06/09/2026
Most kids will not become elite athletes.
For years, youth development has largely been viewed through the lens of LTAD (Long-Term Athletic Development). The goal is to develop better athletes, improve performance, and help young people reach their athletic potential.
There's nothing wrong with that. We should absolutely pursue excellence.
But a newer concept called LTActD (Long-Term Activity Development) asks an even bigger question:
What happens after sports? Because eventually every athlete retires.
Most young athletes won't play professionally. Most won't earn scholarships. One day the trophies, records, and championship banners will all become memories.
What's left after that?
Hopefully, a person who still values movement.
A parent who strength trains at 40. A worker who signs up for a marathon at 50. Someone who hikes with their family at 60. A grandparent who can get down on the floor and play with their grandchildren at 70.
Someone like JoAnne.
JoAnne began training in her late 80s. Today, in her 90s, she still comes in three days a week. She still works hard. She still laughs. She still moves with purpose. She still invests in herself.
No state championship hangs on the wall for that. She wasn't even in sports growing up.
And yet, I would argue that this is one of the greatest athletic accomplishments I've ever witnessed. As Bill Bowerman says "If you have a body, then you're an athlete"
At Horizon, we absolutely want our athletes to become faster, stronger, and more resilient. We celebrate PRs, state qualifiers, championships, and breakthrough seasons.
But those things aren't the ultimate goal. Exercise isn't only performance.
The purpose of exercise is quality of life.
We're not just trying to build better athletes. We're trying to help people build a relationship with movement that lasts long after competition is over.
Because the greatest victory youth sports can provide may not happen on the podium. It may happen decades later.
I believe the goal of movement, sport, and exercise in youth and beyond has always been about a lifetime of activity.
If you'd like to read more about this concept, here's the article that sparked these thoughts for me:
"Reframing LTAD as LTActD: Long-Term Activity Development"
Strength & Conditioning Journal (2025)
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2026/06000/reframing_ltad_as_ltactd__long_term_activity.2.aspx
It's an interesting perspective that shifts the conversation from creating elite athletes to creating people who remain physically active for life.
