Talent Development Environment Research Articles

Riding the wave: a prospective exploration of the temporal impact of perceived challenges on the development of relatively early high performing national-level youth soccer players

Research investigating the challenges experienced by high-performing athletes throughout development has predominantly used retrospective designs. Consequently, there is limited empirical and prospective data to inform the temporal dimensions of these experiences and their perceived impact on development. Therefore, this investigation sought to prospectively explore the temporal impact of perceived challenges on the development of six national-level youth footballers during their entrance into, and first season in, a selective national talent development environment. Participants engaged in monthly semi-structured interviews over a season, with data analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings demonstrated that each player’s experience in the national system was characterised by exposure to significant biopsychosocial challenges. The dynamics of these challenges were highly individualised, with variations in the temporal nature, emotional disturbance, and the psycho-behavioural skills deployed to navigate such challenges. Within the national system, the perceived judgement and the ongoing selection and deselection processes were a pervasive feature of each player’s experience, presenting significant challenge across the season. Yet, the temporal impact of this challenge varied among players. In practice, we advocate for talent systems to adopt a personalised approach to managing challenges faced by athletes and to recognise the individualised nature of the temporal impact of such challenges.

Examining football players' perceived social support across organizational levels and its links to holistic talent development outcomes in German youth academies

Sport research highlights the significance of supportive relationships and a psychologically safe environment for promoting desirable talent development outcomes associated with young athletes' performance, wellbeing, and personal development. Against this background, this study aimed to investigate youth football players' perceived availability of different kinds of social support from various stakeholders along the talent pathway in German elite youth academies (1). It further sought to examine the link of such social support perceptions to wellbeing, sport commitment and individual performance satisfaction as relevant development outcomes (2). Finally, the study examined potential mechanism underlying these associations by considering psychological safety as a potential mediator (3). For this purpose, N = 271 youth academy players participating in teams of under-13s, under-15s, and under-17/19s age groups completed a multi-section online survey including the PASS-Q, PsySafety-Check, and WHO-5 as well as subscales of the ASQ (i.e., individual performance satisfaction) and YSCS (i.e., sport commitment). Multivariate analyses indicated significant differences in players' perceptions of social support depending on its kind and provider as well as on players' age group. Further, path models highlighted the importance of emotional and esteem support provided by coaches and management for players' talent development outcomes. However, psychological safety seemed to only play a minor role within those associations, partially mediating the effects of emotional support. Overall, these findings encourage a critical reflection of youth players' social support needs and opportunities to optimally address those within elite youth academies as prominent talent development environments in football.

Nurturing Football Talent: A Conceptual Framework for Talent Development Environment

ABSTRACT The environment is believed to play a crucial role in developing sport talents. Over the past two decades, a great deal of research has been carried out on sport talent development environment (TDE). However, few theoretical frameworks are dedicated to helping understand the TDE in a particular sport. Seeking a better understanding of the TDE in football, also known as “soccer” in North America, this study proposes a novel environmental framework that takes particular account of the situational characteristics of football, using a conceptual framework analysis. The framework is organized hierarchically with two main factors: sport and non-sport domains. The sport factor is further divided into four sub-factors: football coach, interaction with teammates, football training, and football competition. Academic and family support are identified as two sub-factors of the non-sport factor. This two-domain and six-factor TDE framework can help improve the understanding of the application of the TDE factors in the football context and thus optimize the football talent development practice.

Exploring an athletic talent development environment in China: A case study of a sport-friendly high school

This case study utilized the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to explore a successful athletic talent development environment (ATDE) in China. As a case, we selected a basketball team in one Shanghai sport-friendly high school with outstanding individual and team achievements and aimed at (a) describing the ATDE, and (b) identifying environmental success factors (ESF). Using participant observations, document analysis, informal talks, and formal interviews with key stakeholders, including coaches, teachers, athletes, and administrators from sports and education departments, we derived the ATDE and ESF empirical models. The findings showed that (a) the ATDE demonstrated effective interactions between macro- and micro-levels, and (b) the experienced head coach, dedicated assistant coach, and support from athletes’ parents contributed to overcoming barriers of preconditions (e.g., limited financial and human resources) within the environment. Further, a coherent and robust cultural paradigm led by the head coach helped the environment maintain its success for a long period. Although some features are similar to successful ATDEs in other countries, unique characteristics (e.g., not prioritizing athletes’ autonomy) specific to this ATDE within the Chinese cultural context have been identified. Our findings supplement current studies on ATDEs using the HEA and reflect the environment within Chinese context, offering insights for researchers and practitioners.

Developing athletes into cooperative learners: the potential in viewing coaches as educators and coaching as teaching

ABSTRACT Talent development environments are usually group-based, meaning athletes comprise each other’s learning context. Consequently, athletes’ ability to learn with and from each other is essential. This implies that there is a key role for coaches to play in cultivating reciprocal, cooperative athletes and creating talent environments in which participants can ‘learn to learn’. The aim of this study was to create knowledge on day-to-day coaching conduct that supports the development of athletes’ reciprocal abilities. Observations of 75 h of football (soccer) lessons within the Swedish Football Association’s school sports programme – a cornerstone of the FA’s talent development system, located in upper secondary schools – were carried out over the course of three school semesters, and included in-depth interviews with the teacher-coaches. Data were analysed using the five key teaching pillars within a cooperative learning approach: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal skills and group processing. Findings show how teacher-coaches engage in activities that focus on organization of lessons and structuring of group work to create situations where individuals are motivated to learn, but also motivated to support other group members’ learning. Thereby, teacher-coaches place more emphasis on positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction. In contrast, findings also show how teacher-coaches to a lesser extent perform coaching conduct associated with lesson content that has the potential to develop the skills and abilities required to participate in and benefit from group work – interpersonal skills, and group processing. This means that while teacher-coaches seem well-equipped to create learning environments that support reciprocal learning, they may benefit from challenging the role of the coach as an expert and tackle the preconceptions around cooperative behaviours that athletes bring from club football contexts. Taken together, these findings point to the need for a better understanding of overlapping learning sites within talent systems.

How might we do it better? Applying educational curriculum theory and practice in talent development environments

ABSTRACT Although Talent Development is a key function for sports organisations, too little work has focused on the establishment of evidence-grounded methods for optimising progress. Drawing principally on the work of Tyler (1949) and Kelly (2009), our aim is to examine constructs from the field of curriculum studies to establish a range of educational concepts and frameworks that would support talent pathway coaches. Using four fundamental questions concerning curriculum design suggested by Tyler (1949) as a frame, i.e. purpose, content, methods or procedures, and evaluation, we present a range of tangible and robust frameworks and ideas that might be applied to talent pathways. Additionally, we have found accordance between several concepts from curriculum theory and practice and existing practices within talent development pathways. Having an awareness of when and where congruency exists would afford practitioners and scholars the opportunity to refine and cultivate more coherent, purposeful and justifiable talent development environments.

An athlete's perspective: Comparing talent development environments for boys and girls in Western Australia youth soccer

This study aimed to compare the perceptions of boys and girls regarding their gender-specific talent development environments (TDEs) in state-level youth soccer. Seventy-one players (girls, n = 35; boys, n = 36) aged 11–18 years completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5), Sports Motivation Scale (SMS-6), Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q), and Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancies (SEOE) of strength training questionnaire. Mann–Whitney U tests and Hedges’s g effect sizes were used to identify group differences. Boys scored higher for TDEQ-5 subdimensions: long-term development focus, alignment of expectations, and holistic quality preparation. For the CART-Q, boys perceived greater coach commitment, whilst girls perceived greater coach complementarity. The SMS-6 results suggested higher amotivation among girls and higher external regulation and introjected regulation among boys. Finally, boys reported greater self-efficacy and outcome expectancies related to strength training. Overall, the findings reveal significant disparities in boys’ and girls’ perceptions of their TDEs. Whilst these findings provide a more nuanced understanding of youth soccer TDEs, further research is necessary to identify the critical factors for effective athlete development regardless of gender, or with more informed considerations of gender. Stakeholders should consider the unique constraints and resources specific to their TDE to determine which strategies may best impact their functionality.

High school water polo talent development environments and team cohesion:

Organised school sport is integral to the development pathways of most South African sports. The highly competitive nature of inter-school leagues often prioritises short-term success over long-term player development. The study compared successful and less successful teams in various talent development environments (TDE) and team cohesion variables based on the log position of a high school’s tournament (u/15 and u/18 age-groups) and established correlations between these variables. A cross-sectional design was used, and 146 boys (average age: 15.51±1.23 years) completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5) and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire (YSEQ) before the 2020 Mazinter Cup. The top three u/18 teams had significantly higher TDEQ-5 (Overall), Alignment of Expectations, Support Networks, YSEQ (Overall Cohesion), Task Cohesion and Social Cohesion scores than the bottom three teams. The results underscore the well-established cohesion–performance relationship. There were no differences at the u/15 level, where players competed in this age-group for the first time. Moderately strong positive correlations existed between various TDEQ-5 and YSEQ variables. Fostering team cohesion is integral to successful TDEs. Long-term player development and team success can be pursued simultaneously.

Links between environmental features and developmental outcomes of elite youth athletes: A cross-sectional study within the German talent pathway

From a holistic perspective, the talent development environment (TDE) influences not only the athletic development but also the development of personal skills as well as the wellbeing of elite youth athletes. Alongside research on the effects of broader environmental features on athlete-related talent development (TD) outcomes, the importance of the closer social climate (i.e., teammates, coaches, support staff) is also emphasized. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between environmental features, the social climate and athlete-related TD outcomes (I). Additionally, an exploratory analysis was conducted to investigate the role of motivational climate and psychological safety in the relationship between environmental features and athlete-related TD outcomes (II). To this end, 345 German elite youth athletes completed an online survey assessing their perceptions of environmental features, coach-created motivational climate, and psychological safety as well as wellbeing, performance satisfaction, and life skills development. The results revealed that environmental features (especially long-term development focus, effective coach-athlete communication, and the social network), motivational climate and psychological safety were all significantly associated with the outcome variables. These findings underline the significance of environmental features for athlete-related TD outcomes of young talented athletes in German elite youth sports. However, the results indicated that motivational climate and psychological safety did not have significant indirect effects on the relationship between TDE features and athlete-related TD outcomes. Thus, it remains to be questioned if and what other processes influence this relationship.

An Investigation into Sichuan Province's Technological Innovation Talent Development Environment Using the AHP-FCE Methodology

The role of technology talent in driving technological innovation and sustainable development cannot be overstated. This paper aims to delve into the development environment of technology innovation talent, utilizing the AHP-FCE method for assessment. By analyzing Sichuan Province as a case study, it uncovers the overall trends and achievements in the development environment of technology innovation talent, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal roles of technological innovation conditions and the employment and entrepreneurship environment. To optimize the development environment for technology innovation talent, this study puts forth policy recommendations including strengthening ecological awareness, enhancing mechanisms for talent cultivation and attraction, fostering industry-academia-research collaboration, and bolstering policy support. Through this research, valuable insights are provided to drive technological innovation in Sichuan Province, stimulate economic advancement, and promote sustainable development.

How Does Carbon Emissions Efficiency Affect OFDI? Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

With the in-depth promotion of the “double carbon” strategy, the effectiveness of the green and low-carbon transition is not only fundamental to breaking the environmental shackles of domestic economic development, but is also an inevitable choice for Chinese enterprises to participate in international economic cooperation in the context of global climate change. However, the relationship between green low-carbon transition effects and outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has not been adequately studied, and the transmission mechanism is not yet clear. Based on the above research gaps, this study made an empirical analysis on how carbon emissions efficiency affects companies’ OFDI using the OFDI data of China’s A-share-listed companies and matching carbon emissions efficiency data with the cities where listed companies are located, from 2007 to 2019. This study found that carbon emissions efficiency increases the possibility of OFDI, and carbon emissions efficiency significantly expanded the scale of OFDI through reducing financing costs and improving technological innovation, and the regression results are all significantly positive at the 1% level. We used ventilation coefficients as the instrumental variable, and the 2SLS results showed that this correlation is still robust. The heterogeneity analysis found that the role of carbon efficiency in promoting OFDI is more prominent for SOEs, large companies, clean companies and companies in competitive markets. In addition, financial development can positively moderate the influence of carbon emissions efficiency on OFDI, and carbon emissions efficiency deepens the embeddedness of the investment market compared to the degree of diversification of the corporate OFDI market. This research deepens the theoretical study on the factors of China’s OFDI, and provides insights for the government to coordinate carbon emissions efficiency and OFDI growth to achieve sustainable development. This study proposes continuing to promote clean production enterprises to shape their own sustainable development advantages, continuing to optimise the market environment and talent development environment, grasping the financing policy and technical support of the two important means, and accelerating the internationalisation of self-owned brands. These are the urgent priorities in driving Chinese enterprises to ‘go global’.

A mixed methods exploration of the parent perspective of talent development environments across a national multi-sport landscape

Parents are known to be important influencers in the talent development process but are often overlooked. Understanding the parent perspective may help National Governing Bodies and coaches improve their support for young talented athletes. This study aims to understand the parent perspective of the talent development experience across a national multi-sport landscape using mixed methods. Four hundred and eighty-five parents of pathway athletes completed the talent development environment questionnaire for parents (TDEQ-P), which included the opportunity for parents to respond in an open fashion. The results revealed several key relative strengths and weaknesses of the talent development environment. Areas identified for improvement included 1) Communication related to pathway understanding, planning, guidance, and feedback, 2) Individualised training, goal setting, and feedback, 3) Facilities, 4) Access to a specialist support network, in particular psychology support, 5) Engagement between coaches and, 6) Dual career management and engagement with educational institutions. The results also revealed evidence of context specific needs between performance level, sport type, and age group. The TDEQ-P may be an efficient and effective way coaches can access important feedback, improve communication, and build relationships with parents in sport.

The Factors Influencing Sports Talent Development in the Opinion of Rhythmic Gymnastics Coaches

The purpose of this study was to investigate how rhythmic gymnastics coaches perceive the factors influencing sports talent development. Participants (30 female coaches) were administered a demographic survey, an open-ended questionnaire (a structured interview), and the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ PL). Mixed strategies (quantitative and qualitative) were used in the analysis. The research revealed two types of facilitators (essential vs. favorable), and two types of inhibitors (preclusive vs. disruptive). Within the essential facilitator factors, coaches most often indicated long-term motivation. Social support was perceived as a main favorable talent development factor. The child’s inadequate approach to training and inadequate parental involvement were indicated as the main preclusive talent development factors. Difficult situations (e.g., health problems) were enumerated as a major disruptive factor. The studied group of coaches recognized the Individualized Approach to Athlete (M=4.24) as the most important environmental factor that positively influences the development of talented athletes.

Teamwork makes the dream work: Testing for shared perceptions on psycho-behavioural skills between athletes, coaches and parents

Psycho-behavioural skills play a key role in optimising progression through talent development, and this study investigated to what extent athlete’s self-perceptions align with those of their coaches and parents. Firstly, we examined if levels of alignment between these three raters differ across age of the athlete. To this end, 122 athletes between 9 and 18 years old (12.17 ± 2.41 years old; 47 gymnasts, 13 cyclists and 62 badminton players) completed a psycho-behavioural questionnaire. The ANOVA’s indicated low levels of correspondence between the ratings of the athlete, the coach and the parents during childhood, while better levels of shared perceptions were found in adolescence. Secondly, we investigated to what extent coaches and parents believed their own perception of the athlete’s and the perception of the athlete’s psycho-behavioural skills were accurate. Parents appeared to be more confident in accurately perceiving the psycho-behavioural skills of the athlete than coaches. Parents and coaches also believed that older athletes would be more honest on their psycho-behavioural shortcomings than younger athletes. Altogether, these findings highlight that athletes and other stakeholders in the talent development environment should strive for better alignment in perceptions on psycho-behavioural skills during the talent development pathway. With better integrated perceptions, a more functional and efficient talent development system for the athlete targeting the psycho-behavioural skills can be created.

Comprehensive evaluation of urban talent development environment based on entropy weight-topsis method

For urban, the quantity and quality of talent is often an important measure of their development potential. Based on the theory of talent and environment comfort degree and the theory of urban comfort degree, this paper constructs the Evaluation Index System of urban talent development environment. This paper selects 7 coastal urban in Shandong province as the research objects, and uses entropy Weight-TOPSIS and cluster analysis to measure the talent development environment. The research results show that: (1) The talent development environment of seven coastal urban presents the phenomenon of “siphoning” and “distinctness” of talents. On the whole, Qingdao, Weifang, and Yantai have certain advantages in the talent development environment. (2) Qingdao is the leading city, Weifang, Yantai, Weihai and Dongying are follow-up urban, and Binzhou and Rizhao are backward urban. (3) The environment of the eight first-level indicators forms a “magnetic field” for the development of talents. Only by fully releasing the “magnetic field effect” of the talent development environment can urban ensure that talents are “attracted, retained and used well". This paper puts forward some suggestions to optimize the talent de-velopment environment in coastal urban, which will help to stimulate the vitality and creativity of all kinds of talents in coastal urban.

The Associations Between Talent Development Environments and Psychological Skills in Iranian Youth Athletes: A Variable and Person-Centered Approach

The environment plays a significant role in the development of talent athletes. A big part of this is preparing athletes with the psychological skills to cope and thrive through the challenges of their sporting journey. Understanding which features of the talent development environment (TDE) best facilitate psychological skill use would be extremely useful for coaches to understand. As such, the main aim of this research was to investigate the relationships between TDE factors and psychological skills through a variable and person-centered approach (i.e., use of both regression and cluster analyses). A second aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 (TDEQ-5) providing an initial validation for its use in Persian speaking cultures. To this end, the TDEQ-5 and Psychological Skills Inventory for Sports—Youth version—Short Form were administered to 371 Iranian athletes. The results showed that higher quality TDEs predicted higher psychological skill use. Specifically, holistic quality preparation predicted all five psychological skills, while long-term development predicted anxiety control and alignment of expectations predicted self-confidence. The Persian TDEQ-5 was found to be a valid and reliable tool. Implications for coaches and those in charge of TDEs are discussed.

The impact of sport commitment on Sports Talent identification and Development associated factors: In the case of Oromia regional state selected sports projects

Sport commitment such as sport involvement, sport enjoyment, personal investments-quantity, enthusiastic commitment, constrained commitment, valuable opportunities, personal investments-loss, social constraints, social support-emotional, social support-informational, desire to excel-mastery achievement and desire to excel-social achievement in sport affects sport talent identification and development. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of sport commitment on Sports Talent identification and Development associated factors: The Case in Oromia Regional state Zones Sport Commission. In this study, concurrent mixed research design was employed. The study area covers selected Oromia Regional State zone and Oromia Special Zone surrounding Finfinne including Laga Tafo Laga Dadhi town, Sebeta town, Burayu town and Gelan town (N = 614 and n = 284). The primary sources of data were sport office experts from Zonal and towns’ Sport Commission employees, coaches, players and athletes. Independent variable was measured using Sport commitment dimensions questionnaire and dependent variable was Talent Development Environment associated factors. Data were collected via standardized questionnaires. The quantitative data gathered using questionnaires were analysed using STATA version 14, and then data were summarized using frequency and percentage. Using linear regression was used analyse impact of sport commitment on athlete’s talent identification and development. Athlete’s commitment significantly affects talent identification and development associated factors (F (1,282) = 51.62, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.155). The study concluded that project athlete’s commitment significant affected talent identification and development associated factors in selected Oromia regional state selected cities’ and towns club’s and projects. The study recommends that Oromia regional state selected cities’ and towns club’s and projects management body and coaches should develop two way communications and to create strong social network with their athletes.

Elite youth athletes’ mental health and its relationship with the talent development environment: A variable- and person-centred approach

ABSTRACT The present research sought to examine the prevalence of elite youth athletes’ mental health and its relationship with talent development environments (TDEs). A sample of 248 Chinese elite youth athletes completed a self-report survey measuring demographic variables, TDE factors, and mental health outcomes including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, and athlete burnout. The results revealed moderate levels of burnout, with 19% of the participants meeting the diagnostic cut-off of GAD, and similar numbers for depression. The multiple regression analysis revealed alignment of expectations was the only TDE factor to significantly predict GAD and depression. Holistic quality preparation was the only significant TDE predictor of burnout. The results of cluster analysis suggested a three-cluster solution: cluster 1—“slightly below average TDE”, cluster 2—“high TDE”, and cluster 3—“very low TDE”. Among the three clusters, cluster 2 had the lowest levels of GAD, depression, and burnout. Cluster 3 reported a higher burnout level than cluster 1, and the two clusters showed no differences in other two mental health outcomes. These findings suggest a need to manage mental health symptoms of elite youth athletes, and the roles of TDE could be considered in the management of mental health.

Blank canvas or under construction? Examining the pre-academy experiences of young developing professional team sports athletes.

Extensive research has been carried out on Talent Development (TD) environments and an increasing amount of work shows the development of psychological characteristics as an important formal part of the academy experience. Importantly, however, very little attention has been paid to what types of skills, if any, young players arrive with. In other words, there seems to be an assumption that young athletes arrive at the academy as a blank canvas. As such, to investigate whether players' arrive with these psychological characteristics, we looked across a sample of young footballers' and rugby players' personal experiences (such as, family input, sporting background or personal challenges) prior joining the academy. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed via thematic analysis. Our findings suggested that young athletes acquired an aptitude from general experiences, whereby they had already started to develop and deploy specific skills (such as, reflective practice, mental skills or seeking social support) to navigate particular challenges, prior to arriving at the academy. Implications include the need for coaches and psychologists to assess young athletes' skillsets and pre-academy experiences upon arrival and use this as a starting point for developing tailored and individualised pathways that would enable them maximise their potential.

“We are their last chance”: A case study of a college basketball environment in an American underserved community

In this case study we used the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to examine an underserved athletic talent development environment (UATDE) in the United States to: (1) holistically describe a successful UATDE—in this case a community college basketball program known as Best Community College, and (2) explore factors contributing to the success of developing athletes that repeatedly earn athletic scholarships. Data were collected via in-situ observations, document analysis, and interviews (both formal and informal) with coaches, players, and other key stakeholders. The findings were summarized in two empirical models: (1) the UATDE empirical model of Best Community College, and (2) the underserved environment success factors (UESF) empirical model of Best Community College. The operation of the UATDE was significantly influenced by the underserved community in which it was embedded, translating to a lack of financial and human resources, while the team’s roster was occupied by athletically talented, but psychosocially vulnerable players. These challenges were overcome, in part, by a dedicated support team as well as the cultural paradigm established by the head coach as a cultural leader. Conclusively, this case study constitutes an important supplementation to the evolving body of literature utilizing the HEA, highlighting how an environmental context can shift the focus of athletic talent development when we consider the concept of a UATDE. Lay summary: This case study explored a successful community college basketball program located within an underserved American community. While the investigation concludes that socioeconomic challenges in the surrounding community created significant barriers to success, the head coach and support team were able to help players succeed in sport and life. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Those working in community colleges must be made aware of issues stemming from where the environment is located and also related to the backgrounds of the prospective athletes. Community college sports programs are an important steppingstone to life and sport success for the athletes they serve but a lack of human and financial resources are a large barrier to success that can be counteracted by strong cultural leaders within the sport program. UATDEs must be considered a unique context and practitioners should let this context inform their practice, for example, by supporting the staff as much as the athletes, supporting the head coach in developing a functional cultural paradigm, and supporting the athletes’ broader psychosocial development and not only their performance.