Talented Athletes Research Articles

Identification of Special Talents in Swimming Pool Blitar District Towards PORPROV 2021 East Java

This special talent identification activity was aimed at Blitar Regency swimming athletes who were registered in the Blitar PRSI Pengcab District with the intention that netted talented athletes to represent Blitar Regency in the PORPROV 2021 event. The method of identifying special swimming sport talent was using the Anthropometry test and the Biomotor swimming component as many as 32 athletes. From the test results, seven male and seven female athletes were selected to be included in the Blitar Regency swimming team. This kind of activity should be carried out routinely, monitoring physical abilities should be carried out every six months and identifying special swimming sports talent is also aimed at junior athletes in the hope that the regeneration of swimming athletes in the Blitar Regency continues.

Talent Scouting Soccer Athletes Aged 10 to 11 Years

This study aims to develop a basic skills test model for exploring the talent of prospective KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years which is valid and reliable. This research is a research and development that adapts several research steps proposed by Borg & Gall (2007, p.590) as follows: (1) preliminary studies and data collection, (2) planning of research and development processes, (3) product validation , (4) product trials, (5) product revisions, (6) product implementation. Small-scale trials were carried out on 30 tests, and large-scale trials were carried out on 416 tests using cluster sampling techniques. The validity data analysis technique uses Pearson's Product Moment correlations and reliability using the Cronbach’s Alpha test-retest. Z score is used to equalize the unit form. The results of this research and development are in the form of a basic skills test model for talent search for KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years old. The test model is appropriate because it is declared valid and reliable, with a calculated value greater than the rtable value. The basic skills test model for talent tracking for KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years also produces scoring scales (norms) that are packaged in effective and efficient manuals and tutorials (CDs) and can be used as a guide for trainers on early childhood soccer coaching center in the process of searching for athletes with various levels of giftedness.

Open Categories in Sport: One Way to Decrease Discrimination

ABSTRACT Jane English, a pioneer in feminist sport philosophy, mentioned one simple idea that has received insufficient attention, but its consequences are of great importance for decreasing discrimination in sport. English suggested that female athletes should be allowed to ‘move up’ to the male category and compete against male athletes if they wished to. She drew this strategy from boxing, in which boxers in lower weight categories can choose to ‘move up’—to compete in a higher category (although this is not permitted in reverse—boxers cannot ‘move down’). This strategy could be used in other sports and for other categories, but it is not often chosen. It would suggest that talented athletes do not always need ‘category protection’—they do not need to be protected more than necessary, which raises the question of the justification of the category in the first place. On investigation, some justifications may have less to do with sport-rationality, than with reasons such as paternalism, ableism, ageism or sexism, or organizational reasons. I shall clarify the notion of ‘categories’ in sport, and distinguish four types of categories with respect to their openness: ‘open’ category, ‘semi-open’ category, ‘closed’ category, and ‘overlapping’ categories. This paper advocates the wider use of open and semi-open or at least overlapping categories (where possible), and it argues against the excessive use of closed categories—those made by prescribing set limits. The benefit is clear: athletes who are skilled enough to compete in the higher category should be allowed to ‘move up’, if they wish. With respect to sex/gender, this strategy would partly help to diminish the strength of the binary distinction, and so it can be considered a first and easy step towards a more integrated sport.

Isometric Strength in Volleyball Players of Different Age: A Multidimensional Model

Physical abilities modelling has a profound connection with long-term athlete development and talent identification. There is not enough data to support evidence about age-related changes in volleyball players’ isometric strength. This study aimed to define the age-related model of volleyball players multidimensional muscles’ contractile characteristics. The participants were divided according to gender (male n = 112, female n = 371) and according to age into four groups: under 15 (U15), under 17 (U17), under 19 (U19), and under 21 (U21) years old. Participants performed three isometric strength tests: handgrip, lumbar extensors, and ankle extensors. Maximal force and rate of force development results from all three tests were transformed into a single Score value as a representation of contractile potentials using principal component analysis. The main findings were that Score values of both genders showed significant differences between age groups (male: F = 53.17, p < 0.001; Female: F = 41.61, p < 0.001). Trends of those yearly changes were slightly more balanced for female subjects (3.9%) compared to male subjects (6.3%). These findings could help in strength training adjustments when working with volleyball players of a certain age, and enable coaches to detect ones that stand out positively, considering them as strong in regard to their age.

Talent and Creativity of Taekwondoists Winners of the 2016 Summer Olympics

Athletic talent and creativity are important for winning bouts in combat sports. The aim of the current study is to analyze technical–tactical actions performed by athletes of the 2016 Summer Olympics according to the outcome (winners and losers) of a given bout. A total of 2374 actions were analyzed. In this mixed-methods study, we used a nomothetic follow-up and multidimensional design. The results showed that winners scored one point through direct attacks to the chest. After scoring, athletes kicked with the back leg. In addition, they performed direct attacks prior to score one point, while cuts occurred after scoring. Three points were scored by spinning techniques and actions to the head, after which they kicked with the front leg. Cuts occurred prior to scoring three points, while direct attacks occurred after scoring. The creativity to score points emerged as a necessary characteristic of taekwondo athletes to win a bout. These results showed technical–tactical implications derived from the last modifications of the regulations of this sport, as well as the necessary adaptation of the athletes’ trainings in preparation for the next Olympic Games. It is suggested that coaches and psychologists train athletes in better decision-making and creative strategic planning in accordance with the successful patterns extracted in this study.

Challenges and [Possible] Solutions to Optimizing Talent Identification and Development in Sport.

The modern-day landscape of Olympic and Professional sport is arguably more competitive than ever. One consequence of this is the increased focus on identifying and developing early athletic talent. In this paper, we highlight key challenges associated with talent (athlete) identification and development and propose possible solutions that could be considered by research and practice. The first challenge focuses on clarifying the purposes of talent identification initiatives such as defining what talent is and how its meaning might evolve over time. Challenge two centers on ways to best identify, select and develop talent, including issues with different approaches to identification, the need to understand the impact of development and the need to have appropriate resourcing in the system to support continued development of knowledge. Finally, we discuss two challenges in relation to the ‘healthiness’ of talent identification and development. The first examines whether a talent identification and development system is ‘healthy’ for athletes while the second focuses on how sport stakeholders could discourage the apparent trend toward early specialization in youth sport settings. Whilst this paper discusses the research in relation to these challenges, we propose multiple possible solutions that researchers and practitioners could consider for optimizing their approach to talent identification and development. In summary, talent is a complex and largely misunderstood phenomenon lacking robust research evidence, and given concerns that it is potentially unhealthy, talent identification and selection at younger ages is not recommended.

ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PHYSICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AMONG STUDENTS AGED 10-12 YEARS IN ALBANIA

One of the major problems of Albania in this day and age is sedentary life characterizing children, a phenomenon which is observed in this age group in most parts of the world. However, the factors leading to this phenomenon in Albania seem to be of a different nature, as compared to those responsible in most developed countries. In general, a number of factors, such as lack of sports facilities, low economic development of the country and other social factors hinder the participation in physical activity and sport of young children living in rural and urban areas in Albania. While in urban areas technological advance also amounts to some extent to fewer and fewer children engaging in physical activities and sports in urban areas. The study aimed to assess anthropometric and physical skills development of students aged 10-12 years living in rural and urban areas of Albania, and further examine the indicators obtained in order to study how these two groups of children compare to each other. The data gathered through this study are indispensable in revealing the level of obesity, physical preparation and identifying talented athletes. 641 students coming from the primary and secondary school systems were subjected to standard anthropometric measurements (weight/height/BMI) and standard physical fitness tests (push-up, high jump, long jump, horizontal stretch, 30m dash, shuttle run 112 m). Based on BMI standards for children of this age group, it can be observed that children living in rural areas demonstrate a growth in body mass which is within the optimal range level for both boys and girls. Even the physical fitness indicators tested speak for a bigger development of children coming from rural areas as compared to their peers living in the city.

Construct validity and reliability of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire in Caribbean youth track and field athletes.

Caribbean nations stand to benefit significantly from the potential insights that can be gained from the assessment of their athlete talent development environments; which in turn can lead to the formulation of evidence-based strategies and improvements to their sport development pathways. The principal aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the 25-item TDEQ-5 to determine its validity to assess the development environments of talented youth track and field athletes from six English-speaking Caribbean countries. As a secondary aim, we sought to examine athletes’ perceptions of their talent development environment within this context. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed adequate model fit of a re-specified model and good overall internal reliability of the scale, therefore offering support for its use within this context. Furthermore, adequate construct validity and internal reliability was found within three subscales (i.e., communication, holistic quality preparation and support network) with subpar scores within two subscales (i.e., long-term development focus and alignment of expectations). Preliminary findings on athletes’ perceptions of their environment revealed key strengths in coaches’ long-term development focus and communication, however deficiencies were noted in the accessibility and availability of sport-related support and preparation of athletes. In conclusion, the re-specified TDEQ-5 with 25 items appears to be a reliable and valid measure within the Caribbean context. However, it is recommended that the scale be used with some caution with regard to the interpretation of results for the ‘long-term development focus’ and ‘alignment of expectations’ subscales.

The Value of Metacognitive Skills and Intrinsic Motivation for Current and Future Sport Performance Level in Talented Youth Athletes

Purpose: In order to spend training time efficiently, insight in factors that relate to the development of sport performance is highly relevant for competitive athletes and their trainers/coaches. Purpose is to unravel the value of metacognitive skills (MCS) and intrinsic motivation for current and future sport performance level. Methods: Talented youth athletes (n = 103) active in field hockey, basketball and soccer filled in questionnaires for IM and MCS. Level of sport performance was expressed by an adjusted version of the formula for Eliteness of Swann et al. (2015). Correlations between IM, MCS and current sport performance level were calculated and followed by structural equation modelling and regression analysis. For a subsample (n = 41), level of performance was also determined one year later (“future performance level”). Results: Results show that, in contrast to IM (r = -.10), MCS are positively related to current sport performance level (r = .33, p p p < .05) and 18% in future performance level can be explained by MCS. Conclusion: MCS are positively related to sport performance level in youth athletes, not only in the here and now, but even more over one year. With IM as underlying factor, using MCS and especially reflection, may help youth athletes to improve their sport performance.

ПЕРЕВАГИ «СПОРТИВНИХ РЕГІОНІВ» У ПОШУКУ І ВИХОВАННІ ЮНИХ ТАЛАНТІВ

Introduction. Gymnasts Yu. Yermakov, I. Korobchynsky, G. Milutin, L. Podkopaeva, O. Svitlychnyi returned from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with awards of various kinds, and O. Beresh, R. Mezentsev and O. Svitlychnyi returned from Sydney-2000. Represented Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In general, gymnasts won 2 gold medals, and a total of 4 gold (i.e., 50,0%), 5 silver, 5 silver (100,0%), 5 bronze, 8 bronze total (62,5%). However, at the next Games, this trend is interrupted, which can be attributed to the disappearance of the former, regional gymnastics «coaching school». Although researchers consider the role of the state and federations, but the authors pay little attention to the place of the regional aspect in the development of the sport. Research purpose - scientifically substantiate ways to solve the problem of improving the efficiency of the use of «sports regions» for the development of a particular Olympic sport. Research methods and materials. Methods of theoretical research are used (generalization of literature, materials from the Internet, abstraction, idealization, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction). Results. The National Olympic Training System (NOTS) is a structural entity integrated into the practice of longterm training of highly qualified athletes, which is a set of the most important interrelated elements of organizational and methodological nature, arranged in such a way as to ensure the most talented athletes in the Olympics. The emergence of the national team, the honor of which they defend, to the leading positions. When analyzing the functioning and development of NOTS, it is necessary to identify regional units that have the priority of independence in choosing management decisions for the development of their territorial entities, which in addition to the selected national Olympic strategy implement this Olympic strategy taking into account the conditions of the region. Objective influence of demographic and socio-economic factors on the success of the Olympic training systems allows approaching the understanding of the limits of subjective (organizational and methodological) impact on improving its quality. Therefore, to plan measures to modernize the systems of long-term Olympic training without a reliable forecast of the return on significant targeted financial investments and time-consuming organizational and methodological changes is irrational. Conclusions. 1. Research has shown that quality training of the Olympic reserve in any country at different stages of long-term sports development should be a full part of the national system of Olympic training (NOTS) and Ukraine is no exception to this recognized approach. 2. It is established that the assessment and use of objectively existing influence of demographic and socio-economic factors on the success of the Olympic training systems allows to approach the understanding of the limits of subjective (organizational and methodological) impact on improving its quality. It is irrational to plan measures to modernize the systems of long-term Olympic training without a reliable justification for the return on additional financial investments and time-consuming organizational and methodological transformations.3. A number of researchers representing the countries formed in the former Soviet Union, mainly from the Russian Federation, have deeply studied the peculiarities of the development of a particular sport in the regions as part of the NOTS. Some approaches and directions to improve the development of sports on the example of athletics were substantiated. The authors include the Republic of Mordovia in the regions of Russia that are advanced in terms of organizational and methodological support for training Olympians in summer sports: it is a clear leader that far surpasses other regions and competitors in terms of Moscow, Tomsk, Volgograd and Rostov regions. Meanwhile, despite the recognition of the important role of martial arts in winning awards at major international competitions, the topic of their modern development in the regions has remained unnoticed by scientists. 4. On the example of athletics it is proved that two main Olympic strategies are currently in conflict. One of them is typical for countries with long traditions in it, which use their competitive advantage in a developed material and technical base, a significant number of people involved in athletics, as well as a well-established system of longterm Olympic reserve training (European and North American countries). Another strategy is in developing countries, which rely on the high sports and genetic potential of their athletes and actively use in their training the organizational and methodological capabilities of traditional athletics centers, which is promising for the development of sports in Ukraine. 5. Submitted with a sufficient degree of evidence indicates the objective need for research to justify the development of martial arts in Ukraine, using the significant sports and genetic potential of our athletes, as well as strengthening the capabilities of ever-growing regions. Keywords: sports region, national system of Olympic training, sports reserve, Olympic reserve, sports and genetic potential of the region.

“I Can’t Teach You to Be Taller”: How Canadian, Collegiate-Level Coaches Construct Talent in Sport

Talent identification and development are two of the most critical, yet underexplored, areas in sport sciences. Despite its importance to a host of sport stakeholders, there is a void in our understanding of how coaches construct talent. In an effort to learn more, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine (one female and eight male) collegiate-level coaches from a single Canadian institution. Social constructionism was utilized as the theoretical framework to guide this research. Reflexive thematic analysis generated two main themes: “what talent looks like” and “how talent behaves.” For the former, two subthemes, physical and psychological attributes, were highlighted through the coaches’ experiences as qualities they believe talented athletes may present. The latter reflected opinions that talent may be multidimensional and context-specific in nature. Interestingly, the coaches suggested the context and circumstances of collegiate sport may nudge them to consider other elements (i.e., academic standing, years to degree completion) during talent identification that are unique to this context. Future work in this area could seek to study other populations of coaches to provide a deeper analysis of how talent is situated in relation to different sociocultural worlds.

Exploring the Life Form of a Student Athlete Afforded by a Dual Career Development Environment in Finland

The current paper introduces a case study conducted in one of the most well-established athletic talent development environments in Finland, with the focus on the environment’s ecological dynamics and organizational culture, in light of its recent effort to rebrand itself as a dual career development environment. Our analysis has been inspired by the holistic ecological approach and ecological dynamics, wherein the authors have considered a dual career development environment from the point of view of its transactions with agentic individuals and affordances for student athletes in the study domain, the sports domain, and the private domain. The authors believe our findings can provide other sports environments with insight into what to consider when transforming the organizational culture of an environment to better aid their student athletes in realizing their dual career goals.

Operation Varsity Blues: Disguising the legal capital exchanges and white property interests in athletic admissions

“Operation Varsity Blues” (OVB) indicted coaches and administrators from eight universities for accepting bribes in exchange for admitting fraudulent athletes. As part of the conspiracy parents paid university officials to admit students with little-to-no sport experience as college athletes. Court filings in the case contrasted OVB to the legal process of athletic recruitment and admission in which universities set different criteria to admit those with athletic talent (Smith, 2019a). This conceptual article cautions against such a contrast. Using Harris’ (1993) whiteness as property, Bourdieu’s (2011) capital exchange theory, and findings from my research into athletic recruitment and admission, I examine how OVB closely resembles current athletic admissions practices that provide a legal pathway to college that privileges white, elite communities.

Description of Paralympic Athletic Talent Development Environment

Introduction: The contemporary studies seek to describe the appropriate environments for athletic talent development by changing procedure instead of talent identification, which is a tedious process that sometimes does not yield the desirable result. Accordingly, some studies have described the athletic talent development environment, but only a few studies have described Paralympic athletic talent development environment. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe Para-Asian and Paralympic athletic talent development environment. Materials and Methods: The current research was a descriptive-correlational study. The study participants consisted of 150 athletes (46 women and 104 men) who participated in the teenage and youth Para-Asian and Paralympic games between the years 2014-2018. The participants were selected using convenience sampling method. In this study, Talent Development Environment Questionnaire for Sport was used. This questionnaire comprises seven subscales: “long-term development focus”, “quality preparation”, “communication”, “understanding the athlete”, “support network”, “challenging and supportive environment”, and “long-term development fundamentals”. The obtained data were analyzed using one-sample t test. Results: The means of the four subscales of “long-term development focus” (P = 0.001), “communication” (P = 0.001), “challenging and supportive environment” (P = 0.001), and “long-term development fundamentals” (P = 0.001), were higher than average. The means of the two subscales of “support network” (P = 0.450) and “understanding the athlete” (P = 0.360) were at a moderate level. The mean of “quality preparation” (P = 0.035) was less than average. Conclusion: In talent development environment for athletes with disability, more attention should be paid to providing the athletes with continuous and always-available support of coaching staff as well as services and facilities. Additionally, the coaches should pay more attention to the athlete’s physical and mental health; so that the athlete feels his/her health is important to the coach.

Psychological Skills and Characteristics Facilitative of Youth Athletes’ Development: A Systematic Review

Research has identified psychological skills and characteristics (PSCs) perceived to facilitate talented youth athletes’ development. However, no systematic categorization or synthesis of these PSCs exists to date. To provide such synthesis, this systematic review aimed to identify PSCs perceived as facilitative of talented youth athletes’ development, group and label synonymous PSCs, and categorize PSCs based on definitions established by Dohme, Backhouse, Piggott, and Morgan (2017). PRISMA systematic-review guidelines were employed and a comprehensive literature search of SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and ERIC completed in November 2017. Twenty-five empirical studies published between 2002 and 2017 met the inclusion criteria. Through thematic analysis, 19 PSCs were identified as facilitative of youth athletes’ development—8 were categorized as psychological skills (e.g., goal setting, social-support seeking, and self-talk) and 11 as psychological characteristics (e.g., self-confidence, focus, and motivation). The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Motivations and barriers that impact Lebanese Athletes’ achievements at the Olympics

Purpose In the presence of limited financial resources, developing countries such as Lebanon often allocate small budgets to the sports sector. Even more, the Lebanese Government lacks a strategic approach that is necessary for any nation to achieve elite sport success. This study aims to assess the motivations and barriers that impact Lebanese athletes’ achievements at the Olympics by addressing the factors that affect such participation. Two main aspects were put into the study: lack of governmental support and sponsorship. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the barriers that hinder achievement by Lebanese Olympians in their International participation with an emphasis on the factors that affect their performance whether positively or negatively. The methodology consisted of a set of survey questions filled by 50 Lebanese athletes and 4 interviews conducted with Lebanese Olympians to make use of their experience and insight regarding such barriers and how to best boost motivation among young and potential talent. Findings The findings shed light on the limited Lebanese Olympic participation; out of the 17 participation (226 Olympians in total), only 4 Olympians won medals for the country; the past victory was 38 years ago. The reasons as reached are mainly due to the lack of government support and the inability of athletes to secure-related sponsors. Specifically, a lack of governmental support has a negative correlation with athletes’ achievements in international contests. Moreover, the inability of athletes to secure the financial support, in the form of sponsorship, necessary for the training, preparation and all the way to participation. Research limitations/implications The study revealed a lack of active participation from the government in nurturing skill and elevating talented athletes’ chance to achieve in the Olympics. The main factor that this study was able to identify is the lack of an official body to manage the nurturing, training, financial support up to participation of the athletes in the international events. Practical implications The study highlighted the importance of training camps and consistent improvement to performance. While these two require extensive investment and devotion, athletes on their own cannot afford to fulfill the requirements without the support of the government; the latter being almost absent. Originality/value The insights provided through this study address the importance of sponsorship and government support in athletes’ achievements. It shed light on areas that are nonexistent for the Lebanese case and provided practical recommendations that if applied, would increase the chances of Lebanon in competing effectively in the international arena.

Badminton Achievment Coaching for Early Childhood in PB Djarum Kudus (Human Resource Management Study, Finance Management, Training Method, Tools and Infrastructures)

This research was aimed to know the tools and infrastructures in PB Djarum Kudus. The type of the research used qualitative research method with case study research type. The subject of the research were athletes, coaches, and management of PB Djarum Kudus. The data collection technique used were interview and observation. The collected data were analyzed by using data reduction technique, data presentment, and conclusion drawing or data verification.The result of the interview and observation which has been done, obtained results that the badminton sport tools and infrastructures owned by PB Djarum Kudus club was very good. Moreover, the planning and procurement of the club tools and infrastructure were done programmatically.According to the results obtained, it could be concluded that the tools and infrastructures owned by PB Djarum Kudus were very adequate. This matter was seen from the availability of tools and infrastructures provided in PB Djarum Kudus were very complete. With this adequate facilities, it could ease the process of coaching the early childhood in PB Djarum Kudus, so it could produce good and talented athletes.

Study Regarding the Somatic and Psycho-Motor Skills for the Track and Field Initial Selection

The selection of children with a very good psycho-motor potential was and still is a permanent occupation of the experts in the field. One can notice a permanent preoccupation for finding useful standards, scales, and models necessary to spot athletic talents. The selection criteria for track and field, in the initial stage, are primarily motor. They consisted in control challenges and norms through which the coaches, throughout their careers using their experience, have designed their own models on the way in which running or a future champion should be. They have created their own standards for the tests applied to the children, through which they assess the children's skills and their own conception regarding the workload.

Anthropometric Profile of Elite Azerbaijani Senior Greco-Roman Wrestlers

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the anthropometric profile of elite Azerbaijani senior Greco-Roman wrestlers. Material: Twenty three elite level wrestlers in the preparation camp of national team of Azerbaijan (age 27.21 ± 2.71 years, weight 81.36 ± 19.30 kg and training experience 8.5±3 years) participated in this study as subjects. Body composition features including body mass, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM) and body fat and anthropometric indices: girth, breadth, SUM of skinfolds in 8 points based on the international society for the advancement of kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocol, basic variables including stretch stature and somatotype have been measured. Results: The mean and standard deviations of the measurements of elite Azerbaijani senior Greco-Roman wrestlers were: stretch stature (172.85 ± 8.37 cm), body mass index (26.76 ± 3.79 lean body mass (73.66 ± 14.41), body fat (8.69 ± 4.46), waist girth (81.76 ± 8.85), gluteal girth (98.2 ± 8.39), arm girth relaxed (34.19 ± 3.82), arm girth flexed and tensed (36.39 ± 3.66), calf girth (38.64 ± 4.13), humerus breadth (7.24 ± 0.61), femur breadth (10.09 ± 0.75), SUM of skinfold at 8 points (58.19 ±32.44), somatotype: endomorphy (2.01 ± 1.05), mesomorphy (6.94±1/23), ectomorphy (1/19 ±0/66). Conclusions: Access to the anthropometric profile of elite wrestlers helps coaches to identify talented athletes and then assist them to lead their wrestlers to achieve superiority and elation by principled and scientific planning.

The Underpinning of Technical Training of Talented male Football athletes From 11 To 12 Years Old After A Training Year

The aim of this was to underpin technical training in football players 11-12 years old.For improving technical skills in football players, sixty three talented male Vietnamfootball players 11-12 years old have participated in this quasi-experimental study.After modifying the complex of technical tests by our research group, the technicaltraining was underpinned due to their mistakes in technical skills. The quality andquantity of techniques were improved after designed technical training in this age.