APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020 , Vol . 6
Introduction In 2018 / 2019 , UK Coaching conducted a qualitative research study to understand how best to maximise the potential of people in sport . The study builds on previous research conducted in the field of talent development environments in sport , in order to understand the current UK context .
The aims of the research were :
• To identify the characteristics of high-quality development environments .
• To understand the individual needs of coaches and athletes .
• To explore the issues / challenges across the pathway .
The research captured insights from over 12 different sports and explored the entire pathway , from entry level through to high performance .
In this study , environments refer to the diverse range of physical settings , spaces , contexts , and cultures in which athletes learn and develop in sport . Throughout the main body of this paper environments are referred to as learning and development environments and athletes are referred to as learners , to emphasise this point .
This paper presents a summary of the key research findings , with a specific focus on the characteristics of high-quality learning and development environments .
Context Every year , millions of children and young people take part in organised sport . A small number will transition to senior , elite levels of performance , but most will not . For decades , sport scientists have endeavoured to understand the unique characteristics of elite athletes , and how some young athletes make the successful transition to the senior elite level . Within professional sport , talent identification and development has become big business ( Wolstencroft , 2002 ; Martindale , Collins and Abraham , 2007 ). As such , identifying and developing young people with world-class potential has become an imperative goal for many sports organisations ( Coutinho , Mesquita and Fonseca 2016 ).
While the terms talent identification and talent development are often used interchangeably , they are different constructs , as defined in Box 1 .
Box 1
Talent identification ( or talent selection ) describes the process of recognising and selecting players who show potential to excel at a more advanced level of competition ( Cobley , Schorer and Baker , 2012 ).
Talent development refers to the provision of the most appropriate ( i . e ., facilitative ) environments for athletes to accelerate their learning and performance ( Abbott and Collins , 2004 ).
Many professional sports bodies have adopted schemes to identify and develop athletic talent , and pathways have become increasingly systematised in recent years . Yet , concerns have been raised over the impact of these systems on athletes ’ health and wellbeing , with questions raised about their overall effectiveness ( Ford et al , 2011 ; Güllich and Emrich , 2012 ; Vaeyens et al , 2009 ). Bailey et al ( 2010 ) argue that with regards to talent development , current performance is a poor indicator of ability , since individual development is the result of an interaction between inherited abilities , and a host of other influences , such as training , support , parental investment and societal values .
Although extensive amounts of research have been conducted into the identification and development of athletic talent , the research has largely focused on individual characteristics ( physical attributes , psychological traits ) and external influences ( role of coaches , parents , peers ). Recent research has highlighted the importance of the broader context or talent development environment in which athletes develop ( eg Mathorne , Henriksen and Stambulova , 2020 ; Martindale and Mortimer , 2011 ; Mills et al , 2014 ). Research suggests that athletes need more conducive development environments to maximise their full potential ( Abbott and Collins , 2004 ; Williams and Reilly , 2000 ) and thus more focus should be placed on identifying and enhancing environmental factors ( Bailey et al , 2011 ).
Various environmental , ecological or holistic models have been proposed ( eg Henriksen 2010 ; Henriksen , Stambulova , and Roessler 2010 ; Henriksen and Stambulova , 2017 ; Martindale , Collins and Daubney , 2005 ) and a wide range of potential factors that affect talent development have been identified
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