Since 2005 over 100 Long-Term Athlete Development-based children-and-youth programs have been introduced by national and provincial sport organizations with the goal of providing more appropriate and high-quality sport experiences.
It’s critical that officials work with sport technical leaders to provide decision making guidelines for quality sport events.
At the grassroots level sports officials and coaches should work together to ensure that fun and development are a priority over winning.
Recommended Steps to Follow:
- Align officials’ pathways for training and certification to Long-Term Athlete Development.
- Align officials’ pathways to Competition Restructuring recommendations.
- Set standards for officials’ developers, mentors and evaluators that reflect the targeted learning stage and skills of athletes in the Athlete Development Matrix.
- Provide opportunities for officials and coaches to work together to deliver stage appropriate play, training and competition.
- Provide Long-Term Officials Development resources and messaging to parents.
Promising Practices
- Ringette Canada Long-Term Official Development Matrix
- Ringette Officials Certification Program
- Racquetball Canada Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Competition Review
- BC Soccer Referee Pathway
Resources
- Canadian Sport for Life – Long-Term Athlete Development 2.1
- Can We Better Retain Sport Officials By Asking Them To Do More? The Opportunity of “Stage-Appropriate Officiating” July 11, 2018 by Paul Jurbala, Sport for Life Society
- Active for Life
- True Sport LTAD Matrix
- The Aspen Institute Project Play
