Diffusion and adoption of the Long-Term Athlete Development model among Canadian coaches

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to document the process of Long-term Athlete Development (LTAD) adoption by Canadian sport coaches, and to identify predictors of: 1) their attitude and intention to adopt such a social innovation, and 2) their LTAD adoption level. Using Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory, a survey of 499 Canadian coaches was conducted to identify the factors associated with three variables: coaches’ attitude towards LTAD, intention to adopt LTAD, and LTAD adoption status. 279 (56%)(35.4 ± 12.1 years) of them knew LTAD and filled out the entire questionnaire. Perceived knowledge of LTAD, its trialability, observability, intention to adopt, coaches’ certification level, and organisational support were the best predictors of LTAD model adoption level in coaching’ practice (R2=0.579, F9,184=28.32, p<0.001). Coaches in late-developing sports declared having greater knowledge of LTAD, more capacity for its implementation, and lower perceived complexity of application.