loris bertolacci

Lecture Development AFL Grand Final Conference Optimal Age

This lecture states the obvious. But one aspect that relates to development is how long it actually takes to become an elite performer in most sports. Thus parents must ensure that their children grab crucial windows of opportunity for skills and speed and fitness at 8/11/14 years old for example but on the other hand must realize it might take till 20 plus for their kids to make it at the elite level. In terms of teams there does seem to be a trend. With AFL because of the draft good teams seem to have a predictable profile with average age of 25 plus and 100 games plus usually for players and teams. Most players are in 22 to 28 age group with mor ein the 24 to 26 group and young ones are usually high draft picks anyway. Again the implication is that teams have to wait 5 to 7 years to start a cycle of success again unless they try and develop on the run. So teams have to have the right age and experience profile but then have to have the talent, development systems and infrastructures to succeed after that. In tennis I found that the same occurred with regularity and that is despite some child prodigies how tennis fit the 25 average for rankings. So that 17 to 22 age group is often a wilderness where people get lost.

Loris Bertolacci Development Lecture AFL Grand FInal Conference 2002

July 21, 2007 - Posted by Loris Bertolacci | AFL