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1) 10 Years to Reach the Top
Research shows that achieving the highest level of performance takes approximately 10,000 hours of training over 10 years
What
does this mean for equestrian athletes? Access to horses, coaching, and
facilities at the right time are crucial. Time and money have to be
invested, and the support of parents is essential, at least for young
athletes. Since tremendous effort and motivation are needed, a
realistic strategic plan and pacing are musts. Relaxation and recovery
principles, long overlooked, have to be built into training for
sustained commitment over the long haul.
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2) FUNdamentals
Everyone needs to develop FUNdamental movement
skills, motor skills, and basic sport skills before puberty. Together,
these skills add up to physical literacy. They are best learned through
safe, fun and active participation in games in both structured and
unstructured environments. Equestrians aged 6 to 9 often miss out on
the FUNdamentals unless parents and coaches make sure they are active
in other sports. Coaches can help by planning fun activities on and off
the horse to develop athleticism and challenge physical and mental
boundaries. |
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3) Equestrian Early or Late Specialization
While equestrian
sport has elements of both early and late specialization sport,
overall, it can best be described as an early start, late
specialization sport.
Riders need an early start so they can
learn to sit and follow the horse in balance while they are developing
suppleness, which means before the age of 10. Between the ages of 8 and
14, riders need to develop their overall motor control in the context
of riding. As teenagers, they develop the level of intellectual and
emotional maturity required by the rider-horse relationship and can
then begin the Learning and Training to Compete stage.
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4) Developmental Age
In sport, the calendar age of a child is less important than the degree of his or her physical, mental, and emotional maturity – the developmental age.
Children of the same calendar age can differ enormously in their level of maturation – the structural and functional changes in their bodies as they grow into adults. Coaches should design training and competition programs that match the individual readiness of their young athletes.
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5) Windows of Trainability
Sports scientists have identified five physical capacities that are crucial for athlete development: stamina, strength, speed, skill, and suppleness. These are often referred to as the 5 Basic S’s of Training and Performance.
Each of these capacities is trainable throughout an athlete’s lifetime. However, during the growth and development process, there are windows of optimal trainability of the 5 S’s in order to achieve a significant gain.
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6) Developing the Athlete as a Whole Person
A major objective of LTED is taking all aspects of personal development into consideration. Thus, training, competitive and recovery programs should consider the physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional development of each athlete.
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7) Planning and Periodization
Simply put, designing a yearly plan is time management. It means planning the right activities with the adequate degree of difficulty and in the right sequence to reach the training and competition objectives sought.
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8) Calendar Planning for Competition
Planning the competition calendar is an essential ingredient in an equestrian’s development. The fact that equestrian is an individual sport means that individual competition schedules can be designed by the coach and the equestrian to match the individual athlete’s development needs.
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9) System Alignment and Integration
All parts of the system supporting equestrian sport are affected by LTED. To advance the sport, the interconnected parts must work together as an effective overall system .Some of the key players involved in equestrian sport are:
• Athletes (riders/horses)
• Coaches
• Parents
• Officials
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10) Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement ensures that,
a) LTED responds and reacts to new scientific and sport-specific innovations and observations and is subject to continuous research at every stage of athlete development and in all fields of studies.
b) LTED, as a continuously evolving vehicle for change, reflects all emerging facets of physical education, sport, and recreation to ensure systematic and logical delivery of programs to all ages.
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