That clarifies things for me Kai. Thanks! Also, if you have video from your practices and you can post a minute of each "aspect" of your practice, that might be neat to try... (or maybe if you email Tom the files, he can do it? Video takes up a lot of server space...)

Thanks Kai. I am looking at it now... will report back later with feedback.
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Is this plan for 1997 born boys?

OK my initial thoughts:

I created an excel document similar to yours as a seasonal planning template. I broke down my periods into weeks depending on the months - looking at Sept 2011 as a start and finishing in June 2012 (to mirror the school year.) So some of my 'periods' of months (macrocycles) are anywhere from 2-5 weeks long.

I would call your "SKILL" category "Fundamental Movement Skills" including the ABC's (agility, balance, coordination) along with rhythm, mobility, reaction, etc. The topics also to be included are: dodge, hop, skip, log roll, stork stand (1 leg), jump, kick, dribble, overarm throw, catch, run, sidearm strike. See the site

http://www.phecanada.ca/programs/physical-literacy/what-physical-literacy/fundamental-movement-skills

or check the Sport for Life site

http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1108&LangID=en

I would design a 10-15 minute session to include many of these components such that I can have my group perform this in a limited space / apparatus warm-up and cool-down before and after each practice or training session; then incorporate more of these into specific weekly dryland training sessions. These dryland training sessions would also include some of the physical outcomes you mention (speed, elasticity, aerobic and muscular endurance, speed-strength, strength, etc) based on the time of season and the overall workload at the time. (I am thinking about the school / sport / life / developmental stage variables and monitoring the intensity and volume to maximize the effectiveness of your prioritized goals.) Sometimes, you sacrifice on-ice performance for off-ice or the opposite - depending on what specific goals you REALLY want to go after...

I would also create a column for off-ice development, using 1 hour of gymnasium / field time so I can also plan and track the individual skills, team tactics, principles of play - this is again based on my hypothetical sport school situation (14-15 year old girls or Bantam category) who play about 40-45 games per season including tournaments.

I would plan for three 75 minute ice sessions / week; two 75 minute off-ice dryland training sessions / week (fundamental movement skills and speed / strength / endurance training objectives) and two 60 minute gymnasium / field sessions where I would use off-ice SAG's to train game intelligence and decision-making. (Of course, I would also use these on ice during practice too!) I might use modified European Handball / soccer / ultimate Frisbee / basketball / field hockey / floorball or unihockey as the sport modalities during the gym times to encourage overall athleticism development of the kids. I might also schedule 30 minutes / week for video or a 'hockey talk' session to help further facilitate their understanding of the game. This might occur around one of their other activities (before or after practice) so as not to have to schedule another 'separate' meeting... just piggyback it with a current commitment.

I will post more when I get time... but this is a good way to go back and forth with our ideas!! Keep your ideas and feedback coming!

In this period (period 1) our week looks like this:
note: every practice includes at least15 min. warm up (skill) and 15 min cool down (aerobic)

Monday
speed + on-ice, skill

Tuesday
elasticity + muscle endurance
+ game, playing roles (floorball etc)

Wednesday
(American)football

Thursday
muscle endurance + game high tempo (floorball) or on-ice, SAG and themed games high tempo

Friday
Independent training, Aerobic endurance + stretching

Saturday
gymnastics

Sunday
rest

Kai I like your sequencing. Speed (elasticity) and skill are factors which need the body and mind well-rested in order to maximally develop; so good to put them after a rest day. Strength would be the next priority, then endurance last. I think you have followed sound principles of training with how you have planned your week.

Check out the Sport for Life site... http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1073&LangID=en

It talks about the five S's of training (stamina (endurance), strength, speed, skill and suppleness (flexibility)) and the optimum windows of trainability...

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Yes they are 1997 born boys.

Fundamental movement skills was the term i was looking for! I really like 30 minute / week hockey talk and video session idea.

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Kai, this site also gives a good breakdown of the fundamental movement skills by type of sport...

http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1122&LangID=en

Prediction and interception are two key fundamental movement skills as well - which lead to Game Sense!

I also added an "administration" column to provide me with an overview of what housekeeping aspects I need to accomplish based on that particular time period.

I will post a copy of my template soon...

Looking forward to seeing and hearing more ideas Kai!
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See this site for hockey-specific stuff:

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/63492/la_id/1.htm


MALE 12 - 16 and FEMALE 11 - 15 PROVINCIAL
The focus during this stage is on building an aerobic base, developing speed and strength and further
developing and consolidating sport specific technical skills with an increased emphasis on hockey
and a reduction in the number of other sports played. This phase will also include the introduction
and development of individual and group tactics. Social and emotional considerations are addressed
by placing an emphasis on team-building, group interaction and social activities.
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Here are some other factors to consider; also from the Sport for Life site:


Five Basic S’s of Training, plus Windows of Optimal Trainability

If we want to encourage our children in sport and lifelong activity, as well as create the potential to compete internationally, we need to build our sport programs around principles that respect the developmental needs of all children. Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a progressive pathway of development that recognizes the distinct stages of physical, mental, cognitive and emotional development in child athletes. The first ten S's of training below provide more detail on training components.

Stamina (Endurance)

The optimal window of trainability for stamina occurs at the onset of the growth spurt. Aerobic capacity training is recommended before children reach their fastest rate of growth. Aerobic power should be introduced progressively after their growth rate decelerates.

Strength

The optimal window of trainability for girls is immediately after their fastest rate of growth and at the onset of menarche (first menstruation), while for boys it is 12 to 18 months after their fastest rate of growth.

Speed

For boys, the first speed training window occurs between the ages of 7 and 9 years and the second window occurs between the ages of 13 and 16. For girls, the first speed training window occurs between the ages of 6 and 8 years and the second window occurs between the ages of 11 and 13 years.

Skill

The window for optimal skill training begins at the age of 9 for boys and the age of 8 for girls. This window ends at the onset of the growth spurt.

Suppleness (Flexibility)

The optimal window of trainability for suppleness in both girls and boys occurs between the ages of 6 and 10. Special attention should be paid to flexibility during the growth spurt.
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What Sport Research Says

Research points to 10 key factors that influence athlete development. By building sports programs around these factors, LTAD ensures that athletes experience both optimal development in their chosen sport and lifelong retention in physical activity for improved wellness.

1. The FUNdamentals

The FUNdamentals are basic movement and sport skills taught through fun games and activities that engage small children and motivate them to continue in activity. While these basics are fun in nature, they also serve another purpose: they teach the essential skills required as a foundation for more complex physical activities and sports. It is important that all children develop a good base of these skills before puberty to optimize both future performance and lifelong ac tivity. This basic s et of FUNdamental movement (dance) and spor ts skills is refer red to as “physical literacy” and it includes things such as skipping, hopping, jumping, throwing, catching, hit ting, and swimming. Physical literacy also implies that children need to have the cognitive ability to read and react to their sport environment to make correct decisions. For example, in soccer, children will develop increased confidence and learn not to automatically kick the ball away when it comes to them, but also consider passing to an open teammate. As a parent, you can ask your child’s sport association how their programs address physical literacy.

2. Specialization

Sports are classified as either early or late specialization. Early specialization sports such as gymnastics, diving, and figure skating require children to learn complex skills before physical maturation since it is extremely difficult to fully master these skills if they are introduced after puberty. Late specialization sports such as soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball can still be mastered for elite levels of competition if specialization begins between the ages of 12 and 15, but it is essential that these athletes have already acquired physical literacy prior to adolescence. As a parent, you should talk to your child’s coaches if you sense they are pushing your child to specialize prematurely. Children need to develop as athletes before they become specialized as players.

3. Developmental Age

If we talk about child development, we need to define what we mean because different children develop at different rates. Growth and maturation are two aspects of development that are often confused with each other. Growth refers to measurable changes such as height, weight, and fat percentage. Maturation refers to more subtle qualitative changes, such as cartilage changing to bone. Development describes the relationship between growth and maturation over time, including social, emotional, intellectual, and motor aspects. Similarly, chronological age refers to the number of years and days since birth, while developmental age refers to the degree of physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional maturity. Keeping these growth and maturation concepts in mind, you can identify if your child is an early, average, or late maturer. You can then ensure that coaches design training and competition programs that fit your child’s level of trainability and readiness. (See Chapter 3, page 16 for information on assessing your child’s growth and maturation levels.) You also need to recognize the relative age effect. Research is showing that selection to top-tier or representative teams favours children born in the first third of the year due to most sports having age cut-off dates based on the calendar year. If your child is born near the end of the year, you should ensure that your child is in a good program with excellent coaching, since research also shows that if children with late birthdays can be kept in quality programs, their development catches up and they do succeed at a later age.

4. Physical, Mental, Cognitive, Ethical, and Emotional Development

LTAD says that training, competition, and recovery programs should be designed to match the physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional development of each athlete. Ethics, fair play, and character building should also be taught according to each child’s ability to understand these concepts at different ages.

Late Childhood Prior to puberty, physical training should emphasize large muscle groups and basic coordination, and children should be led with clear, brief instructions through structured routines. Simple trial and error is not enough; children need accurate demonstrations of the correct skills. The development of their self-esteem and confidence also requires that they taste success regularly, so activities should create many opportunities for success and children should be recognized regularly. Ethical and character building values should also begin to be integrated into the training regime.

Early Adolescence In early adolescence, children undergo significant changes in bone, muscle, and fat tissue, and they also undergo mental and emotional changes. They lose much flexibility, so they become more prone to injuries. Mentally, they can be coached to make more decisions and take responsibility for them. Their social relationships become more important, so they need opportunities to interact socially with their peers. They still need to be recognized for their success, but “success” may vary: some children may develop early and make quick progress, while late developers may make slower progress but actually outperform the early developers over the long-term.

Late Adolescence Older teens have mature muscles, though their muscular strength continues to increase into their 20s. Meanwhile, the rate at which they are able to develop new skills decreases. Mentally, they are ready to understand the technical requirements of their sport, and their increasing sense of fairness demands that they become part of decision making processes. Emotionally, they have needs for social interaction and self-expression that must be respected. Parents can talk to coaches and associations to assess how they accommodate these aspects of their child’s development.

5. Trainability

Trainability refers to the genetic endowment of athletes as they respond individually to specific training stimuli and adapt to it. Malina and Bouchard (1991) defined trainability as “the responsiveness of developing individuals at different stages of growth and maturation to the training stimulus.”

6. Periodization

Periodization is time management applied to training. Over time, it optimizes each child’s improvement by providing a logical training schedule that respects their stage of development. Periodized plans specify how much and how often athletes should train through the year, and they often describe a specific sequence of training components over weeks, days, and individual sessions. As a parent, you should check to see that your child is training according to a periodized plan – problems in periodization often arise when children have more than one coach.

7. Competition Calendar

For each stage of development, LTAD recommends that sports identify specific training to competition ratios. Every sport is different, but in essence very young children should be neither training nor competing formally. As they get older and develop, they should progress from fun-based activities to a combination of formal training and competition. At young ages, training time should far exceed competition time, but during adolescence competition time will increase and training time may decrease. Parents can check with the national organization for their children’s sport to clarify the optimal training-to-competition ratios for different stages.

8. The 10-Year Rule

If one of your child’s goals is high performance sporting achievement, remember that winning at a young age doesn’t guarantee winning performances at older ages. To achieve excellence in the long-term, young athletes have to put more hours into training than they do competing – and to ensure children train for the hours and years required, programs should emphasize fun, development, and wellness, and not necessarily winning. As a parent, if you sense that your child’s coach or sport association is emphasizing winning at the expense of fun and development, you should talk to them about LTAD, the dangers of child burnout, and the potential damage to long-term performance. Sport science research has shown that it takes a minimum of 10 years and 10,000 hours of training for gifted athletes to achieve the highest levels of elite competition. This translates into approximately three hours of training or competition daily for 10 years for athletes who are identified as having a special talent in a particular sport or activity.

9. System Alignment

LTAD tries to get everyone in the sport system on the same page: one country, one vision, one system. Because many different institutions, agencies, and groups are involved in delivering sports programs, LTAD recommends that parents, teachers, schools, coaches, clubs, recreation centres, and governments coordinate their efforts for the greatest welfare of the children in their programs. In this regard, LTAD has big implications for the entire Canadian sport system. You can ask your local sports association, recreation centre or school if their rules and formats are consistent with those of the national association.

10. Continuous Improvement

LTAD doesn’t pretend that everything about child development and sports is already known. LTAD recognizes that new research is constantly emerging and recommends that new knowledge and insight should be reviewed and incorporated into the model as necessary. In this regard, parents have a responsibility to their children to stay informed about new developments affecting their children’s activities.