ABSTRACT
Periodization is fundamentally a planning paradigm in which training interventions are structured so as to maximize performance or adaptive responses in accordance with the athletes’ needs (Haff and Haff 2012; Haff in press). While typically not considered to be a large part of the training practices of youth or developmental athletes, periodization as a planning paradigm should form the foundation of any long-term athlete development model. Long-term athlete development models clearly present time frames or periods in which specific targeted outcomes are emphasized along the athlete’s developmental journey from early foundational developmental training towards high-performance competition that is targeted later in their athletic life. If we consider that these outcomes are the goals or emphasis of the training process it is evident that we can structure, or more precisely periodize, the athlete’s training activities in accordance with these established parameters (Figure 11.1). Providing this type of a structural framework would then increase the effectiveness of the overall long-term athlete developmental model. From a conceptual perspective we can consider the various stages of the athlete’s development along a developmental pyramid in which the base of the pyramid is centred on fundamental movement skills, and the peak is when the highest level of performance is targeted with sport-specific training (Figure 11.2). Along this developmental pyramid, each level represents a key phase of the athlete’s longterm development and serves as the basic structural guidelines from which the periodized training plan is crafted. Ultimately, periodizing a training plan for the youth athlete is no different than developing training structures for an elite athlete. Regardless of the targeted population, the overall plan is based upon the needs of the athlete, the athlete’s developmental status and the athlete’s overall strengths and weaknesses (Bompa and Haff 2009; Haff in press).
