{"id":31841,"date":"2025-12-09T16:04:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T16:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=31841"},"modified":"2025-12-16T09:41:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T09:41:58","slug":"how-do-your-athlete-development-plans-compare-to-those-of-your-peers","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/how-do-your-athlete-development-plans-compare-to-those-of-your-peers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do your Athlete Development Plans Compare to those of your Peers?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 9 Dec 2025 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

How Do your Athlete Development Plans Compare to those of your Peers?<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/how-do-your-athlete-development-plans-compare-to-those-of-your-peers\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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During a recent Leaders Virtual Roundtable, members outlined six trends that are emerging from their daily work.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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By John Portch<\/h6>\n
The Leaders Performance Institute recently had the opportunity to listen as some of the finest head coaches in the world talked shop.<\/h6>\n

Curiously, the technical and tactical elements of their work did not make the agenda. Instead, they spoke of belonging, connection and the need to put the person above the performer.<\/p>\n

Those insights led neatly to this Leaders Virtual Roundtable where heads of performance, department leads and sports scientists gathered to discuss the theme of holistic athlete development.<\/p>\n

First, we asked the virtual room to reflect on how athlete development plans have evolved; what has grown in prominence and where there has been the most evolution. Then we asked the table what feedback they have received from athletes on what they want to see more of in their development plans.<\/p>\n

Together, they unearthed six trends in athlete development, which we present as they were shared during the discussion.<\/p>\n

1. Greater athlete co-ownership of development plans<\/strong><\/p>\n

Athlete individual development plans are increasingly co-crafted by athletes themselves, as several members told us:<\/p>\n

\u201cAthletes want to be involved in what the plans look like, how we set them, how they engage in getting better on a daily basis. They want to be more autonomous.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe give our athletes a lot more ownership around their development plans. They set their own goals, which they then discuss with the coaches.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The trick, as some members have found, is positioning these development plans within the broader team environment. A sports scientist who works with college athletes in the US said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about getting them to think outside of themselves and go, \u2018Okay, what\u2019s our common purpose as a team?\u2019 If we can get them to connect to that purpose as quickly as possible, we\u2019ll progress the team culture because it\u2019s coming from the athletes themselves.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

2. The performance disciplines are converging in athlete development<\/strong><\/p>\n

This convergence is to be expected in a world of holistic development. As one member, a sports scientist at a Premier League club, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe view it as transdisciplinary, where every discipline is affecting the other disciplines. We ask ourselves how are we coming up with these programmes together rather than in separate disciplines?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

They then explained how that might look in practice:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want the things that the technical and tactical coaches are asking on the field to align with the athlete\u2019s physical development work\u2026 we can be in their individual technical or tactical meetings and understand what the coaches are looking for.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Additionally, some teams rely upon their psychologists to facilitate their increasingly transdisciplinary approaches. This is an example from Major League baseball:<\/p>\n

\u201cAt our team, the high performance staff have benefited from incorporating our performance psychology group. They have used DISC assessments with players and staff. They shared the results between all so that there can be a mutual understanding of how each person communicates, interacts with people, learns, takes and responds to feedback.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

3. There is an increasing emphasis on mental health and mental performance<\/strong><\/p>\n

The table was unanimous on the question of mental health and mental skills. Here are some representative observations:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s generational or societal, across our young athletes there\u2019s definitely more emphasis on mental wellbeing and a recognition that the world that they\u2019re preparing for is changing all the time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMost questions posed by athletes seeking help are social, emotional or mental \u2013 not technical or tactical.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMental health and the importance of athlete wellbeing & engagement have really been front and centre in our high-performance training environments.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

4. There is also a growing emphasis on \u2018social wellbeing\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social wellbeing derives from the strength of an athlete\u2019s relationships with their coaches, peers and extended friend and family circles. The support such networks provide is critical, but far from a given, as a team manager from the sailing world explained:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we get them away from their sport and give them space to develop that social part and also learn from each other\u2019s experiences as well?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

One attendee, who works with adolescent athletes in the UK, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working with coaches, parents, athletes, and high-performance teams to understand what social wellbeing looks like. We also surveyed our athletes on the aspects of social wellbeing that are important to them. We asked: do they have a network of positive social support that can help them find balance? Do their national teammates have shared values that they all work together to attain? Can they rely on their teammates to support them during difficult times? Are they able to maintain healthy relationships while competing as a member of the team? And do they contribute to their community in meaningful ways?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Development plans increasingly go beyond performance too<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is where the holistic nature of modern athlete development models goes beyond the technical, tactical and physical, because performance issues often have causes away from the sport. The table offered a selection of responses:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur development model combines not just character development, but emotional intelligence, academic support, and lifestyle and mentorship alongside the athlete\u2019s sport.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe must develop young athletes as people first and give them a foundation of a well-rounded identity outside of who they are as an athlete. Everything of who they are and how they see themselves in many cases to that point in their life has been tied to their athletic performance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

These elements are not always easy to measure:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a drive for increased data, quantifiable outputs, and a linked performance gain. But we keep this ground and space for what we feel is a greater, longer-term benefit through creating that community, the social connection, and so on.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt really comes down to the expected value of helping athletes and coaches be the best they can be; creating the best environments, creating the best team dynamics, and developing the person as a whole.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

6. More flexible programming<\/strong><\/p>\n

A little flexibility goes a long way, but it takes effort and intent, as the sailing team manager said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking at how we can be more supportive by offering some flexibility around our training programme, so we can support our athletes with commitments that they\u2019ve got beyond their sport. Academic studies is a big one.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n

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