How to Create a Champion: Long-Term Player Development

Key Points

• Players and coaches should have clearly defined short, medium and long term goals
• Set up a structured team from a young age that includes fitness trainers, parents, coaches and physiotherapists all with clearly defined roles
• Work to foster the development of independent thinkers and problem solvers with a growth mindset
• Establish and assess all the different technical, mental and physical aspects the player needs to work on
• A long term developmental plan may have over 100 things to focus on, but you need to narrow it down and work on 2 or 3 specific areas for 2 to 3 month periods
• Training plans will change over 6 to 8 year periods and you need to stay flexible depending on tournaments and other factors
• Kids learn from failing, trying and evolving through the developmental process