Gap analysis – A gap analysis is a method of assessing the differences in performance between an athlete’s or teams current state and the desired performance outcome at a future date. It is determined whether logical developmental requirements are being met and, if not, what steps should be taken to ensure they are met successfully to insure expected or desired performances occur.

Year Training Plan – Also known as macrocycle development, accounts for the planning and process leading to a major competition or the commencement of a competitive season. This process helps to explain how volume, intensity and types of exercise change and relate to the identified events. A year training plan (YTP) is essentially the road map for all physiological, technical, and tactical adaptations throughout a training year and aids in the development of logical sessions of practices.

Assessment / Intake – at the start of a training season, and initial assessment (physiological, movement, pre-training state etc.) is commonly used.  The assessment is developed or determined in relation to the goals of training or the outcome of the Gap Analysis. The assessment may take the form of preseason physical testing or may be conducted with the use of physiotherapy to determine readiness for the commencement of training.

Testing / Data Interpretation – as testing takes place it is imperative that the information is interpreted correctly, and that the information is explained and presented to the athlete or coach in a manner that allows for clear understanding and expectations. It is extremely important if it is being used for the placement of athletes on a team, or determination of training levels, and necessary for the correct implementation into a gap analysis for an athlete and their training plan/ progress.

Intake on the other hand determines health status of individual athletes or athletes on a team to identify current health status, and contraindications to training.  In many instances this is completed with the use of a Certified Exercise Physiologist who is trained to administer the necessary screening forms and conduct the necessary pre-screen heart rate and blood pressure measures.

Training Sequencing – determination of the logical progression of individual training sessions based on physiological adaptive process, the natural rhythmic cycles of the human body and the effects of the previous workouts on the impending training sessions or competitions. This may take place for individual training sessions, weekly blocks of training (microcycles), or groupings of weeks (mesocycles).

Curriculum Development – in the case of larger organizations, the development of a curriculum is the logical organization of the training process with regards to the maturational age of the athletes, the number of years of training and the evidence set forth by many sports documents for Long Term Athlete Development. This process ensures that there is a progression and benchmarks met to determine how an athletes transitions through an organizations groups, the appropriateness for an athlete to move from one stage to the next, and this process aids in forecasting for future performance.

Monitoring Services – In order to evaluate the impact of training or to ensure that the training effect has taken place, monitoring is an important component.  It requires the recording (electronic, manual or through web-based portals) of key information that is predetermined which will provide the necessary data to ensure the necessary outcomes have taken place.  The collection of data must be both valid and reliable in order to show impact and that the information related back to the athlete or coach is of value and is a true reflection of progress.  This may include standard health and readiness questionnaires, or detailed information on the training session that have been conducted in the daily training environment.

Sport Capacity Assignment – In Development