Expanding on and Diving in to the LTAD

Long-Term Athlete Development is at the center of everything we do, from the first day on snow to the last day of competition. It’s one of the frameworks that is the backbone in a way that’s right for their stage of development. Whether your child is just starting out in our FUNdamentals program, or chasing a NorAm podium with the Performance Team, LTAD is what ties it all together.

So, what exactly is LTAD?

Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a nationally recognized framework created by Sport for Life and adopted and amended by Freestyle Canada. It’s a research-backed model that maps out the physical, mental, and emotional progression of athletes, from their first introduction to sport, all the way to high performance and lifelong participation.

In short: it helps us teach the right things, at the right time.

Every stage of LTAD is designed to meet athletes where they are in their growth and development. Instead of pushing athletes too far too soon, LTAD builds skill, confidence, and capacity step-by-step, creating strong, resilient, and adaptable skiers who are in it for the long run.

How it shapes our programming

All of our programs look to the Freestyle Canada Skills Matrix, which outlines what athletes should be learning and experiencing at each stage of development.

Each stage has a specific focus:

• FUNdamentals: Building agility, balance, and confidence through fun.

• Freestylerz: Learning basic freestyle skills — turns, jumps, air awareness, and creativity.

• Freestylerz Plus / Comp-Dev: Introducing structured training and competition, while developing strength and focus.

• Performance Team: Refining high-level skills, training deliberately, and preparing for national-level competition.

Behind every session plan is a balance of technical, physical, psychological, and life skills. We don’t just want athletes to ski well; we want them to build confidence, emotional awareness, and self-leadership that will last far beyond their sport, all of this is supported in the matrix and the Freestyle Canada LTAD. 

The LTAD Stages — Explained

Here’s a closer look at the stages within the Freestyle Canada LTAD model:

Active Start ( ~ Ages 0–6)

This stage is all about play. Kids learn how to move, balance, jump, roll, and explore their environments. The goal is to fall in love with being active, whether that’s sliding on snow, swimming, climbing, or playing tag in the yard. For young skiers, it’s about fun on snow, learning to move comfortably, and discovering joy in movement.

FUNdamentals ( ~ Ages 6–9)

Here’s where foundational skills start to take shape. Athletes learn agility, balance, coordination, and speed through fun, game-based activities. It’s also when basic ski technique, balance, and movement patterns are developed. Freestyle-style jumps, spins, and simple tricks are introduced in a playful, low-pressure way.

Learn to Train ( ~ Ages 8–12)

At this stage, athletes are primed to learn skills. It’s the “golden age of skill development,” and the focus is on building broad movement patterns, on skis, trampolines, and in general fitness. In freestyle, this is when athletes begin to explore moguls, jumps, rails, and air awareness. They might compete locally, but the emphasis is still on learning, not results.

Train to Train ( ~ Ages 12–16)

Athletes now begin to train with more structure. Physical conditioning, technical refinement, and sport-specific training increase. This is when many athletes start to find their preferred discipline but they continue to cross-train in multiple environments. They learn how to set goals, manage nerves, and start taking ownership of their performance.

Learn to Compete ( ~ Ages 15–18)

This is the bridge between development and performance. Athletes refine their routines, practice under pressure, and compete at regional or provincial events. The focus is on consistent execution, emotional regulation, and performance routines, learning what it means to prepare and compete with intention.

Train to Compete ( ~ Ages 17+)

This stage is all about refining performance and building towards peak execution. Athletes now train year-round with individualized plans that include strength, conditioning, mental performance, and sport-specific skill work. Competitions are targeted strategically, and athletes start to define their unique “style of play” within the sport.

Train to Win (National / International Level)

This is where the highest-level athletes live — those competing at World Cups, NorAms, or the Olympics. Everything is optimized for performance: technical precision, tactical strategy, and recovery. It’s the peak of the podium pathway, but it’s built entirely on the foundation developed in all the stages before it.

Active for Life (Any Age)

The final stage of LTAD isn’t about competition at all — it’s about staying active. Many of our skiers transition from competing to coaching, judging, or simply skiing for fun. The same foundation that builds high performers also builds lifelong participants who stay connected to the sport and community.

Why this matters

Freestyle skiing is an early-entry, late-specialization sport, which means it’s best to start young, but not to specialize too soon. That’s why our younger programs focus on broad skill development and play, not just performance. We want athletes who can ski anywhere, adapt to anything, and build the kind of foundation that makes them both capable and creative as they grow.

As athletes mature, they naturally move through more structured training and competition environments, eventually entering what Freestyle Canada calls the Podium Pathway, the performance stream that can lead to national teams, NorAms, and even World Cups.

Not every athlete will follow the same path, and that’s exactly the point. LTAD allows every skier to develop at their own pace, in a way that’s aligned with their goals, whether that’s chasing medals or simply skiing with confidence for life.

The bigger picture

Our goal as a club is simple: to build confident, capable, and self-aware athletes who love skiing and continue growing both in and out of sport. The LTAD model helps us do that by giving structure and purpose to every stage of the journey, ensuring that when an athlete is ready for the next step, they’ve built the foundation to get there safely and successfully.

So next time you see “LTAD stage” listed in a program description or hear us talk about the “Skills Matrix,” know that it’s more than just a guideline, it’s the roadmap we use to help every Panorama athlete reach their full potential.