LTAD Brochure

8/18/2019 LTAD Brochure

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ForewordBADMINTON England is delighted to present its Long Term Athlete

Development Model. The Model focuses on developmental rather

than chronological age and provides a framework which, if followed,

can help all badminton players achieve their potential according to

their own ability and ambition. The framework is particularly useful to

younger players, their parents and coaches and will help to ensure

that the quantity and quality of training, competition and recovery

that young badminton players undertake is appropriate for their

developmental age.

The Model is based on the work of Dr Istvan Balyi and has been

embraced by Sport England as providing a sound, underlying

framework for athlete/player development. The LTAD concept

contains little that will be surprising; much of it is common sense.

However, any objective observer of sport will know that commonsense can be forgotten, particularly when talented young players are

concerned. The LTAD Model structures good practice into a

progressive series of stages which are underpinned by science and

observation.

Badminton’s LTAD Model is provided as a support for coaches,

parents, teachers, officials and players. It is offered as advice and as a

guide. Its principles will be used to underpin all BADMINTON England

programmes, so that our coaching systems, competition structures,

developmental activities and talent development frameworks will

incorporate its principles.

Our Model will have been effective and useful if it helps more players

to have an enjoyable experience within our sport. However, it isparticularly relevant to that small number of players with the talent

and aspiration to progress to an elite level to help guide such

individuals to fulfil their potential. The generic LTAD Model postulates

that, to reach a world class level in any sport requires a minimum of

10 years and 10,000 hours of practice, training and competition. This

rule certainly applies to badminton and, if anything, considering the

complex technical nature of our sport, coupled with its immense

physical demands, is an underestimation of the commitment required

to become truly world class. This observation is offered, not as a

deterrent, but to engender realism and encourage a long-term

approach to player development.

BADMINTON England wishes badminton players to reach the level

which their talent and drive allows. For those few who have thetalent to reach the very top, it is important that players, coaches

and parents understand that the journey is long and demanding and

normally full of barriers, difficult choices and disappointments. The

struggle is what makes achieving world-class success so inspirational.

This document will help more young players negotiate that

demanding journey.

Stephen Baddeley

Director of Sport, Sport England

BADMINTON England Chief Executive (1998 - 2004)

1986 Commonwealth Games Gold medallist

Using this document

LTAD Model for badminton has beendesigned as a guide to inform but not to

dictate. Anyone using this document must

remember that all individuals have differing

physical, mental, emotional and social needs

and programmes should be developed to

cater for those.

Please note that wherever references are made

to specialist advice, for example nutrition or

weight training, advice should be developed

and delivered by appropriately qualified,

recognised and accredited specialists.

*References to ‘his’, ‘him’ or ‘he’ shalldenote both male and female players

Contents

1 Foreword

2 Introduction3 Why do we need a LTAD Model?

3 The LTAD framework

3 LTAD Pathway

4 Stages of Long TermAthlete Development4 FUNdamentals

4 Generic Movement Literacy

5 Movement with a badminton twist

6 Learning to Play

8 Training to Train

10 Training to Compete

11 Training to Win

12 Peak Performance

13 Applying the LTAD theoryto practice13 What do ‘Windows

of Trainability’ mean?

14 What is Peak Height Velocity?

17 Glossary of terms

20 References

21 Appendices

31 Acknowledgments


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Introduction

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The LTAD framework aims to define optimal training,

competition and recovery programmes throughout an

athlete’s career to enable him* to reach his* potential

performances in sport. Tailoring a child’s sports

development programme to suit basic principles

of growth and maturation, especially during the ‘critical’

early years of his* development, enables him* to;

• Reach full potential

• Increase lifelong participation in badminton and other

physical activities

The LTAD Model offers much more than a talent

development framework for our most gifted players.

Establishing a core set of motor skills will allow all children

to gain a sense of achievement, giving those athletes thatmay not reach elite levels a direction for their involvement

in sport. The acquisition of transferable skills will allow

children to become proficient in a number of different

sports and therefore increase the chances of lifelong

participation in physical activity, thus increasing

longevity and quality of life.

In addition to offering a route for each player to develop

within our sport, the LTAD Model does have some

important messages for developing talent. The Model is

based on the premise that if a long-term approach to an

athlete’s planning is not adopted (if a broad base of motor

skills is not laid down through careful programme

planning), then development is likely to plateau when

growth and development declines and although the

athlete may continue to improve, he* will not reach full

potential. This is not a situation that we would like any

player to experience but it will be critical to a player

aspiring to achieve the highest levels of success.

The Model defines that in order to achieve the best

basis in sport, both from the point of view of enjoyment

and of developing skills, a player should not specialise in

one sport too early. Each child’s long-term development

will be enhanced by gaining differing and complementary

physical literacy skills through participating in a range of

sports. This will also give the child variety and reducethe risk of ‘burn-out’ that can occur when a child

under the 10-12 age bracket specialises too early.

The Model also encourages realism as to the level

of effort required to reach truly World Class success.

Research has shown that it takes between 8 and 12 years

of training for a talented athlete to reach elite levels. This

has been summarised by the ‘10 year or 10,000 hour rule.’

Of course the LTAD Model defines a progressive approach

to development that moves from an emphasis on variety

and fun at the start to intensive work on detail when a

player reaches his* pinnacle. The thread that runs through

this continuum is one of planning and a basis in our

knowledge of human growth and development.

The application of human growth and development in

short and long term programme planning has developed

significantly through the work of Dr Istvan Balyi and otherspecialists. Periods of ‘accelerated development’ have been

identified in the growth of a child. During these periods

the body is more responsive to certain types of training.

These periods of accelerated development do not last

indefinitely and if the player does not undertake the

correct training during a period they may never reach their

genetic potential. For example, from 6 - 9 years old, each

child experiences a period in which he* can learn the

fundamental movements that form the basis from most

sports. For one person, failure to learn skills in the period

when the body is most ready could be the difference

between a Gold medal and a last 16 finish. For another,

it could be the difference between having the skills

to participate in sport in later life and maintain goodhealth or not having the confidence to take part

and suffering for it.


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Why do we need a LTAD Model?

There are many common problems with current sports

development plans that arise from not having child and

adolescent considerations as the focus of junior programmes.

These are;

• Under-training and over-competing.

• Imposing adult training programmes on children.

• Imposing adult competition structures on children that

are based on historical traditions and not a child’s needs.

• Imposing male programmes on females.

• Early training focuses on outcomes (winning)

and not processes (training).

• Physical, technical, tactical and mental skills are not being

introduced in a systematic and timely manner.

• Coaching tends to be centred on chronological age and

not physical, emotional and cognitive maturation.

• The ‘critical periods’ of accelerated adaptation are not utilised.• Most knowledgeable and experienced coaches tend

to work at elite levels.

• Coach education skims over biological maturation

and development.

• No clear guidelines for parents as to the nature, level

and number of sports a child should take part in.

The LTAD framework

Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a sports development

framework that is athlete centred and is built on the basis of

human growth and development. All young people follow thesame pattern of growth from infancy through adolescence

although there may be significant individual differences in both the

timing and magnitude/tempo of the changes that take place. The

LTAD Model stresses the need for an individualised approach to

developing young people- this is determined by biological

maturation and not chronological age. The Model allows coaches

to maximise an athlete’s ‘critical periods’ of adaptation.

The LTAD Model has defined a number of stages in which

young people should be exposed to certain stimuli to produce

a maximal outcome. A six-stage theory has been used to produce

talent development models for a number of other sports such

as tennis, swimming, netball, rugby and cricket. BADMINTON

England has redefined the final stage to account for thosethat aim for World Class success.

Each stage aims to lead an athlete from simple to more complex

skills and from general to badminton specific skills. Important

skills learned in a previous stage will be built upon during the

next stage, providing a more complex skill base.

The badminton LTAD Model will give all young players a

performance pathway from entry level to be the best players

they possibly can be. A step-by-step guide will allow all those

involved in the sport of badminton access to the underlying

theory behind this Model as well as a practical solution

for its implementation (see overview document).

LTAD Pathway

FUNdamentals

Learning to Play

Training to Train

Training to Compete

Training to Win

Peak Performance

1

2

3

4

5

6


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Stages of Long Term Athlete Development

FUNdamentals - Movement Literacy

Teaching FUNdamental movement patterns to a child aged 3 - 8 years old and above will allow eachplayer to learn how to successfully move their body.

The pathway a young child follows to be able to play complex sports, such as badminton, is long and often

not fully understood. The ‘backstage’ unplanned activities a child takes part in through play often help to

establish FUNdamental movement skills before they are developed through formalised sport.

The pathway begins with short generic movements such as squat, lunge, bend, push, pull, rotate/twist and gait (run/walk)

As a child begins to perform such skills with competence and confidence, they can move onto building these together

forming longer and more complex generic skills such as changing direction, kicking and striking/hitting objects.

Within the context of this resource, the FUNdamentals have been split into 2 phases denoting the very basic activities

for the younger age range and slightly more developed activities for the older age range.

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Phase 1: Generic Movement Literacy - the Seven Primary Patterns

M A L E S A N D F E M A L E S 3 - 6

Aims

• To provide unique approach based upon a child’s

natural sequence of movement development.

• Embedding a foundation for movement that underpins

all future physical education and development.

• To support the contemporary ‘functional’

theory on development acquisition.

The starting point for activity during the formative years is

based around recognised ‘Primary Movement Patterns’ . The

most crucial component of a child’s motor development at

this early stage is the acquisition and practice of functional

motor skills. These very basic movements (e.g. a squat)

provide the fundamental foundation of all physical activity

and are refined, recalled and chained together as the child

takes on more complex movement challenges during further

development. If a child does not display complete (and

successful) ability in Primary Patterns then their progression

into more complex movement patterns and sporting actions

will be hindered. This stage provides the optimum window of

opportunity for a talented athlete to develop - by learning

the basic principles of functional movement true talent canbe nurtured and identified youngsters given early recognition.

The core primary movement patterns consist of:

Gait, Squat, Lunge, Bend (Flexion), Push, Pull, Rotate/Twist

All complex movements can be broken down into

these seven basic contributing components, and if

the components are sequenced together correctly

then the ‘gross’ movement will be successful.

For example:

• A jump is based on the primary movement squat.

•

Throwing a frisbee is created from squat,push and rotation.

• A low backhand in badminton combines

a lunge with rotation.

Even the most complex, superior athletic movement

can be traced back to its primary pattern components.Logically, therefore, if a young player fails to develop

the basic seven patterns, their future ability to perform

complex gross motor skills will be reduced.

A child learns to move via physical experimentation,

with much of this discovery being at this very early stage,

revolving around challenging their abilities at the primary

activity level. Perceptual skills can be introduced to further

support the ‘Primary Movement Patterns’ - the relative

timing of movements, sensory feedback, effects of centre

of gravity and combining movements through more than

one plane of movement will allow greater proficiency in

future athletic development. This stage should always be

fun, allow for discovery and guided learning, and is likelyto be taught through primary school physical education

lessons, playtime activities and through parental play.


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Phase 2: Movement with a badminton twist

M A L E S 6 - 9 F E M A L E S 6 - 8

Aims• Develop generic movement skills in a structured

and fun way.

• Physical skills introduced with a fun approach

to keep children interested and to engender an

enjoyment for sport and physical activity.

• Develop hand-eye-foot co-ordination skills.

Skills to be taught can be defined as the ABC’S of

athleticism (including Agility, Balance, Co-ordination and

Speed) which underpin many sports. Once generic Agility,

Balance, Co-ordination and Speed skills are laid down,

children can begin to develop their fundamental sports

skills. These skills include running, jumping, throwing,catching, striking, hopping, changing direction, kicking, core

stability and suppleness. Children are encouraged to

participate in a number of other activities and sports to

develop these skills. Fundamental movement skills learnt in

during this time should be continued throughout a player’s

career so that they are fully embedded.

The first windows of accelerated adaptation are

speed and agility, which occur throughout the stage.

These can be applied through linear (forwards and

backwards), lateral (side-to-side), multi-directional

and random movements. These can be best developed

using repetitions of less than 5 seconds.

Physical sessions should occur with a fun approach

to the learning of core motor skills, often presented

through multi-skilled games activities that incorporate

whole-body exercising. Strength development can include

exercises that use part or all of the child’s own body

weight, Swiss balls, medicine balls and therabands. During

core stability and strength exercises, children should betaught good techniques and posture.

Power and cardiovascular fitness can be trained

through the participation in a combination of jumping

and speed movements integrated into fun games activities.

The participation in other sporting/physical activities

will help to reinforce the skills taught in badminton

FUNdamentals sessions.

Appropriate badminton related skills such as throwing,

striking, catching and running should be introduced during

this stage. The skills of underarm, overarm, forehand and

backhand throwing should be introduced to juniors to

establish good rotational movements. If a child is capableof producing high quality throwing actions, he* may

find it easier to move onto basic hitting actions.

Young children may struggle to hit objects that are

far away from the centre of the body. It takes time and

practice to develop hand-eye co-ordination to the level

that allows juniors to hit objects that are far away from

the centre-line of the body. Young players may find it

easier to start with shortened rackets but it is advisable

to progress to a full size racket as soon as they can.

Children should also be introduced to simple rules

and ethics of sport, as well as tactical issues such as

general space awareness (creating and using space)and the base position within badminton.


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6

Learning to Play – Building Technique

MALES 9-12 FEMALES 8-11

Appropriate mental skills for this group are:

• Learning to enjoy competition.

• Respecting your opponent.

• Rules of the game - keeping it simple by introducing

a few rules to reinforce that rules exist so that everyone

knows what they can and cannot do.

• Code of conduct - Appropriate and acceptable

standards of behaviour for badminton environments.

• Self awareness - An individual player’s understandings

of their feelings during training.

During this stage, parents should be educated about the

benefits that regular participation in badminton and other

physical activities can offer their child (such as health

and social interaction).

A player should look to participate in approximately 10

hours of physical activity per week by the end of the stage.

This could include 3-4 hours of fundamental movement

skills in a badminton environment, of which sessions

should last between 30-60 minutes. Other sports and

activities should be promoted to offer the child more

access to practice fundamental movement patterns. We

recommend juniors to accumulate 6-7 hours of other

physical activity (See ‘Glossary’ section). This can include

the two hours of physical activity children should acquirethrough school physical education.

No periodisation should occur but programmes should be

structured and monitored. Activities should evolve around

the school year with multi-sport/multi-skill camps

recommended during the school holidays. Periodisation is

explained in the ‘Practical application for the coach’

section.

Regular participation in formal competitions (such

as tournaments) should not be stressed as festivals

and skill based games offer the ideal form of

competitions for this group.

Screening for talented performers may begin but all

parties should be careful to base their assessment on

a range of athletic skills rather than simply badminton

ability and winning.

A summary of training guidelines for each stage are

provided in Appendix III - Overview of the LTAD Model

for badminton.

Aims• Continue the development of generic movement

skills activities and hand-eye-foot co-ordination learnt

in the FUNdamentals stages.

• Introduce a range of basic sports skills including

basic badminton skills and movements. A window for

accelerated adaptation for motor co-ordination/skills

occurs, allowing fundamental movement skills for all

sports to be further developed.

• Continue participation in at least 3 other sports.

A child has a window for motor skill learning throughout

this stage, thus it is important to include exercises to give

the player a better basis of skills on which to build his/herfuture badminton career. Due to this, and changes to body

size, anatomical structure, physiological functioning and

social and cultural factors, sex differences become more

apparent during this period. This may result in gender

differences in physiological tests such as strength,

flexibility and fine motor control.

Swiss ball, medicine ball, theraband and exercises using

the child’s own body weight should be continued whilst

introducing hopping/bounding (plyometric) exercises.

Endurance and flexibility exercises should also be

introduced to complement the speed and agility activities

taught in the FUNdamentals stages. These components

of fitness can be stressed through fun motor skill gamesactivities, introductory badminton skills and also through

a thorough ‘preparation to play’ phase (warm-up).

Power and cardiovascular fitness can be trained through

the participation in jumping and speed movements during

fun games activities as well as participating in other

organised sporting activities.


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Speed work should look to gradually increase the length

of time a child works to approximately 5 - 10 seconds of

work to 30 seconds rest. The focus for all speed work

should be on quality of movement and the absence of

fatigue and can begin to introduce on-court speed work

using linear (forwards and backwards), lateral (side-to-side)

and multiple directions (with a planned change

of direction).

The badminton-specific content to this section should

include a good understanding of the basic shots performed

with basic hitting patterns. Children should begin to

develop a greater range of shot and direction (straight and

cross court) as well as develop the ability to use effectivegrip awareness and adjustments.

A repertoire of how to train effectively should be built up,

including a basic understanding of ancillary capacities such

as the use of the warm-up and cool-down, stretching, basic

nutrition and mental skills. Juniors should be encouraged

to get into the routine of dynamic stretching during the

‘Preparation to Play’ phase (warm-up) and static stretching

during the cool-down.

Simple tactics/decision making should also be introduced,

including base position, singles and level doubles

formations, ‘taking the shuttle early’ and creating

and using space.

Appropriate mental skills for this stage include;

• Learning to imagine - Junior players should be able to re-

create images in their minds when instructed.

• Learning to thought stop - Players should be able to

stop thinking about inappropriate thoughts and replace

them with more appropriate thoughts. For example, if a

young player misses the shuttle, they should not

continue to worry about the mistake and move onto

thinking about the next skills they may be practicing.

• Learning to set goals (SMARTER) - Junior players should

begin to understand the need for goals and begin to

understand the basics of setting them. SMARTER principles are the ideal way to introduce such skills.

• Learning to breathe to control nerves - When people get

nervous, their breathing often becomes very fast and

shallow which increases heart rate and can cause

increased feelings of anxiety. When a player begins to

feel this, they should switch to a relaxed pattern to

breathing to reduce any possible anxiety.

• Basic progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) - The aim of

PMR is to enable players to gain control over the tension

within their bodies. A series of tensing and relaxing

muscles in the body should be practiced to teach

players to understand how they can affect their own

levels of tension and relaxation.

Coaches should look to educate how to balance weekly

and yearly schedules, how their behaviour can affect their

player, how to proactively monitor physical development

(such as the growth spurt) as well as good nutrition and

hydration practice.

Young players should still be encouraged to play a number

of other sports to refine their movement skills and give

them variety and enjoyment. Children are not

recommended to specialise in a sport or an event below

the age of 10 as research has shown that this may lead to a

heightened drop out rate (through injury, burn-out and

early retirement). Players should look to accumulate

approximately 10 hours of physical activity (5-7 hours of badminton related activity) through sessions of 30-90

minutes by the end of the stage. Badminton related

sessions should include a range of generic and sport

specific activities to continue to build the individuals

movement literacy. These parameters are supported by 2

hours of high quality PE and school sport.

The amount of time spent on other sports may begin to

slowly decrease at the end of the stage and beginning of

the Training to Train stage although advisable to

participate in at least two sports.

Single periodisation should occur through well structured

programmes and training through appropriately designedcompetitions (using the development of skills under

pressure as the key focus for competitions).

Recommended amount of competition lie between 6-9

competitive weekends for each quarter (3 months) during

the competitive season and 0-2 weekends during the off

season/summer. BADMINTON England sanctions/runs a

number of events for all levels of competence.

Talent identification occurs through schools, clubs, County

Associations, World Futures Regional Development Days

and National Training Days.

Juniors involved in the World Futures programme will beintroduced to fitness testing.


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8

Training to Train – Fitness Preparation and Skill Development

MALES 12-16 FEMALES 11-15

Aims• Fitness development - build the aerobic base, improve

speed and build strength towards the end of the stage.

• Further development of badminton specific movements.

An accelerated window for aerobic conditioning and speed

occurs throughout this stage as well as a window for

strength development during the latter part of the stage

(females). The volume of training should be increased.

Optimal aerobic trainability begins at the onset of Peak

Height Velocity (PHV) which refers to the maximum rate of

growth in stature during the growth spurt. This tends to

last between 21⁄2 and 3 years in most adolescents. Skill,

speed and strength should be maintained and furtherdeveloped throughout the stage.

PHV generally occurs between the ages of 111⁄2 -15 years

for males and 111⁄2 -14 years for females. The difference in

age indicates the differences that may occur between early,

average and late maturers. During this period an athlete

may observe a temporary loss of co-ordination, which is

likely to be re-established at a later point.

Osgood-schlatter disease (or more commonly known as

‘growing pains’) is commonly found in growing young players

that take part in deep lunging activities. Although this injury

is labelled as a ‘disease’ it is generally ‘grown out’ of by the

time a player finishes their growth spurt. Those that areidentified (by a specialist) with this injury should take part in

a proactive rehabilitation routine that includes Rest, Ice,

Compress and Elevate (or RICE) their injured knee after each

training session and possibly look to reduce impact work.

The injury generally subsides as the individual stops growing.

A special emphasis should be placed on flexibility throughout

this stage due to the sudden growth of bones, tendons,

ligaments and muscles. Coaches should be aware of potential

injury issues and the benefits that musculoskeletal screening

may bring in helping developing players avoid injury.

For females there are two windows for strength development,

the first occurs immediately after PHV and the second begins

with the onset of first menstruation (usually within an 11-12

month period after PHV). Males have one window for

development which begins 12-18 months after PHV.

The introduction to individualised fitness and technical

programmes occurs during this stage. Juniors should be able

to perform quick changes of direction using ‘fast feet,’ jump,

land and quick recovery. General and badminton speed

training (5 - 10 seconds of activity with 30 - 60 seconds

rest) should be performed through activities using sprint,

multi-feed, shadowing, jumps and dynamic footwork.

Random directional movements (movements with an

unplanned change of direction) should be integrated intoexisting on-court speed training programmes. Females have

a time of accelerated adaptation for speed from 11 - 13

years old. For males this is 13 - 16 years old.

Body weight circuit training (with an emphasis on correct

technique) should be introduced during this stage to build

strength. Circuits should look to include a focus on

abdominals, rotator cuff, external rotation (including

overhead rotation exercises), gluteals, hamstrings and

calves. This training may be developed to include the

gradual introduction of light free weights near the end of

the stage. Light free weights should only be introduced

after correct lifting techniques have been clearly shown

and under the guidance of a recognised strength and

conditioning specialist.

Cardiovascular fitness can be developed through a

variety of on-court and off-court work using different

energy systems. This should include a combination of

steady state exercise (run, cycle or swim), long interval

training or short interval training.

Flexibility programmes should target areas that are specific

to badminton as well as areas that may be affected by thegrowth spurt. Players should look to:

• Develop or maintain flexibility.

• Avoid overemphasis on strength without ensuring

a balance in flexibility.

• Exercises to minimise muscle imbalance in flexibility.

• Minimise the tendency to lose flexibility into internal

rotation relative to external rotation of the shoulder.

• Minimise the tendency to lose flexibility into internal

rotation relative to external rotation of the hip.

• Pre-habilitation should occur to avoid injuries.

Further badminton specific skills should be developed withcorrect flow of movements, increasing the range of shots,

use of deception and shortening of the hitting actions.


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Tactical preparation should be enhanced, including

the anticipation of rallies, playing to personal strengths,

exposing opponent weaknesses, tactical planning (singles

and doubles), develop an understanding of decision

making in play, singles and doubles (level and mixed)

formations as well as matching movement skills to

a tactical context in training.

Mental skills for this stage include;

• Psychological Profiling - A discussion of performance

strengths and weaknesses between player, coach and

possible a sports psychologist.

• Goal setting (types of goals) - Progressing the workundertaken in the Learning to Play stage by defining

short, medium and long-term goals as well as process,

performance and outcome goals.

• Self talk - The thoughts a player concentrates on before,

during and after playing badminton.

• Imagery for training, competition and recovery - Imagery

can be used to learn new skills, practise old ones,

evaluate past performances, recall outstanding

performances and achieve relaxation. At this stage,

imagery training should build in complexity and variety

of uses from the training undergone in the Learning to

Play stage.

• Thought stopping - At this stage, this includes stoppingnegative and disruptive thoughts and changing them into

positive ones.

• Concentration skills - Improving a player’s ability

to concentrate on their own game or training

• Game focus plans/pre-performance routines -

Identifying and developing a plan or routine for an

individual player to undertake in preparation for

tournaments and individual matches. These plans should

be devised with input by the player, coach and any other

individual who influences that specific junior.

• Match preparation - Similar to the above section but

this includes preparation before the player reaches the

event venue. This should include adequate amounts of sleep the night before, adequate nutrition and hydration

before a tournament and what equipment to take

on the day and any spares.

Ancillary capacities that players now need include tapering

and peaking, effective time management (including weekly

schedules, training, competition, rest, education and social

lives), the introduction to evaluations of training and the

training diary, as well as dealing with competitions.

Tapering and peaking should begin to occur near

the end of this stage.

Parents, teachers and coaches should be aware of issues

relating to puberty (including physical, cognitive and

social/emotional issues), understand how they can help to

prevent injuries from occurring, rehabilitate injuries and

balance competitive sport with education and social lives.

Towards the end of this stage, a player aiming for

elite success should be taking part in approximately

15 hours of physical activity per week, reflecting an

increase in badminton training (5-7 hours) and match

play (2-3 hours). Players should continue to be encouraged

to take part in other sporting activities, although the

percentage of time spent on other sports may continue

to decrease. The duration of badminton sessions may

lengthen to 90 - 120 minutes.

By the end of the stage, the competitive season should be

arranged to account for a double periodisation, introducing

the concept of tapering in preparation for major

competitions.

The recommended amounts of competition for this stage

equates to 7-10 competitive weekends per competitive

quarter and 0-3 competitions during the off

season/summer.

Talent identification occurs through a combination of

schools, county talent identification procedures, World

Futures Regional Development Days, World Futures

National training days, trial training sessions, fitness test

standards and tournament performance/results.

Players involved in the World Futures programme will be

involved in fitness testing and musculoskeletal screeningto determine an individual physical training programme.

All players have the opportunity to continue their

involvement through junior club and county badminton,

the SLUK Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership (replacing

JSLA), Young Volunteers, officiating qualifications and

through physical education routes such as GCSE PE or

sports studies.


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10

Aims• Optimise individual fitness preparation.

• Further develop badminton skills. Physical,

technical, tactical, decision making and psychological

preparations should all be individualised to meet

the needs of the athlete.

• Develop specialist singles or doubles skills.

Players should increase their range and accuracy of shots,

refine deception, shorten hitting actions further and

develop event specific skills (singles and doubles). Event

specific technical and playing skills should be tested under

competitive conditions. Juniors should look to develop

their skills of self-analysis and correction.

Event specific physical conditioning and individualised

training programmes should become the focus for this

stage. Agility, Balance and Co-ordination refinement should

occur through speed and power training, developed

through plyometric exercises and on-court and off-court

speed sessions that incorporate linear, lateral, multi-

directional and random movements.

Specific core stability exercises should be incorporated

into the training programme, focusing on a player’s

strengths and weaknesses. Resistance training should look

to develop both muscular hypertrophy and maximal

strength (provided that correct lifting techniques havebeen established before weight is added). Specialists in

strength and conditioning should always be consulted

when devising a resistance programme for juniors.

The focus on abdominals, rotator cuff external rotation,

gluteals, hamstrings and calves should continue. Players

should look to minimise internal rotation for shoulder over

development of quadriceps relative to hamstrings

(especially in males) and the overemphasis on strengthen

without the balance of flexibility. Unilateral exercises

should also be incorporated into the programme to avoid

compensation by the stronger side.

Cardiovascular fitness can be developed through avariety of on-court and off-court work using different

energy systems. This should include a combination of

steady state exercise (run, cycle or swim), long interval

training or short interval training but there should be

a small increase in total duration of sessions in

comparison to the previous stage.

A well structured flexibility programme should also

be incorporated into the training programme, including

exercises to counteract muscle imbalances/one-sidedness

for badminton players. Catch-up programmes should

be used where necessary.

New tactical concepts that should be introduced

are the development of;

• Event specific tactical concepts and improve ability

to implement specific strategies.

• Awareness of own and opponents strengths

(technical, tactical, physical and mental).

• Individual tactical concepts according to own

strengths and weaknesses.• Ability to self-analyse positive and negative

aspects of performance.

• Tactical planning.

• Ability to analyse opponent’s game.

Appropriate mental skills for this stage include;

• Performance tracking and match preparation - During

this stage, player should be working to devise an

individualised plan to help them achieve their ideal

performance state. This should build on work from

the previous stage on match preparation.

• Evaluation of performance - By the end of this stage, a

player should understand the value of using a training

diary to log their training, competition and recovery.

• Progression of PMR - Basic PMR exercises taught

in the Learning to Play stage should be developed

to aid a player’s ability to relax when needed.

• Consistency.

Ancillary capacities that should be developed include:

• Development of tapering and peaking concepts.

• Further development of knowledge about nutrition

and hydration.

• Development of the understanding of training

diaries and evaluation.• Rest and recovery.

• Anti-doping control.

Training to Compete – Developing Performance

MALES 16-18(+- ) FEMALES 15-17(+- )


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Parents should look to revisit the concepts of optimal

nutrition, hydration and rest as well as promoting a player’s

self-reliance.

A high volume of training should be maintained with anincrease in intensity. Elite players should look to take part in

approximately 20hrs of physical activity per week, divided

between on-court work, off-court work (12-16hrs combined),

match play (4-6hrs) and personal player development/one-

on-one time with coach (2hrs). Other players should look to

divide their available time with the following ratio - 45%

badminton skills, 20% match play and 35% physical training.

This should lead athletes to need to specialise solely on

badminton but involved in some cross training.

The competitive season should be divided to include double

or triple periodisations which refine the concept of tapering.

The recommended number of competitions during this

stage falls to 6-9 competitive weekends per quarter and

0-3 during the off season/summer.

Talent identification occurs through a combination of tournament observations, World Futures trial training

sessions, World Futures Observation Programme, fitness

test standards and national rankings.

Players on the World Futures programme will take part in

annual musculoskeletal screening and regular fitness testing-

both will be used to implement programmes to overcome

imbalances in a World Futures player’s fitness profiles.

All players can gain an avenue for their involvement through

club and county badminton, the SLUK Level 1 Award in

Community Sports Leadership (replacing CSLA), Young

Volunteers, Young Leaders, BADMINTON England Level One

Assistant Coach Award, Step into Sport, officiating awardsand Further and Higher Education sports studies routes.

Aims

• Maximise event specific preparations.

• Set precise goals.

• Maximise fitness.

• Gain knowledge about international senior competitions in

order to bridge the gap between junior & senior demands.

• Compete with players ranked in the Top 30 in the world.

Players should look to develop consistent shot production

at high pace and further development and application

of technical skills, maintain and/or improve physical

capacities, and continue tactical development including

the ability to recognise key patterns of play.

Physical preparations should become more event specific

and tailored to an individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

Low and high level core stability and flexibility exercisesshould be incorporated into a programme to counter

any possible muscle imbalances from badminton specific

training. Cardiovascular training should continue to use

all energy systems, increasing frequency, intensity or

time/duration of sessions. Movement training should

have a focus on refining specific technical elements of

movement skills, refining the skill of anticipating the

use of movements and optimising jumping skills.

World Futures players should be able to access annual

screenings for flexibility, muscle recruitment, functional

stability and dynamic hop tests, which, combined with

frequent fitness test results, will help to refine a player’s

individual physical programmes.

Tactical developments include the ability to recognise key

patterns of play and implement a tactical response.

Mental skills for this stage include:

• Identify performance restricting mental weaknesses.

• Building and implementing mental strategies to

overcome weaknesses.

Parents should become aware of appropriate ways of

supporting their child’s self-reliance and should understand

the pressures of being a high performance athlete.

Aspiring elite badminton players should look to participate

in approximately 21 hours of training per week, 14 hours

on-court, 5 hours off-court and 2 hours of personal player

development (off-court one-on-one time with a coach to

talk through progress). They should look to gain experience

in all areas of the international game in order to prepare

themselves for Peak Performance. Other players should

look to divide their available time as follows- 70% on-

court work and 30% off-court work.

Yearly structures should incorporate double or triple

periodisations, including major peaking for specific

competitions.

The recommended number of competitions reduces

further to approximately 5-8 competitive weekends

per quarter for the competitive season and 0-2

during the off season/summer.

Players not aiming for elite success can continue

their involvement through club and county badminton,

BADMINTON England coaching awards, officiating

awards, volunteering at clubs and Further and Higher

Education Sports Studies.

Training to Win – Refining Performance

MALES 18-23(+- ) FEMALES 17-22(+- )


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12

Aims• Refining mental and tactical capabilities.

• Maintain and improve physical foundation

and fine tune specific physical capacities.

• Maximising performance through quality

training and preparation.

• Winning medals at international championships.

The final stage of an athlete’s development is aimed

to maximise performance by fine-tuning the capacities

(physical, technical, tactical, decision making, mental

and ancillary) that were laid down in previous stages.

Advances in technical skills include maximising theaccuracy and consistency of shots and maximising

the use of deception.

Fine-tuning specific physical capacities through individual

training programmes that include planned recovery breaks

and focus on the quality of work produced will give a

player the necessary physique to become a World Class

badminton player. Annual musculoskeletal screenings

and fitness testing will help to identify strengths and

weaknesses in an individual’s fitness profile to support

the content of their individual training programme.

Movement training should incorporate the ability to

move under pressure as well as maximising an individual’smovement effectiveness. A player should look to improve

their ability to anticipate the use of movements as well as

cope with deception. Speed around the court should

improve, increasing the ability to ‘take the shuttle early.’

Tactical improvements include the understanding of

advanced tactical concepts, refining the ability to analyse

skills and effectively implement tactical strategies.

Mental strategies should also be implemented to

overcome weaknesses.

Players should undertake training to advance their

performance evaluation skills, training strategy and

periodisation. Active recovery should be incorporated

into weekly and yearly schedules to ensure that a player

undertakes the most appropriate performance lifestyle

as possible.

Elite players should look to take part in approximately

14-16 hours of on-court work, 5-7 hours of off-court work

and 3 hours of personal player development (one-on-one

evaluations of progress with their coach). Other players

should look to divide their available time by performing

70% on-court work and 30% off-court work.

The yearly calendar should include major and

micro peaks for specific competitions influenced

by the international tournament calendar, players

and the World Class coaches.

Peak Performance – Maximising Performance

MALES 21(+- ) FEMALES 20(+- )


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3

What do windows of ‘trainability’ mean?In the context of this booklet, the term trainability refers to periods in which children

are most capable of learning or improving specific skills.

For the coach, this requires the understanding of how a child grows and develops to help plan a

player’s training, competition and recovery. The table below shows a summary of each ‘window’ and

a guide to develop each skill. This has been taken from research and good coaching practice.

Applying the LTAD theory to practice

STAGE FOCUS IMPLICATIONS FOR EACH COACH

FUNdamentalsPhase Two

Male 6-9Female 6-8

Learning to Play

Male 9-12Female 8-11

Training to Train

Male 12-16Female 11-15

FUNdamental movementskills

E.g. ABC’S

FUNdamental sports skills

E.g. Badminton SpecificSkills

Fitnesspreparation and skilldevelopment

Speed (Females: 11-13 yearsMales: 13 - 16 years)

Strength

(Females: immediately after PHVor at the point of menarche

Males: 12 - 18 months after PHV)

Aerobic capacity

(Onset of PHV)

• Practices for this stage should be acombination of generic movements,including linear, lateral, multi-directional and random movements,

for repetitions of up to 5 seconds• Practices should involve whole

body movements

• Movements should be practicedthrough fun games

• Children are encouraged to participate ina number of different sports and activities

• Ensure correct movement techniquesare established at an early age

• Establish range of movement

• Continue the development offundamental movement skillslearnt in the FUNdamentals stage

• Introduce more specificbasic badminton skills

• Use a combination of whole bodyand part body exercises

• Begin to stress accuracy, form and skill

• Develop flexibility

• Encourage children to participatein at least 3 sports

• General and specific badminton speed training should be introducedinto the training programme

• Activities could include a combination of sprints, multi-feed, shadowing, jumps and dynamic footwork

• Incorporate linear, lateral, multidirectional and random movementsinto both on-court and off-court speed work

• Strength training should begin with the use of own body weight, Swiss balls

• Gradually introduce the topic of free weight training by first establishingcorrect lifting techniques and then progressing the use of free weights

• A weight training programme should aim to replicate movements related tothe sport of badminton, introducing both linear and rotational movements

• Increase the volume of training

• Incorporate specific aerobic sessions into the player’s training programme

• Emphasise flexibility at the growth spurt


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V

O T

14

PHV is the maximum rate of growth, or the ‘growth spurt,’that occurs during puberty. This spurt is characterised by a

rapid increase in height- on average between 5 and 9 cm

per year, and can be used as a reference point for the

trainability of muscular strength and aerobic capacity.

During growth spurts, bones grow faster than the muscles,

tendons and ligaments around them. This period requires a

focus on flexibility training to maintain range of movement

and also decrease the risk of injury due to tissue pulls and

strains.

Acceleration in the speed of growth generally starts at

approximately 12 years for males and 10 years for females,

but may occur as early as 9 or as late as 15 for males and 7or 12 for females. This reflects the need for a coach to

actively monitor the growth (height) of a child to

understand when the strength window may occur.

What impact may the growth spurt

have on my player’s performance?

A loss of co-ordination and general performance may be

observed during the growth spurt due to the individual’s

dramatic change in size. Many players require time to re-

adjust and learn how to move their new bodies before

performance re-establishes to previous levels.

Can I alter my coaching to be sensitive

to my player’s changes?When a coach establishes that his* player is entering

a vulnerable time, both physically and emotionally,

he* should look to make minor alterations to his*

coaching sessions.

Small adaptations may reduce the chance of injury

and reassure a child that although he/she may be going

through a number of changes, this is normal for a person

of his* age. The following notes of advice may allow

you to create a beneficial environment for your

growing player:-

• Reduce workload.

• Split practices by reducing the number of repetitions,the amount of time on specific movements, or by adding

more variety to the exercises you use to train a specific

movement.

• Change the emphasis of training to focus on technical

and shot development.

• Be aware of the type of court surface you are training

on. If this is a hard surface, reduce workloads accordingly

to reduce the risk of stress injuries.

• Be aware that the risk of overuse and repetitive strain

injuries increases during the growth spurt. Coaches

should look to engage the use of parents to assist

in the monitoring of distress.

• Flexibility during the growth spurt can reduce

dramatically due to bones growing faster than muscles

and tendons. To maintain and increase range of

movement, time should be spent on flexibility exercises.

How can I measure PHV?Measurement of growth can occur through directly

measuring height with the following procedure. It is

advised to measure height once every three months

until a point in which increased growth is observed and

then increase measurements to once every month.

Measurements should continue until full maturation.

It should also be noted that children tend to have a

period of accelerated growth during summer months

and periods of limited growth during the winter. PHV

should be measured over a period of 12 months to

differentiate between the seasonal spurts and the

onset of the growth spurt.

It is advised to follow these protocols;

• Take measurements at the same time of day- first

thing in the morning is best.

• Aim to measure height the day after a rest day for

reliable results.

There are four general techniques to measuring height;

freestanding stature, stature against a wall, recumbent

length and stretch stature.

The stretch technique is the standard method used and is

normally measured using a stadiometer, although the use

of such a device is not essential. A stadiometer features

ball-bearing counterweighted headboards and digital

readouts but can be reconstructed by using two wooden

planes at right angles.

The key to measuring height requires precise positioning of

the subjects head and the understanding of the location of

the vertex (v). The vertex is described as the highest point

on the skull when the head is held in the Frankfort plane

(See diagram). This measurement usually requires two

people to measure height accurately.

What is Peak Height Velocity (PHV)?

ORBITAL: Lower marginof eye socket

TRAGION: Notch above tragus

of ear or at upper margin of

zygomatic bone at that point

FRANKFORTPLANE: Orbital

tragion line horizontal

VERTEX: Highest point on

skull when head is held in

Frankfort Plane

Ref: Taken from MacDougal, Wenger and Green, 1991


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5

Instructions

1 The barefoot subject should stand erect with the heels

together (weight evenly distributed between feet) and

arms hanging naturally by the sides.2 The heels, buttocks, upper part of the back and the back

of the head in contact with the vertical wall and check

that the heels are not elevated.

3 Ensure the head is in the correct position (so that the

ears and eyes are level- see diagram opposite) by placing

one hand on the subject’s head.

4 Instruct the subject to ‘look straight ahead, take a deep

breath, stand tall and relax.’ Place your stadiometer (or

home made device) on the subjects head and make a

pencil-line for reference.

5 Allow the subject to move away from the wall and

measure the distance from the floor to the pencil-mark.

(Taken from Lohman, Roche and Martorell, 1998, MacDougal,

Wenger and Green, 1991 and Cameron, 1984)

An example of data taken over a 12 month period.

This data was taken from a girl aged 10 years at the start

of measurement and reflects possible changes in height

that may be observed. Weekly measurements may not

be necessary and measurements should be taken as

described above.

Who should be measuring PHV?

There is no simple answer to this question -

communications between the coach and parents will

be beneficial to understand who is best suited for this

job. Most parents will naturally have an understanding

of whether their child is having a growth spurt. If you are

to ask parents to measure PHV, clear instructions should

be given about how to accurately measure height.

Role of the parents

The value of parents within the sports development model

is often understated. It should be remembered that they

are often the key decision makers in terms of;• The sports that their child participates in

(i.e. whether this is badminton or other sports).

• How much time their young child dedicates to sport.

• The competitions their child enters.

• Their child’s diet.

• Recovery, regeneration and sleep.

How parents influence their children

Most coaches will have experienced a time in which a

parent has significantly affected their child’s behaviour,

whether it be watching a competition and encouraging

them through lost points or distracting others by shoutingfrom the sidelines. Parents can significantly influence their

child’s perception of self-worth by applying stress and

anxiety or by giving encouragement. When a child begins

to compete at badminton, coaches should look to educate

parents about how to they may affect their child’s

performance.

Parental Role

Parents are a vital resource for coaches to utilise, providing

invaluable information about their children. Parents are one

of the key decision makers in terms of a player’s lifestyle

and for this reason they should be involved and educated

about best practice.

Nutrition and hydration

Parents should understand good nutritional practice

during the early stages of their children’s sporting lives

and also revisit it again when the player reaches higher

standards. Early advice should focus on healthy lifestyle

messages and good practice, such as not eating directly

before training and remembering to bring a drink, and

as a child progresses to higher competitions, more

advanced sports nutrition should be included.

Monitoring growth and injuries

Parents can also be involved in monitoring issues such as

the growth spurt and injuries. Coaches could ask parentsto proactively monitor changes in their child’s stature by

contributing to directly measuring height. Also, a quick

lesson in injury prevention and rehabilitation may ensure

that young players take these issues seriously.

Educating parents about competitions

With parents playing such a key role in deciding a player’s

competition calendar, some direction and advice should

be given as to what would best suit their standard and

training programme. The periodisation of a child’s training

programme should dictate the timing of involvement in

competitions and this should be shared with the parents

to help plan the player’s season.

Females

SPEED

Pacific Sport Optimal Windows of Trainability (Balyi and Way 2005)

KILLS SP D 2

I

SUPPLENESS STRE TH

Males

Rate of Growth

Rate of Growth

PHV

PHV

5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 +

Chronological Age

Physical, Mental - Cognitive, Emotional Development

Developmental Age

SPEED 1

SKILLS

SPEED 2

STAMINA

STRENGTH

SUPPLENESS


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16

Strength training through the lifecycle

Ligaments, tendons and muscles become stronger during

the FUNdamentals and Learning to Play stages but are not

able to withstand heavy external loading. A limited amountof weight-lifting exercises should occur, using own body

weight, Swiss balls, medicine balls and therabands to

develop strength. At this stage, posture and correct

techniques should be stressed through heavily monitored

activities to reduce the risk of injury.

Excess pressure or traction on a growing bone,

especially on the growth plate, may cause bone growth

deformation. Coaches should avoid repetitive heavy

loading on the child before the maturation of the growth

plates (FUNdamentals, Learning to Play and the initial

section of the Training to Train stage).

Larger muscle groups develop at a quicker rate than smallermuscle groups. This means that gross motor skills should

be taught first, progressing to fine motor skills when the

player matures enough to do so.

During the early years of a child’s training, activities should

be more general and varied, whilst in the latter stages,

training should become specific and focused on specific

areas of the body.

During the Training to Train stage, when players are

beginning to mature to a stage that free-weight training may

be suitable, it is vital that correct lifting techniques are

firmly established before any weight is added. Once these

movements have been learnt, weight can be graduallyincreased under the guidance of a strength and conditioning

specialist that will continually monitor technique.

What happens to late entrants to the sportof badminton and players that have notbeen coached through this model?

Remedial programmes are required to evaluate the

strengths and weaknesses of players and address areas

in which players may need additional work.

How to periodise and taper

PeriodisationPeriodisation should occur to allow the optimal balance

between workload and recovery to be achieved, allowing

the highest possible volume and intensity without the

symptoms of overtraining or overreaching. The periods are

designed to maximise gains in the different components of

performance and are normally split into macro cycles (a

few months to several years), meso cycles (subdivisions of

macro cycles and usually about 2-6 weeks) and micro

cycles (usually around 7 days duration).

Periodisation can occur in a number of different time

frames and serves the purpose of;

• ensuring that athletes do not over train or burn out.

• reducing the risk of injury.

• encouraging optimum individualised training programmes.

• encourage optimum physical training.

• helping to ensure athletes ‘peak’ for competition.

Single periodisation is usually characterised by one

competitive season and one major training period.

Double periodisation is characterised by two major

competitive seasons with two training periods.

Multiple periodisations is a preparation framework for elite

athletes that already have sufficient base of physical,

technical, tactical and psychological skills and do not need

to take part in general conditioning and fitness preparation.

Tapering

Tapering is the reduction in training volume to eliminate

cumulative and residual fatigue before competition. It

usually occurs for 7-28 days and is characterised by a

reduction in the volume but not the intensity or frequency

of training.

Where to go from here?

BADMINTON England has produced a number of other

LTAD awareness documents for specific target groups

within the badminton community to increase the

knowledge of LTAD principles. The following resources are

available:

• LTAD Model - a concise version.

• Mental Skills Guide for Badminton Coaches.

To supplement the resources offered by BADMINTON

England, Sports Coach UK and the Youth Sport Trust have

developed a number of resources to increase the

awareness of LTAD principles.

Sports Coach UK resources;

• ‘An introduction to LTAD’: A theoretical workshop

offering an insight into the theory behind LTAD whilst

giving the practical implications of applying LTAD theory

to junior sport. Badminton specific workshops are

available upon request.

• ‘The FUNdamentals of Movement’: A practical

workshop to raise the awareness for the need for

correct movement techniques during the early years.

• ‘Managing coaching within LTAD’: A workshopfor coach managers to increase knowledge,

understanding and application of the Model.

• ‘Multi Skill Clubs in practice’: A practical workshop

designed in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust

to support the induction of multi-skill club deliverers.

Such training would be ideal for those delivering

to the FUNdamentals and Learning to Play stages.

• Web based audit of FUNdamentals resources:

Available in September 2005 at www.sportscoachuk.org

For more information about these courses

please contact either your County Badminton

Development Officer, County sportscoach UK CoachDevelopment Officer or County Sports Partnership

(Please see ‘Appendix I - Useful Contacts’).


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7

Glossary of terms

Abstract thinking: Thinking about concepts that areabstract or not immediately obvious

Acquisition: The first stage of perfecting technical or

tactical preparation, which is characterised by mastering

and integrating the individual parts of the technique or

tactic. In the context of the yearly training plan, this is

usually accomplished during the preparatory phase

Activity: A succession of actions performed with a

particular purpose within a session

Advanced imagery: Making imagery more sport specific

and complex e.g. imaging an entire match. Using imagery to

enhance psychological skills e.g. confidence, concentration

and cognitive relaxation

Aerobic base: General training term that refers to the

amount of aerobic work required or performed at the

beginning of an athlete’s training programme. The rationale

for developing a good ‘aerobic base’ is usually for the

athlete to reach a level of fitness that will help him or her

sustain higher intensities at later stages

Aerobic capacity: The total amount of energy that can be

produced aerobically by an individual

Aerobic training: Training that is aimed at increasing the

rate or the amount of energy that can be produced by the

aerobic system

Agility: The ability to change direction rapidly

Anaerobic training: Training that is aimed at increasing the

rate or the amount of energy that can be produced by the

ATP-PC and the lactic acid systems

Athleticism: An individual’s physical capacity

Balance: The ability to get to or maintain a state where

forces acting on the body are distributed evenly

Basic imagery: Imagery is a skill that must be learned and

developed. Begin with the basics i.e. evaluation of imageryability, introduction to the concept of imagery, simple

exercises to develop control of images, vividness of images

(polysensory) and self-awareness. Use a relaxation

technique prior to attempting imagery. Look at imaging

simple skills e.g. the serve etc.

Biological maturity: The physiological development of the

organs and systems in the body. Also referred to as

developmental age

Body alignment: Relative positioning of joints

Body resistance exercises: Exercises for strength gain, using

own body weight as resistance

Cardiovascular fitness: The capacity/ability to sustain

aerobic work. Also known as cardio-respiratory endurance

Central nervous system: The cells of the brain & spinal cord

Chronological age: Defining a persons age by theirdate of birth

Cognitive Restructuring: An addition to thought stopping.

Identify the negative thought and then turn it in to a

positive thought e.g. ‘My opponent is much fitter than me’

becomes ‘I’ve been working on my fitness and it has really

improved’ etc.

Cool-down: Procedure involving a variety of dynamic and

static exercises which is aimed at progressively reducing

the metabolic rate in order to create an appropriate

transition from work to rest for the various systems and

tissues previously involved in exercise.

Co-ordination: The ability to move body parts in an

effective manner

Core stability: Ability of trunk to support the effort and

forces from the legs and arms, so that muscles and joints

can perform in their safest and most effective positions

Countering: Addition to thought stopping and cognitive

restructuring. Once a negative thought has been

restructured into a positive thought, one needs to find

evidence to support the positive thought e.g. records of

training sessions, scores on bleep test etc.

Depth perception: Allows us to see in three dimensions

Developmental age: The physiological development of the

organs and systems in the body. Also referred to as

biological maturation

Dynamic stretching: Active stretching using power and

strength

Dynamic visual acuity: The ability to distinguish detail in

moving objects

Endurance Ability to sustain a given power output over

time. This term can apply to variables such as force

production (strength endurance), anaerobic energy

production (anaerobic capacity or anaerobic endurance) oraerobic energy production (aerobic endurance).

Figure ground perception: The ability to separate objects

from the surroundings

Fitness: The capacity to perform a variety of physical tasks

Flexibility: The range of movement around a joint or the

amount of resistance to a movement

Free weights: Free Weights are lifting stations of weights

not connected to pulley or levers

Fun games: Generic activities that involve the ABC’S of

athleticism

Fundamental motor skills: Skills learned at a young

age, usually through play, and if learned thoroughly,

a child can move onto more sophisticated actions

that are required in sport


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Growth: The measurable changes in body size

Individuality of training: Training principle which states

that training loads should be customised to each individual

based on their current level of fitness, technical

development, training age, performance objectives and

ability to recover

Interval training: A system of training in which intervals of

hard exercise are alternated with easier recovery intervals

Linear movements: In the context of this booklet linear

movement refer to forwards and backwards movements in

a straight direction

Lateral movement: Sideways movements in astraight direction

Macrocycle: A succession of periods within the yearly

training plan, e.g. preparation, competition and transition.

A macrocycle usually lasts several months, and may be

divided into smaller units called phases

Match preparation routines: Using psychological profiling

to track behaviour and performance and create

individualised preparation routines.

Maturation: The development of organs and systems

Maximal strength: Maximum force producedby a single contraction

Menarche: Onset of first menstruation

Meso cycle: A portion of a program comprised of a

predetermined number of micro cycles, and aimed at

achieving a particular objective in accordance with the

priorities of the phase/period of the yearly training plan.

Usually, a meso cycle features a training dominant or

priority, and is comprised of 2-4 micro cycles whose

respective training loads may vary according to an

ascending or alternating pattern. At the end of a meso

cycle, test or competitions are usually scheduled to assess

the extent to which training objectives have beenachieved.

Micro cycle: A series of training sessions and recovery

periods that span over a few days, usually a week. The

sequencing of training sessions within a given time frame

based on their physiological, technical and psychological

demands and their associated fatigue, in order to optimise

the amount of stress imposed on the athlete’s organism. A

succession of 2-6 micro cycles usually constitutes a meso

cycle

Motor skill: An action or task that has a goal and which

requires voluntary movements

Multi-directional movements: Movements that involve

one or more planned changes of direction

Multiple periodisations: The process of developing a yearly training plan that features more than two main

performance objectives

Muscle endurance: The ability of certain muscles or

muscle groups to withstand fatigue

Muscle hypertrophy: Increase in muscle size and or mass

of cells and tissues

Muscle imbalance: Recruitment and development of

opposing muscles (e.g. hamstrings and quads)

disproportionately relative to one another

Musculoskeletal screening: Assessment of an individual’s

alignment, flexibility, stability and balance, results of whichare used to determine specific injury prevention exercises

Overreaching: Short term overtraining

Overtraining: Excessive training characterised by long

lasting fatigue and worsening of competitive performance

Peak height velocity: The maximum rate of growth in

height which tends to last between 2.5 and 3 years in most

adolescents and at the ages to 12.5 -15 years for males and

12.5-14 years for females. Also known as the ‘growth spurt.’

Peak performance: The highest expression of ability, skill,

physical conditioning, will and decision-making capacitythat can be achieved by an athlete or a team in

competition

Periodisation: The structuring of short and long term

cycles to provide optimum performances at the required

time or time periods. This will lead to a balance of

intensity and volume of stress placed on an athlete

with a sufficient amount of recovery.

PHV: Please see Peak height velocity

Physical Activity: Activity that requires the production of

movements of moderate intensity, including playing in the

school playground, bike rides or organised sport

Physical Literacy: The movement skills and attributes

required for high performance in team or ball sports

Plyometrics: The ability to increase muscular forces using

the stretch-shortening cycle

Posture: The ability of certain core muscles to maintain

an efficient body alignment

Power: The ability to generate large amounts of force

in short periods of time

PMR: Progressive Muscular Relaxation. Alternating states

of tension and relaxation to help improve kinaestheticawareness and induce a state of relaxation through

a rebound effect


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Progressing PMR: Moving through the different types e.g.active PMR to differential PMR, differential relaxation,

abbreviated active PMR, passive PMR, 5 breath technique,

body scan, momentary relaxation.

Psychological profiling: A range of questionnaires, tools,

interviews, observations to provide a comprehensive and

individualised profile of an athlete’s psychological

strengths and weaknesses.

Random movements: Movements that involve one or more

changes of direction dictated by external stimuli

Readiness: A match between a child’s level of growth,

maturity and development on one hand, and the

tasks/demands presented by competitive sport on the

other

Recovery sessions: Activities such as hydrotherapy, cold

baths, sauna and massage that may help to promote

quicker recovery from training sessions

Resistance: A force that opposes movement

Schema: A rule or concept of relationship, which can relate

to movement, and which is formed on past experience

Session length: Recommended session lengths are to

include an appropriate warm-up and cool-down as well as

training content

Simple goal-setting: Introduce the notion of goals/targets.

Introduce the different types of goals i.e. long and short-

term, performance, process, outcome, and the notion of an

action plan

Simple thought stopping: Identify the negative or

irrelevant thought, interrupt the thought using a trigger

and replace the thought with a positive or relevant one.

Teaching appropriately at the younger age group means

keeping it at this simple level and using simple language to

explain the concepts

Skill acquisition: The learning or acquiring of new skills

SMARTER goals: Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic,

Time constrained, Enjoyable, Recorded

Speed: The ability to move the whole body or limbs

quickly

Static stretching: Occurs when a body position is held,

stabilising the joint in a position that places the muscle at

the greatest possible length

Steady state exercises: An exercise intensity in which lactic

acid does not accumulate. Normally, under a given set of

aerobic exercise conditions, a steady state is achieved after

2-4 minutes

Strength: The capacity to exert maximal forces

Swiss ball: Also known as a fit ball

Tactical training: The form of training which aims at

developing the athlete’s ability to select the appropriate

skills and techniques in a specific competitive situation and

execute them correctly

Tapering: Reducing training to eliminate cumulative and

residual fatigue before competition. It usually occurs for 7-

28 days and is characterised by a reduction in the volume

of training but not the intensity or frequency.

Theraband: Rubber resistance bands available in a range of

graded resistances, often represented in different colours(although this is not standardised)

Trainability: In the context of this booklet, the term

trainability refers to the ‘critical’ or ‘sensitive’ periods of

accelerated adaptation to specific stimuli

Training diary: A record by an athlete or a coach of

subjective and objective factors that influence training,

such as training activities, training loads, observations and

perceptions, results of tests and competitions, etc...

Visual acuity: The clarity of our vision- whether the picture

we see is sharp and clear

Volume of training: The amount or quantity of training

performed. Volume is one component of training load.

Variables that can be used to quantify the volume of

training include the time or duration of training, the

distance covered, the amount of weight lifted and the

number of repetitions of a given exercise performed

Warm-up: A Procedure involving a variety of dynamic or

static exercises, and aimed pat preparing various systems

and tissues for the stress of exercise. This is also referred

to as the ‘Preparing to Play’ phase

Whole body endurance: The ability of the body to sustain

low level aerobic work for a long period of time, closelyrelated to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems

Window of opportunity: A period during a young person’s

physical maturation when there is a greater opportunity to

acquire certain skills essential to success in badminton.

Also see trainability.

Yearly training plan: A tool developed by expert coaches

and characterised by the systematic integration and

sequencing of all training, competition and recovery

activities, as well as sport science and medical information

within a year, in order for athletes to achieve peak

performance at selected times


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