Understanding Youth Athlete Development: Contributions of The Youth Physical Development Centre
Lloyd RS, Oliver JL et al.
Over the past 15 years or so, the duo of Dr. Jon Oliver and Dr. Rhodri Lloyd have made substantial and significant scholarly contributions to the area of youth physical development. In many regards, the roots of this work can be traced to the Children’s Exercise and Research Centre which was highlighted in a previous blog. Here, under the supervision of Dr. Craig Williams, Oliver took up studies in repeat sprint ability and recovery of youth.
Reliability and validity of a soccer-specific test of prolonged repeated-sprint ability. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2007 Jun;2(2):137-49.
Relationship between brief and prolonged repeated sprint ability. J Sci Med Sport. 2009 Jan;12(1):238-43.
From here, a series of papers on leg stiffness, reactive strength and the stretch shorting cycle were produced by Lloyd, under the supervision of Professor Oliver – and Oliver and Lloyd have not looked back.
Reliability and validity of field-based measures of leg stiffness and reactive strength index in youths. J Sports Sci. 2009 Dec;27(14):1565-73
The influence of chronological age on periods of accelerated adaptation of stretch-shortening cycle performance in pre and postpubescent boys. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Jul;25(7):1889-97.
Specificity of test selection for the appropriate assessment of different measures of stretch-shortening cycle function in children. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011 Dec;51(4):595-602.
Age-related differences in the neural regulation of stretch-shortening cycle activities in male youths during maximal and sub-maximal hopping. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2012 Feb;22(1):37-43.
The effects of 4-weeks of plyometric training on reactive strength index and leg stiffness in male youths. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Oct;26(10):2812-9.
Towards the Youth Physical Development Model and the NSCA LTAD Position Paper
At about this same time, the Long-Term Athlete Development Model of Istvan Balyi was gaining traction around the world. Balyi, a sport scientist in the former Eastern Bloc nation of Hungary, had re-located to Canada in the early 1990s and proposed and then refined the LTAD model in 2005, which was being adopted by national sporting organizations in England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
This prompted a group of UK scholars, including Lloyd and Oliver, to publish a critical review of the Balyi LTAD Model. The paper published in the Journal of Sports Sciences raised attention to a number of issues with the model summarized below:
The model is only one-dimensional, that being physiological there is a lack of empirical evidence upon which the model is based, particularly related to “windows of opportunity” which are ages in which certain training can accelerate and enhance physical development
Interpretations of the model are restricted because the data on which it is based rely on questionable assumptions and erroneous methodologies
It is a generic model rather than an individualized plan for athletes
On the heels of this publication, Lloyd and Oliver published the now very popular Youth Physical Development Model as a new approach to LTAD in the Strength and Conditioning Journal in June 2012. Based on the previous critical review, the new YPD model “provides a more considered and evidence-based approach to the long-term development of young athletes. The model demonstrates that most, if not all, components of fitness are trainable throughout childhood.”
Here about the YPD from the authors in this LTADchat:
To continue these efforts in LTAD, Lloyd and Oliver led a group of academics to publish a two-part series on LTAD – part 1: a pathway for all youth and part 2: barriers to success and potential solutions ---- which eventually led to the release of the National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Long-Term Athletic Development and the 10 pillars —shown here in this infographic (or visit Yann Le Meur's website ).
The Youth Physical Development Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University
During the last several years, the two have established The Youth Physical Development Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Besides producing world leading research, the YPD Centre offers after-school strength and conditioning provision to young athletes, and has helped shape coach education programmes for professional sporting organisations and national governing bodies.
Most university professors will acknowledge the benefits of outstanding graduate students. Several PhD students have been a part of the YPD Centre, including students from Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ). I have met a few and will say that I am always impressed by their understanding of the field of youth athletic development. And, a few have stayed on at the YPD Centre as well.
Here are a few of my favorite review papers from the group:
Developing Athletic Motor Skill Competencies in Youth Strength and Conditioning Journal. 42(6):54-70, December 2020
Considerations for the Development of Agility During Childhood and Adolescence Strength and Conditioning Journal. 35(3):2-11, June 2013
Developing Speed Throughout Childhood and Adolescence: The Role of Growth, Maturation and Training Strength and Conditioning Journal. 35(3):42-48, June 2013
The Natural Development and Trainability of Plyometric Ability During Childhood Strength and Conditioning Journal. 33(2):23-32
Seven Pillars of Prevention: Effective Strategies for Strength and Conditioning Coaches to Reduce Injury Risk and Improve Performance in Young Athletes Strength and Conditioning Journal. 42(6):120-128, December 2020
New Insights Into the Development of Maximal Sprint Speed in Male Youth Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39(2):2-10, April 2017
The Influence of Growth and Maturation on Stretch-Shortening Cycle Function in Youth. Sports Med. 2018 Jan;48(1):57-71
Integrating models of long-term athletic development to maximize the physical development of youth. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching June 2018; 13(7)
Strength and Conditioning of Youth Athletes: Science and Application
Besides conducting research and advising graduate students, Oliver and Lloyd have also edited one of the best comprehensive resources on strength and conditioning of the youth athlete. The 1st edition was published in 2013 and the 2nd edition in 2019.
The book is divided into 3 parts: I. Fundamental concepts of youth development; II. Development of physical fitness in young athletes; and III. Contemporary Issues for young athletes. The full table of contents is below, and in my recommendation, a must-read for anyone working in this space.
P.S. Rumor has it that there is a 3rd edition in the works …. stay tuned.
Additional Resources [Read | Listen | Watch]
Pubmed link to papers by Lloyd RS, Oliver JL
Link to papers published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal
Pacey Performance podcast with Rhodri Lloyd: The impact of growth and maturation on youth performance
The Athlete Development podcast with Jon Oliver and Rhodri Lloyd: The importance of motor skill, resistance training and measuring growth rate