The implementation of LTAD as a template to improve youth participation in physical activity and sport. Introducing change in a sport organization

Abstract

It is said that for change to be successful, 75% of an organization's management needs to “buy into” the change. Time and energy spent gaining support and building urgency, before moving onto the next steps are always worthwhile. No matter how hard a working team pushes, if others do not feel the same sense of urgency, momentum will change, complacency will set in, and some groups may even aggressively resist the proposed changes. Accepting that some short-term delays may be necessary to ensure that everything has a chance to progress smoothly will be key to success. This presentation will look at the important aspects of implementing change in an organization using a step by step approach including enhancing your knowledge of LTAD, identify and empower more champions, provide a reality check, create and share your vision, gain organizational support and communicate progress. This presentation will also provide Canadian sports’ best practices when implementing LTAD related programs along with strategies to get your organization moving forward. Most people are not comfortable with change and the uncertainty it can create. Accepting a new vision is both an intellectual and an emotional task. Everyone needs to be convinced to let go of the status quo, come to grips with the necessary sacrifices that will be required to implement the recommendations, and trust that the recommendations will improve the sports system. Support for the changes you recommend will be vital as you move forward with implementation. A well-planned communication strategy can do a great deal to help you gain buy-in from the community, reduce uncertainty, and help you identify where pockets of resistance might form as you move forward with your strategic implementation plan. To understand what must change in your sport systems and processes, you will want to fully understand its current state and then identify desired future states. These future states should be underpinned by CS4L/LTAD principles. Once these two situations are well understood, it will be possible to more effectively assess the gap that must be bridged and the scope of change that will be needed to get there. As anyone who has been lost in the woods knows, it is hard to get to where you want to go if you don’t know where you are. This is also very true for LTAD implementation. Before you can solve athletes’ development problems, you really need to identify what is happening within your sports systems (strong points and weaknesses related to the 9 pillars of developing athletes) and make as much sense of your current situation as you can. One of the first tasks will be to reflect on and describe your current sport ecosystem in many different areas and from many different perspectives. You want to try to understand as much as you can about your current systems and structures. Only analyze small pieces of the system at any one time. Since 2005, national sports organizations in Canada have started to build LTAD integrated programs. This session will give you a snapshot on successes and roadblocks faced in building an athlete-centered, coach-driven and administration-supported system. Long Term Athlete Development has been a change agent in Canada when it comes to sports programming, competition system and alignment. Several positive programs have emerged from LTAD implementation but the road to success varies from a sport to another based on culture and leadership of the organization. LTAD has always remained an athlete-centered and coach-driven approach during this change process and should always remain the main concern for any organization wishing to embrace this pathway.