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Développement à long terme de l'athlète (LTAD) is a relatively new concept in Canadian sport. At its heart it is a philosophy which holds that the growth of an athlete must be nourished through specific stages of development, stages which are identified on an individual level. LTAD recognizes that the developmental growth of an individual, not necessarily the individual's age, should be the key marker that guides a sport's support system in providing the opportunity to perfect specific skills before the demands of competition are introduced and winning becomes the expected outcome of participation.

LTAD is the result of considerable research and analysis into athlete development models throughout the world. The Canadian model focuses on the core concept of "a training, competition, and recovery program based upon developmental age – the maturation of an individual rather than chronological age" but takes into consideration the unique nature of the Canadian sport system and culture.

The Bowling Federation of Canada (BFC), and its members have adopted the philosophy of LTAD and have worked to create a model to meet the developmental needs of its athletes. BFC believes that the implementation of its LTAD plan offers bowling enthusiasts across Canada a comprehensive outline for development and reflects the unique nature of bowling. Our LTAD plan makes clear a consistent and appropriate framework for bowling's support groups to both train athletes reaching for medals, and support recreational-level players throughout the many stages of life.