The Junior Competitive Pathway diagram takes a closer look at the development stages of LTPD, first outlined in the framework diagram on the previous page. The eight development stages provide a general outline of how and when males and females should be progressing through the various stages of development. The age ranges – which may vary depending on the athlete – are based on both scientific developmental research as well as in-depth data analysis. It is important to note age ranges are slightly different between males and females as the athlete matures. Research has shown that the competitive pathway for males typically takes four to six years longer than that of females. Additional information can be found here.