Personal factors are important for parents & caregivers, teachers, instructors & coaches to consider as they plan for young participants & athletes.

• Developing physical literacy early lays the foundation for later success & life-long engagement in physical activity for health.
• By providing enhanced learning & training environments from a very early age, greater physical literacy & improved sport-specific skills are developed. Individuals carry this advantage to subsequent stages of LTD.
• Organizers need to consider each individual’s stage of growth & development when designing training, competition, & recovery programs. LTD addresses the physical, mental, cognitive & emotional development of participants—not just physical characteristics & performance qualities.
• As children grow & develop, there are times when different types of practice & training will have a greater effect. These “sensitive periods” provide opportunities to train & develop important skills & physical capabilities that have a greater return on time invested & that can impact athletic performance throughout life.
• Not all individuals are equally capable in all sports, & both enjoyment & success are related to how proficient an individual is in the sport they play. Sampling many sports during ‘learn to train’ & early ‘train to train’ can help participants find sports & physical activities to which they are well suited.
• To reach full potential, athletes need well-planned, progressive, high quality training over many years. Success cannot be rushed; in many cases, athletes or performers may have trained & competed for 8-12 years before mastering the activity.
• An over-the-life-course approach acknowledges the critical periods in early life when social & cognitive skills, habits, coping strategies, attitudes, & values are more easily acquired. These early abilities & skills develop durability in a person’s health in later life. Taking a life-course approach, leaders are encouraged to reflect on the effects of programs on their participants years into the future.