Since the camp was held before the start of the autumn and winter training and competition seasons, the main focus was on the practical part \u2013 tests that help assess individual athletes’ readiness and more accurately plan further work. The young athletes underwent sprint tests, and lactate thresholds and VO2max indicators were determined. Physiotherapy tests were also performed on the athletes, and blood test results were discussed. This was handled by an experienced team: a running coach and a physiotherapist <\/span>Jonas \u017dakaitis, <\/b>physiotherapist <\/span>Paulius Gedikas<\/b>, family doctor<\/span> Jolita Martinonien\u0117. <\/b> <\/p>\n One of the camp organizers, Arnas Gabr\u0117nas, coach of LLAF young running talents <\/span> <\/b> highlights a whole range of advantages of such a program. “These camps are very important from a physical perspective because the tests performed can help both athletes and their coaches better understand their individual strengths and weaknesses. Kinesiotherapy tests can help prevent injuries, strengthen the body, and directly contribute to improved results on the running track. Discussions about blood tests, in turn, can help optimize athletes’ nutrition and supplement intake,” says A. Gabr\u0117nas. <\/span><\/p>\n Olympic inspiration<\/b><\/p>\n A lot of attention at the camp was also given to the theoretical part \u2013 lectures were held for athletes and coaches on sports psychology, the relationship between coach and athlete (lecturer \u2013 psychologist <\/span>Saul\u0117 Liesyt\u0117<\/b>), and the importance of sleep (the head and curator of the “Talent in Athletics” project,<\/span> Dr. <\/span>Evaldas Kandratavi\u010dius<\/b>), and there was also discussion about the athlete’s own role and responsibilities in their sporting journey. On this matter, the Olympian, Lithuanian record holder, and triple jumper shared her insights <\/span>Diana Zagainova<\/b>. She told the young athletes about her journey to the Olympic Games and shared her experience gained as a professional athlete.<\/span><\/p>\n “Such meetings are an important part of talent development, allowing young athletes not only to hear about the reality of professional sports but also to better understand what qualities are needed to achieve high results over time. We have no doubt that this inspires young track and field athletes,” says A. Gabr\u0117nas. He adds that, for example, sports psychology lectures also help practically \u2013 they allow young people to better understand themselves, understand their body’s and mind’s reactions, and learn to manage pre-competition nerves. <\/span><\/p>\n The most important thing is not only to discover but also to preserve<\/b><\/p>\n This camp is not the first meeting of young athletes. A significant number of athletes have already participated in talent camps last August and this April. According to A. Gabr\u0117nas, this is one of the most important goals of the Talent Identification and Retention Program \u2013 not only to notice promising young athletes but also to help them stay in the sport as long as possible so that as adults they can realize their true potential. “We hope that at this age the rotation of talented youth will be as small as possible, and that in a few years we will see the participants of these camps among the strongest Lithuanian athletes who will bring fame to our country on the international stage,” the coach smiles. <\/span><\/p>\n According to him, it is not enough to identify a young athlete’s strengths or prospects once \u2013 it is important to observe their progress, emerging challenges, and create conditions for purposeful development. Equally important is the social aspect \u2013 the strongest athletes of their age gathered in one place can learn from each other, establish better personal connections that can persist beyond the stadium or indoor arena. <\/span><\/p>\n Both athletes and coaches evaluate these camps very positively, see their meaning and benefits, and want to return to them every year. Surveys conducted after the camp show that participants like the structure and content of the camps, although some days are intense and exhausting. <\/span><\/p>\n The camp is financed from the state budget funds allocated by the National Sports Agency under the talent development project “Athletics Talent”. This is the LLAF Young Talent Identification and Development Program, designed to discover and develop talented athletes with the greatest potential to achieve high results in athletics. The program is based on the Long-Term Athlete Education Strategy (IALS), which focuses on the sustainable development of athletes, ensuring that they reach their athletic maturity and high results only with proper preparation, avoiding the negative effects of early specialization. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n While most school-age youths spend their last days of vacation resting, a group of track and field athletes spent the ending summer at the “Athletics Talent” project camp in Kaunas. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":143554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lengvoji.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image00003-225x300.jpeg\")
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