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Talent Identification and Selection in Sport
Robert M. Malina, Director, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports
Most parents would like to see their child/children experience success in sport. ... The progression from initial youth sport experiences to more elite levels is complex. It involves some degree of identification and selection of talented individuals at virtually all levels of youth sports. However, the process may also involve more formal identification and selection of individuals who presumably have the skill, physical, and behavioral requisites for success in a given sport. ...
Within specific programs, local officials and coaches commonly sort youngsters by age and skill level (and body size in some sports) in order to ensure an equitable distribution of talent across teams in a league, and thus equalize competition and reduce the risk of injury. As some programs become more competitive and specialized, identification and selection of talented youngsters occurs both informally (e. ...
Elite Programs
Some programs emphasize the elite and have as their objective the identification and subsequent training of youngsters with potential for success in regional, national and/or international competition - the so-called high performance sports. The identification and selection process often begins early, is rather systematic, and is done in some sports long before the child is capable of making a decision, or is allowed to make the decision whether or not to participate in the sport.
The identification and selection process for high performance sports may take several forms. ... Unfortunately, only the incredibly small number of successful athletes who have gone through these systematic sport selection programs are highlighted in the national and international sporting media. ... One wonders if they still participate in sport after having failed in the selection process. ...
Eastern European Selection Programs
Although there is variation by sport, the general pattern of identification and selection refined in many Eastern European countries is often highlighted by the media as underlying the success of athletes from these countries in Olympic competitions. ...
These identification and selection programs include initial evaluation of motor (skill), physical (size, body build), and behavioral (coachability) characteristics of large numbers of children, very often in state-run schools. The timing of evaluation varies by sport and the process involves several stages. For example, the initial identification and selection for several sports, e. ... , retention for further specialized training, varies with sport, e. ... Selection is based on the assumption that the requisites for a given sport can be identified at a young age and subsequently perfected through specific training. The process of selection is ongoing as the youngster adapts to the instructional and training programs, as well as the social and emotional demands of the special programs. The success or failure of a talent identification and selection program is dependent upon the balance between the child¹s ability and the demands of the sport and sports system.
Approximate Word count = 2230
Approximate Pages = 8.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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