The Long Term Athletic Development Plan (LTAD) defines the first `window of accelerated adaptation to speed` or a `critical` period of speed development as occurring during the FUNdamentals stage, age six to eight for girls and seven to nine for boys respectively. However, technical sport specific skill development is not recommended until the Learn to Train Stage. Utilizing a model of body composition, this study looks at the relationship between technical and speed development in young speed skaters ages 3 - 15. The results indicate that in both females and males, individuals with larger body composition had faster speeds but individuals with smaller body composition and with greater technical skill were as fast as or faster than those with larger body composition regardless of technical skill. The results support the conclusion that no "windows of trainability" for speed development need to exist as long as technical components are taught early to build neurological connections and fortify coordination to develop speed prepubescent, and technical development is maintained to allow skaters to adjust to increased muscular strength during pubescence and post-pubescence.
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