to Win stage are at the pinnacle of their elite careers, refining their skills and striving to excel at the highest level. This stage is tailored for athletes turning professional or representing the national team as they prepare to compete on the international stage.

The active life stage consists of the vast majority of individuals who do not become elite athletes. This demographic includes the average person who continues to play sports into adulthood, as well as high-level athletes who have completed their competitive careers and choose to remain involved in the sport for pleasure and health benefits. This section is further divided into three smaller categories:

Competitive for Life (Club teams)

The competitive for life stage consists of athletes continuing to compete in sports competitions; however, there life does not revolve fully around their sport. Their motivation is to compete to win and to develop in their sport without orientating their entire life around pushing to be the worlds best. Athletes transition to this stage at various points, it could be a young athlete deciding that they are not going to push towards the elite level, adults who enjoy playing at a higher level or former elite athletes who are transitioning to post-playing careers.

Fit for Life (loisir, corporate teams)

This stage is for people who engage in physical activities primarily for health benefits and the joy of the activity. It is a recreational level and may include various physical activities, not just a specific sport.

Committed for Life

This group includes some extremely important people to sport. It is all the coaches, trainers, referees, committee members, administrators, sports doctors, physios, volunteers, and anyone who helps make sport continue to happen. Without these people’s efforts, the good programs and good places might not be available for athletes to develop.

All FLVB programing is aligned with the LTAD model. This encompasses the Letz Volley Academy, Summer camps, Youth days, National team, Junior National, referee training, and coaching courses. We aim to advance the sport of volleyball by maximizing participation and enjoyment. At the same time identifying and developing high-level athletes to represent our national teams. The LTAD model effectively caters to athletes of all backgrounds through every stage of life. However, athlete development does not follow a linear path, and there are numerous routes to excellence. Recognizing where an athlete fits into this model, understanding their motivations, and determining the best way to support them are important factors to consider.

If you have any questions about Long term athlete development within the FLVB please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Colin Higgs, Richard Way, Vicki Harber, Paul Jurbala, Istvan Balyi., Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity 3.0. Sport for Life Canada, 2019. https://sportforlife.ca/portfolio-item/long-term-development-in-sport-and-physical-activity-3-0/

Ministère des Sports du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Concept Cadre LTAD: Long-Term Athlete Development Framework. Luxembourg: Ministère des Sports, 2017. https://sports.public.lu/dam-assets/fr/publications/FR-LTAD-Rahmenkonzept.pdf