Abstract
This article is rooted in an understanding of talent as something you do rather than something you either are or have. Talent is hereby seen as a phenomenon that comes into being through actions, rather than as an individualized, inherent capacity. Our perspective is informed by new materialist concepts that analyse talent development as an assemblage. Based on a case study focusing on Jamie, an injured badminton player, we argue that talent development produces a number of affects: it translates potential into a singular talent; it enables the conversion of talent into expertise; it turns doubt into belief; and it impedes other ways of coming into being for the athlete under development. The study provides insight into the micropolitics of talent development and into the ontological, pedagogical and ethical implications for the athlete and all the other actors entangled in a talent assemblage.
Highlights
On perusal of Jamie’s track record, one would be inclined to declare him a talent: as a junior, he has won three national badminton championships in singles, doubles and mixed doubles; he has played for the national team, and he has participated in international competitions, won medals in various elite tournaments in Denmark and attended a special class for elite athletes for three years
We introduce a number of key neo-materialist concepts to a theoretical and empirical field where they have not previously been applied in order to gain new analytical insights and understandings of the phenomena of talent and talent development
If we regard the national team as an assemblage, it is not a case of Jamie not performing as required, Badminton Denmark withdrew one of the 10-12 national talent positions they administer from Jamie and awarded it to another player who they considered better able to enact talent at an elite national level
Summary
On perusal of Jamie’s track record, one would be inclined to declare him a talent: as a junior, he has won three national badminton championships in singles, doubles and mixed doubles; he has played for the national team, and he has participated in international competitions, won medals in various elite tournaments in Denmark and attended a special class for elite athletes for three years. He swept the board in national competitions in his age group, which convinced the national team that he had the potential to participate in international competitions He was awarded a place as a talent in a sports class, based on an assessment by his local club in collaboration with the national federation, Badminton Denmark, that Jamie had the talent to join the ranks of the senior elite. If we regard the national team as an assemblage, it is not a case of Jamie not performing as required, Badminton Denmark (the national federation) withdrew one of the 10-12 national talent positions they administer from Jamie and awarded it to another player who they considered better able to enact talent at an elite national level.
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