Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) – Tennis Pathway
The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a systematic approach being adopted by Tennis Canada to maximize potential and increase the enjoyment of participants and athletes in our sport. It provides a framework for developing physical literacy, physical fitness, technical and tactical skills, and competitive ability using a stage-by-stage approach. The Tennis Canada LTAD model outlines an optimal development plan based on growth, development, and maturation for all individuals to participate in tennis.
To learn more about each stage of the Tennis Pathway, click on name of the station below.
Stage 1 – ACTIVE START
Boys/Girls *0-5/6
The overall focus in this stage is to promote a passion for physical activity while laying the foundation for the lifelong enjoyment of sport.
Stage 2 – FUNDAMENTALS
Boys/Girls *5-8/5-9
The most important focus of this stage is to emphasize fun and enjoyment when playing tennis.
Stage 3 – DEVELOPING
Boys/Girls *9-12/9-12
The focus of this stage is building physical literacy through continued development of tennis skills. This stage moves players from kids’ tennis to full court tennis.
Stage 4 – CONSOLIDATING
Boys/Girls *13-15/12-15
This is a critical stage of development for the athlete/tennis player as it sets the foundation for learning to be a competitive junior.
Stage 5 – LEARNING TO PERFORM
Boys/Girls *16-18/15-18
The participant has made a conscious decision to pursue a potential career as a “professional player”.
ITF Teenagers in Tennis Report
Stage 6 – LEARNING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
Boys/Girls *19-23/17-21
This stage integrates and harmonizes the complex diverse factors that contribute to performance in competition.
Stage 7 – LIVING AS A PROFESSIONAL
Boys/Girls *24+/22+
At this stage the full-time athlete is committed and producing consistent performances on demand.
Stage 8 – TENNIS FOR LIFE
Boys/Girls *All Ages
Within this stage, there are three types of participants – the new participant entering at any age, the recreational participant who is active for life, and the competitive (or former High-Performance) participant who is no longer training to be professional, but still enjoys competing regularly.
