6.2 - Development of elite performers in sport

Question 1

What affects the progression of a performer from tslent identification to elite performance?

Answer 1

Personal, social and cultural factors.

Question 2

What are the personal factors and qualities necessary to develop as an elite performer?

Answer 2

• Commitment and self-discipline.
• Determination to succeed as well as being single-minded and mentally tough.
• Highly motivated with the desire to achieve.
• Willing to self-sacrifice in order to succeed.
• High pain tolerance.
• High levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy.
• Highly skilled physically and/or naturally talented.
• High level of physical fitness.

Question 3

What is talent identification?

Answer 3

The multi-disciplinary screening of athletes in order to identify those with the potential for world class success.

Question 4

What does elite mean?

Answer 4

The best, highest level sports performers at ‘excellence’ level.

Question 5

What are personal qualities?

Answer 5

The attributes and personality characteristics of an individual person.

Question 6

What is a mentor?

Answer 6

An individual who helps and guides another person’s development (e.g. Olympic silver medal-winning diver Leon Taylor acted as a mentor to Tom Daley in the run-up to London 2012 and Rio 2016).

Question 7

What is socio-economic status?

Answer 7

An individual’s position in the social structure, which depends on their job, level of income and area they live in.

Question 8

What is sexism?

Answer 8

Discrimination on the basis of sex/gender (i.e. whether an individual is male or female).

Question 9

What is sports equity?

Answer 9

Fairness in sport; equality of access for all; recognising inequalities in sport and taking steps to address them.

Question 10

What are the social and cultural factors and qualities necessary to develop as an elite performer?

Answer 10

• High socio-economic status.
• Evidence of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice within a sport and setting of equity targets.
• High quality, supportive educational provision.
• Structured levels of competition to progress through.
• High levels of media coverage and role models to aspire to.

Question 11

What is a national governing body (NGB)?

Answer 11

An organisation which has responsibility for managing its own particular sport (e.g. England Netball).

Question 12

What three organisations do we need to know about when considering talent identification and elite performer progression?

Answer 12

UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport (EIS)(And other NISs) and the national governing bodies of sport (NGBs).

Question 13

What is the role and purpose of UK Sport?

Answer 13

• Develop high performance sport.
• Distribute national lottery funding.
• To NGBs - world class performance.
• To athletes - Athlete personal award.
• To NIS (national institutes of sport).
• Runs talent ID programmes.
• Positive sporting conduct.

Question 14

What are the benefits of UK Sport?

Answer 14

• Maximise performance of UK athletes.
• Funding.
• World class coaches.
• Spots talent and supports it.

Question 15

What is the role and purpose of National Institutes of Sport (NIS)?

Answer 15

• Provides services to NGBs such as performance analysis and sports medicine.
• Increase the probability of a potential elite athlete being successful by providing a range of different services to improve their health, fitness, training and preparation.
• Performance lifestyle support.
• Organisations work in partnership with EIS and UK Sport.
• They provide facilities an high level coaches.

Question 16

What are the benefits of National Institutes of Sport (NIS)?

Answer 16

• Funding.
• High quality facilities and coaches.
• Support for athletes on lifestyle, training and through injury.
• Performance pathways - Talent ID, recruitment and progression.