Rethinking Long-Term Athlete Development – Summer Series Ep 20-36

What if one of the most widely accepted models in youth sport needs to evolve?

For more than 20 years, Long-Term Athlete Development has helped coaches, parents, and organizations better understand how young athletes grow and develop. But as research continues to evolve, so should the way we think about developing the next generation of athletes.

This week on the Krush Summer Series, I’m joined by world-renowned athlete development researcher Dr. Jean Côté to discuss the future of youth sport and one of the most important questions facing coaches and parents today:

Are we creating environments where young athletes want to stay in sport long enough to discover how good they can become?

Together, we explore why Dr. Côté believes Long-Term Athlete Development is an excellent model for understanding expertise, yet may not fully address what youth sport needs most.

We also discuss his latest research on interest — and why it may be one of the most important factors influencing lifelong participation, healthy development, and even high performance.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why Long-Term Athlete Development is an excellent model for expertise — and where it may fall short for youth sport
• Dr. Côté’s latest research on interest and why it may be the most overlooked factor in athlete development
• How coaches, parents, and organizations can create environments where young athletes stay engaged and motivated
• Why keeping athletes in sport long enough may matter more than we think
• How healthy development and high performance don’t have to be in conflict
• What it really means to help a young athlete reach their potential

Whether your goal is helping young athletes enjoy sport for life or supporting those who aspire to compete at the highest level, this conversation will challenge the way you think about athlete development.

You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how coaches, parents, and organizations can create environments that keep young athletes healthy, engaged, motivated, and excited to keep learning — all crucial elements for Creating More Coachable Players.

🎧 Listen to This Week’s Episode

Join us all summer as we help sport parents and coaches better understand athlete development so they can make smarter, more confident decisions for the young athletes they support.

Follow @JeffKrushell on Instagram and YouTube for weekly updates, resources, and insights all summer long.

Together we are raising the level of human performance — one athlete at a time.