Talent ID (year 2) Flashcards
what is talent?
Talent: “The quality (or qualities) identified at an earlier time that promotes (or predicts) exceptionality at a future time”
•Talent refers to an individual’s potential for success in a given domain…if they achieve it is not guaranteed
in what way is talent a combination of physical and psychological skills:
- Presence/absence of specific genetic markers deemed important for success
- Acquired psychological skills that facilitate an athlete’s navigation through athletic development pathways
what is talent ID?
•Talent identification is, “the process of recognising and selecting players who show potential to excel at a more advanced level of competition”
how is talent ID done?
- Identify key abilities and performance characteristics
- Develop/identify tests for these abilities
- Carry out tests
- Select children based on these test results and provide them with opportunities
developing talent
•Talent Development is the provision of the most appropriate (i.e., facilitative) environments for athletes to accelerate their learning and performance
developing talent involves what?
- High quality and intensive training programmes
- Aim to adapt and prepare the athlete
- Accelerate pathway for adaptation (if not present then it’s not a talent development pathway)
talent and children’s development: development is a combo of what?
- Development is a combination of experience and maturation
* Children with more experience may seem more talented
talent and children’s development: Children’s cognitive, physical and social development may what?
- Children’s cognitive, physical and social development may occur at different rates
- Children’s rate of development may make them seem more talented
qualities of sporting talent: Inate?
Qualities are present at birth…which distinguishes it from skill which is learnt behaviours that may be influenced by talent
qualities of sporting talent: Multi-dimensional?
Improvement of skills and capabilities in a range of areas.
qualities of sporting talent: Emergenic?
Arising from the interaction between more or less genetic properties
qualities of sporting talent: Dynamic?
Process of development evolves over time due to interactions with the environment
qualities of sporting talent: Symbiotic?
Value of any given characteristic is determined by a host of other contextual factors
Assumptions of Talent Identification: Talent is identifiable
–Is it possible to identify potential and measure it?
Assumptions of Talent Identification: Adult performance can be predicted by earlier performance
–In some sports anthropometric and physical tests have predicted significant portion of elite status, but only in certain types of sports
–Assume that you can extrapolate backwards from elite performers
characteristics and they’re skills. what are the strategies?
Focus/Concentration: Good coping skills:
Commitment to excellence: Greater emotional control:
Unshakeable confidence: Automaticity:
Determination/motivation: Attentional Control:
Imagery/Visualization
Positive self-talk
Goal Setting
Competition Plan
characteristics and they’re skills, what are the strategies?
Competitiveness: Managing mistakes:
Emotional Regulation: Effective dealing with pain:
Body Awareness: Remaining in control:
Resilience/Bounceback: Self-awareness:
Emphasis fun/enjoyment
Task-focus
Environmental control
Success management
characteristics and they’re skills, what are the strategies:
Optimism: Distraction Preparation:
Adaptive perfectionism: Goal-orientations:
Transition management
Competition Simulation
So Why Do We Engage in Talent Identification?
- Allocation of resources
- Access to the ‘best’ coaches & facilities
- Reduced financial burden for parents
- Individualised training programmes
- Provision of opportunities
- Opportunities for early sporting success
Potential Pitfalls/Challenges Associated with Talent Identification
Maturation Status:
- Children of the same age might be biologically, psychologically, socially at different developmental stages
- Usually refers to biological status – early, average, late
- Early maturation associated with enhanced ability on physical tests
Maturation Status
Psychological and social maturation could influence performance at ID day:
- Some children might be able to cope with the challenge, while others might not
- Some children might be coming from a socially supportive environment while others might not
- Development could influence ability to understand instruction, carry out new tasks, complete multiple tasks
what must you consider with Maturation Status & Talent ID?
- Need to consider the interrelationships between person, task performed and environment
- Must take account of biological and cognitive developmental stage
- Tasks children are being asked to perform
- Environment being created for the talent ID session
Relative Age Effect: what is it and how does it have an effect on sport?
- Relative age effects exist when lots of people want to play the sport
- E.G., Likely to be more of an issue regarding football in the UK but not an issue in curling?
- Relative age effects exist when big emphasis placed on winning and identifying talent
- E.G., With more focus on winning medals at the Olympics we’ll likely start to see more relative age effects
- Relative age effects exist when sport success largely influenced by physical size
- E.G., With more focus on winning medals at the Olympics we’ll likely start to see more relative age effects
what is the underdog hypothesis?
To be competitive and/or be retained in youth sports programmes, relatively younger and/or late maturing players must either possess and/or develop superior technical, tactical and psychological skills.
- Comparatively greater challenge is experienced by relatively younger and later maturing players is thought to necessitate and/or encourage the development of these attributes
- Becomes apparent during late adolescent/early adulthood
- But only if they are selected/retained in programmes in the first place.
