Talent Identification Programs Research Articles

The identification of high potential archers based on fitness and motor ability variables: A Support Vector Machine approach

Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been shown to be an effective learning algorithm for classification and prediction. However, the application of SVM for prediction and classification in specific sport has rarely been used to quantify/discriminate low and high-performance athletes. The present study classified and predicted high and low-potential archers from a set of fitness and motor ability variables trained on different SVMs kernel algorithms.50 youth archers with the mean age and standard deviation of 17.0 ± 0.6 years drawn from various archery programmes completed a six arrows shooting score test. Standard fitness and ability measurements namely hand grip, vertical jump, standing broad jump, static balance, upper muscle strength and the core muscle strength were also recorded. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA) was used to cluster the archers based on the performance variables tested. SVM models with linear, quadratic, cubic, fine RBF, medium RBF, as well as the coarse RBF kernel functions, were trained based on the measured performance variables.The HACA clustered the archers into high-potential archers (HPA) and low-potential archers (LPA), respectively. The linear, quadratic, cubic, as well as the medium RBF kernel functions models, demonstrated reasonably excellent classification accuracy of 97.5% and 2.5% error rate for the prediction of the HPA and the LPA.The findings of this investigation can be valuable to coaches and sports managers to recognise high potential athletes from a combination of the selected few measured fitness and motor ability performance variables examined which would consequently save cost, time and effort during talent identification programme.

Talent Identification in Sport: A Systematic Review.

Talent identification (TID) programs are an integral part of the selection process for elite-level athletes. While many sport organizations utilize TID programs, there does not seem to be a clear set of variables that consistently predict future success. This review aims to synthesize longitudinal and retrospective studies examining differences between performance variables in highly skilled and less-skilled athletes in elite-level sport. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to identify relevant studies (N=20). There was a clear overrepresentation of studies that (1) examined physical profiles of athletes (60%); (2) focused on male samples (65%); (3) examined athletes between the ages of 10 and 20years (60%); and (4) were published between the years 2010 and 2015 (65%). On closer examination, there was a high degree of variability in the factors that were found to discriminate between skilled and less-skilled individuals. Findings from this review highlight how little is known about TID in elite sport and emphasize the need for greater diversity in TID research.

Modelling age-related changes in motor competence and physical fitness in high-level youth soccer players: implications for talent identification and development

ABSTRACTPurpose: The effectiveness of early talent identification and development programs in soccer is questionable due to the dynamic nature of these processes in young and adolescent players. To date, only a few studies have longitudinally modelled developmental trajectories of functional characteristics in youth soccer players, yet none have captured the entire typical age range of soccer development programs (5–20 years). Furthermore, these studies have often failed to take into account the multidimensional nature of talent identification and development processes. Methods: This study used segmented linear models to map the periods of accelerated and decelerated development of motor competence and physical fitness in a large sample (2228 players with 6120 observations) of high level Belgian youth soccer players between 5–20 years. Results: The segmented models revealed that motor competence showed faster development well before the average estimated Age at Peak Height Velocity. Agility, lower body explosive power, intermittent endurance, and straight line running speed showed continuous development that does not slow down until players are between 15–17 years old. Conclusion: This study highlights the dynamic nature of talent development and provides practical considerations for those involved in talent identification and development programs in youth soccer.

Using transdisciplinary research to examine talent identification and development in sport

Effective sport talent identification and development (TID) programmes are integral to a nation’s success in international sport. Using a transdisciplinary approach that involved sport practitioners and researchers with diverse theoretical perspectives, we investigated TID factors in four Australian sports (Australian rules football, cricket, kayaking and tennis). A transdisciplinary approach allowed us to isolate and explore a range of factors critical to successful sport TID. This methodological article explores how this project moved TID research beyond its paradigmatic, quantitative, sport science lens and advanced knowledge and practice in TID from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The use of a transdisciplinary approach in future TID research is recommended.

The Light Inside the Body

Stephen Cavitt teaches writing to teens through Duke University's Talent Identification Program and is an assistant professor of English at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is currently writing a young adult novel and fostering a Mountain Cur, the original dog breed of the pioneers. “The Light Inside the Body” © 2017 by Stephen Cavitt. Contact author: [email protected]. Art of Nursing is coordinated by Amy M. Collins, managing editor: [email protected].

WCC-PPT Protocol: Talent Identification References Male-Endurance Cyclists per Continent (2013-2016)

Introduction World Cycling Centre (UCI-WCC) offers training and development, with three permanent groups in the Olympic disciplines of road, track and BMX, in order to leverage their sporting careers. Human, material, and financial resources could become limiting factors when performing talent identification (TID) programs. Consequently, we have designed a test, World Cycling Centre – Power Profile Test (WCC-PPT), which can provide coaches around the world with relevant information about the physical potential of their cyclists and an initial benchmark thanks to a simple but reliable protocol, might become an asset for the cycling industry (Gonzalez-Tablas et al., 2016). Power Profile Test (PPT) assesses a cyclist’s maximum capacity to produce power over durations that are strongly related to physiological capacities required to perform in specific cycling events (Quod et al. 2010; Novak et al. 2017).  Purpose: The aim of this study was to generate new references to help coaches identifying potential talented male-endurance cyclists around the world, creating groups per continent.  Methods A total of 469, international level endurance male cyclists from 89 countries of Africa, America, Asia, and Europe completed the WCC-PPT. The data used for analysis were collected over a 3-year period (2013-2016), at the UCI-WCC, its Satellite-Centers and its collaborators. WCC-PPT was performed on an air-braked cycle ergometer (WattBike Ltd, Nottingham, UK), that is consider to be reliable and validity for talent identification purposes (Bellinger & Minahan, 2014; Hopker et al., 2010), with the UCI-WCC standardized protocol (Gonzalez-Tablas et al., 2016).  Continuous variables are summarized by mean, 75th and 90th percentiles.  Results Anthropometrical characteristics and WCC-PPT results for male-endurance cyclists are presented in Table 1. Conclusion The WCC-PPT has been successful to create a large and reliable database, that will allow the cycling community to generate power outputs benchmarks to identify talented male-endurance cyclist all over the world.  It is important to continue working and increase the number of cyclists tested around the world to create relevant references per gender and age groups. Further research will be done to evaluate the reliability and validity of this test for TID purposes as well as to create new databases with more number of cyclists tested.

児童の疾走能力と敏捷性能力に関する縦断的研究：スポーツタレント発掘事業におけるジュニア選手を対象として

児童の疾走能力と敏捷性能力に関する縦断的研究：スポーツタレント発掘事業におけるジュニア選手を対象として

ANTHROPOMETRICAL PROFILE AND BIO-MOTOR ABILITIES OF YOUNG ELITE WRESTLERS

Aim: This study investigated the association between motor performance and somatic type, anthropometric, body composition, physiologic and physical fitness profile in young wrestlers. Material: 16 young wrestlers aging 16-19 with a 4-year-experience of taking part in national championships were selected for the study. Following the standard methods in the testing center of Alborz province some tests like aerobic power, muscular endurance, flexibility and agility speed tests and 1RM were taken to integrate the participants. Also, it should be noted that the participants’ height, weight, the girth of thigh, elbow, calf and arm and skin thickness were measured. Results: Somatotype, Somatotype Attitudinal Distance (SAD), Height Weight ratio (HWR) were calculated according to Carter and Heath anthropometric method. Body Fat Percentage (%BF), HWR and SAD resulted in 10.90±1.64, 43.27±0.87 and 0.94±0.87 respectively. Somatotype Standard Deviation and mean regarding endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic components were 2.16±0.46, 5.20±0.77 and 2.88±0.64 respectively. Physiologically, wrestlers VO2MAX (kg/min) were 49.31±4.22 and their Resting Heart Rate (bpm) were 68.31±6.64. Conclusion: As the present study illustrates, Somatotype of the Endomorphs, Mesomorphs and Ectomorphs were the same. As a result, coaches can plan wrestlers’ training programs and review of techniques based on anthropometric and physiologic data driven from their sports performances.Besides, wrestlers could be well-informed about their performance. Moreover, aforesaid information could be beneficial to wrestling federations and all other organizations contributing the wrestling federation while holding talent identification programs and recognizing young wrestlers.

Designing a Cost-Effective Power Profile Test for Talent Identification Programs

Introduction: Cycling is of increasing popularity among the world. World Cycling Centre (UCI-WCC) offers training and development for around 100 talented athletes every year, with three permanent groups in the Olympic disciplines of road, track and BMX, in order to leverage their sporting careers. Human, material and financial resources could become limiting factors when performing talent identification (TID) programs. Consequently, designing a test, which can provide coaches with relevant information about the physical potential of their cyclists and an initial benchmark thanks to a simple but reliable protocol, might become an asset for the cycling industry.  A Power Profile Test (PPT) is a laboratory test that assesses a cyclist’s maximum capacity to produce power over durations that are strongly related to physiological capacities required to perform in specific cycling events (Quod et al. 2010). Designing a PPT to evaluate power producing capacity on physiological key efforts using a cycle ergometer such as Wattbike, with a mean error of <2% compared to the SRM, would be acceptable for talent identification purposes (Hopker et al. 2010), and accessible to every UCI-WCC Satellite-Centre or Federation due to cost-effectiveness ratio and easy to use.  Purpose: The aim of this study was to design a new World Cycling Centre - Power Profile Test (WCC-PPT) to generate benchmarks in order to help coaches identifying potential talented endurance cyclists around the world. Methods: A total of 126 (91 males and 35 females) international level endurance cyclists from 41 countries completed the WCC-PPT. The data used for analysis were collected over a 2-year period, at the WCC and its Satellite-Centers. All cyclists completed the WCC-PPT as part of a TID program in similar conditions. WCC-PPT was performed on an air-braked cycle ergometer (WattBike Ltd, Nottingham, UK). The WCC-PPT involved a total of 4 efforts, 2 x 6s (234s recovery in between and after last 6s effort), 1 x 30s (330s recovery) and 1 x 4min. A controlled 17-min warm-up was performed before the test. Continuous variables are summarized by mean, 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles.  Results: Anthropometrical characteristics and WCC-PPT results for male and female are presented in Table 1.  Conclusion: The proposed test methodology and its descriptive results indicate that designing an easy and cost-effective laboratory test such as the WCC-PPT may allow the cycling community to generate a powerful database in order to create power outputs benchmarks to identify talented endurance cyclists over the world. Further research is needed to evaluate the reliability and validity of this test for TID purposes. In addition, it is important to increase the number of cyclists tested in order to create relevant references per continent, gender, age and Olympic cycling disciplines.

Association between anthropometry, upper extremity strength, and sprint and endurance paddling performance in competitive and recreational surfers

This study investigated the correlations with anthropometry, upper extremity strength, and surfboard paddling performance in recreational and competitive surfers. Twenty-nine recreational and competitive male surfers were assessed for height, mass, relative arm span, relative seated height, relative biacromial width, and skinfolds (Sum7). The upper extremity strength variables assessed were the relative 1RM pull up and 1RM dip. The surfboard paddling variables assessed were a 15 m sprint-paddling test and a 400 m endurance-paddling water-based test. Pearson correlation analysis and independent t-tests were used to compare differences between groups and determine the significant correlations between variables. Sum7 and relative arm span were correlated with speed in all paddling efforts meanwhile the sprint-paddling ability was correlated with the upper extremity strength. Significant differences between competitive and recreational surfers exist in relative arm span and endurance paddle performance. The strong relationships between the physical variables can be used by sports coaches and support staff to influence talent identification, training, and nutrition programs.

Determinant Factors of Long-Term Performance Development in Young Swimmers.

To develop a performance predictor model based on swimmers' biomechanical profile, relate the partial contribution of the main predictors with the training program, and analyze the time effect, sex effect, and time × sex interaction. 91 swimmers (44 boys, 12.04 ± 0.81 y; 47 girls, 11.22 ± 0.98 y) evaluated during a 3-y period. The decimal age and anthropometric, kinematic, and efficiency features were collected 10 different times over 3 seasons (ie, longitudinal research). Hierarchical linear modeling was the procedure used to estimate the performance predictors. Performance improved between season 1 early and season 3 late for both sexes (boys 26.9% [20.88;32.96], girls 16.1% [10.34;22.54]). Decimal age (estimate [EST] -2.05, P < .001), arm span (EST -0.59, P < .001), stroke length (EST 3.82; P = .002), and propelling efficiency (EST -0.17, P = .001) were entered in the final model. Over 3 consecutive seasons young swimmers' performance improved. Performance is a multifactorial phenomenon where anthropometrics, kinematics, and efficiency were the main determinants. The change of these factors over time was coupled with the training plans of this talent identification and development program.

Coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential are biased by maturational variation

Talent identification and development programs seek to recognise and promote athletes with long-term potential in a particular sport. Coaches involved in these programs are often required to make inclusion or exclusion decisions based on their perceptions of an athlete’s long-term potential. However, biological maturity can influence physical capabilities of adolescent athletes and may bias coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential. This study explored the relationship between coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential and variations in athlete’s biological maturity. Talented adolescent male Australian footballers (n = 264) from nine different teams were recruited to provide basic anthropometric information for estimates of biological maturity. Coaches from each team were recruited to provide a rating of their own player’s long-term potential. Coaches perceived late maturing athletes to have a significantly lower long-term potential than their average (χ2 = 9.42, p &lt; 0.01) and early (χ2 = 5.86, p = 0.04) maturing counterparts. Of the late maturing athletes, 72% were predicted to go no further than adolescent competition. No concurrent bias was evident between the average or early maturing athletes. The findings of this study demonstrate coaches' perceptions of long-term potential can be biased by maturational variation in adolescent athletes. Such perceptual bias may impact on coaches selection decisions and result in talented but late maturing athletes missing selection into development pathways.

A systematic review protocol investigating tests for physical or physiological qualities and game-specific skills commonly used in rugby and related sports and their psychometric properties.

BackgroundScientific focus on rugby has increased over the recent years, providing evidence of the physical or physiological characteristics and game-specific skills needed in the sport. Identification of tests commonly used to measure these characteristics is important for the development of test batteries, which in turn may be used for talent identification and injury prevention programmes. Although there are a number of tests available in the literature to measure physical or physiological variables and game-specific skills, there is limited information available on the psychometric properties of the tests. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature for tests commonly used in rugby to measure physical or physiological characteristics and rugby-specific skills, documenting evidence of reliability and validity of the identified tests.Methods/designA systematic review will be conducted. Electronic databases such as Scopus, MEDLINE via EBSCOhost and PubMed, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL and Africa-Wide Information via EBSCOhost will be searched for original research articles published in English from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2015, using a pre-defined search strategy. The principal investigator will select potentially relevant articles from titles and abstracts. To minimise bias, full text of titles and abstracts deemed potentially relevant will be retrieved and reviewed by two independent reviewers based on the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will be conducted by the principal investigator and verified by two independent reviewers. The Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist will be used to assess the methodological quality of the selected studies.DiscussionChoosing an appropriate test to be included in the screening test battery should be based on sound psychometric properties of the test available. This systematic review will provide an overview of the tests commonly used in rugby union and other related high intermittent team sports characterised by skill executions using the hands and legs such as Rugby League and Australian Rules Football. In addition, the review will highlight the psychometric properties of the identified tests. This information is crucial in developing a sport-specific test battery which can be used for talent identification, especially among young adolescent players, and injury prevention programmes.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42015029747Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0298-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Morphological optimization of female combat sports athletes as seen by the anthropologists

Body build and proportions are key determinants of athletic success. The effects of the athlete selection process and discipline-specific training are differentiated body dimensions. The aim of the study was to examine the physical characteristics of female combat athletes. The results of anthropometric measurements of 154 females aged 21.2±1.79 years competing in judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, taekwondo, and fencing for 7.5±3.43 years.&#x0D; Significant differences were observed between the judo and karate, taekwondo and fencing practitioners in chest, hip, arm and forearm girths. More variance was observed in body proportions. Fencers had the slimmest body shape, a more massive body size in the judokas. Longer upper extremities relative to lower extremity length were found in the jiu-jitsu group. Relative to body height, a larger torso and greater girths were observed in the judokas compared with the fencing, karate, and taekwondo practitioners. The groups did not differ in the level of endomorphy. Mesomorphy was highest in judokas and the lowest in fencers, although ectomorphy was most dominant in the latter group.&#x0D; Females practitioners of combat sports exhibit differences in physical characteristics as an effect of optimizing body type and build via the training and athlete selection process of a given discipline. The anthropometric measures could play a role in talent identification programmes for martial arts and help the trainers to optimize the motoric effectiveness of athletes.

When Lightning Strikes Twice

The educational, occupational, and creative accomplishments of the profoundly gifted participants (IQs ⩾ 160) in the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) are astounding, but are they representative of equally able 12-year-olds? Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) identified 259 young adolescents who were equally gifted. By age 40, their life accomplishments also were extraordinary: Thirty-seven percent had earned doctorates, 7.5% had achieved academic tenure (4.3% at research-intensive universities), and 9% held patents; many were high-level leaders in major organizations. As was the case for the SMPY sample before them, differential ability strengths predicted their contrasting and eventual developmental trajectories—even though essentially all participants possessed both mathematical and verbal reasoning abilities far superior to those of typical Ph.D. recipients. Individuals, even profoundly gifted ones, primarily do what they are best at. Differences in ability patterns, like differences in interests, guide development along different paths, but ability level, coupled with commitment, determines whether and the extent to which noteworthy accomplishments are reached if opportunity presents itself.

Technical and physical determinants of soccer match-play performance in elite youth soccer players.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether physical performance characteristics could be a better predictor than technical skills in determining the technical level of county soccer players in a match situation. With institutional ethics approval, 25 male youth soccer players aged 16-18.5 years from a professional soccer academy in South East Asia were selected and height and body mass were recorded. Players were tested for sexual maturity (pubertal development scale [PDS] self-assessment), aerobic capacity (yo-yo intermittent recovery test level 1 [YYIR1]), repeated sprint ability (7 x 35 m sprints) acceleration (15 m sprint) and four soccer skills tests (dribble with pass, dribbling speed, passing and shooting accuracy). Players' technical ability during match play was assessed in small-sided games of soccer (5 v 5) using a novel game technical scoring chart (scoring chart completed by coaches to assess technical performance in a match situation) developed from criteria (e.g., first touch, dribbling and two footedness) used by youth soccer coaches for talent identification. A Spearman's rank correlation showed the YYIR1 test and 15 m sprint test were limited in predicting technical match performance (r=0.03, P=0.88, r=-0.23, P=0.32 respectively). A Pearson product moment correlation showed that the repeated sprint test was also limited in predicting technical match performance (r=-0.34, P=0.14). A dribbling skill with a pass was found to be the best determinant of a player's technical ability in a match (r=-0.57, P=0.00). Talent identification and selection programs in Asian youth soccer should include a dribbling skill performed with a pass.

Ethics, genetic testing, and athletic talent: children's best interests, and the right to an open (athletic) future.

In this paper we discuss the ethics of genetics-based talent identification programs in sports. We discuss the validity and reliability of the tests and the claims made by direct to consumer companies, before presenting a range of ethical issues concerning child-parent/guardian relations raised by these tests, which we frame in terms of parental/guardian duties, children's rights, and best interests. We argue that greater ethical emphasis needs to be put on the parental decision on the wellbeing on the child going forward, not on ex post justifications on the basis of good and bad consequences. Best interests decisions made by a third party seem to comprise both subjective and objective elements, but only a holistic approach can do justice to these questions by addressing the wellbeing of the child in a temporal manner and taking into account the child's perspective on its wellbeing. Such decisions must address wider questions of what a good (sports)parent ought do to help the child flourish and how to balance the future-adult focus necessary to nurture talent with the wellbeing of the child in the present. We conclude that current genetic tests for "talent" do not predict aptitude or success to any significant degree and are therefore only marginally pertinent for talent identification. Claims that go beyond current science are culpable and attempt to exploit widespread but naïve perceptions of the efficacy of genetics information to predict athletic futures. Sports physicians and health care professionals involved in sport medicine should therefore discourage the use of these tests.

The influence of age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on career attainment outcomes in rugby league

ABSTRACTThis study evaluated the influence of annual-age category, relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on the career attainment outcomes of junior rugby league players originally selected for a talent identification and development (TID) programme. Junior rugby league players (N = 580) were grouped retrospectively according to their career attainment level (i.e., amateur, academy and professional). Anthropometric (height, sitting height, body mass, sum of four skinfolds), maturational (age at peak height velocity; PHV) and fitness (power, speed, change of direction speed, estimated) characteristics were assessed at the Under 13s, 14s and 15s annual-age categories. Relative age (Q2 = 8.5% vs. Q4 = 25.5%) and playing position (Pivots = 19.5% vs. Props = 5.8%) influenced the percentage of players attaining professional status. Anthropometry and fitness had a significant effect on career attainment at the Under 14 (P = 0.002, η2 = 0.16) and 15 (P = 0.01, η2 = 0.12) annual-age categories. Findings at the Under 14s showed future professional players were significantly later maturing compared to academy and amateur players. Findings suggest that relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness can influence the career attainment of junior rugby league players. TID programmes within rugby league, and other related team sports, should be aware and acknowledge the factors influencing long-term career attainment, and not delimit development opportunities during early adolescence.

Role of Public Sector Undertakings and Corporate Firms in Identifying and Grooming Sports Talent in India

Sports are a worldwide phenomenon today. In no period of the world history sports was so popular, organized and important as it is today. Considering the importance of sports competitions, one can say that it has become a social need of the present civilization, which must be met by the societies and the government. Although talent identification and development programmes have gained popularity in the recent decades, there remains a lack of consensus in relation to talent identification and there is no uniformly accepted theoretical framework to guide current practice. The success rates of talent identification and development programmes have rarely been assessed and the validity of the models applied remains highly debated. A conceptual framework that acknowledges both genetic and environmental influences and considers the dynamic and multidimensional nature of sport talent needs to be developed and set in action.

Reliability and Validity of the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test in Adolescent Males: Implications for Talent Identification

This study examined measurement properties of the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) in two groups of Under 13 players (a competitive group and a recreational group; n=26 in each) and a group of competitive Under 19 players (n=25). Participants completed the LSPT twice on a single day then repeated the protocol one week later. Significant differences between the three groups were evident for execution time and total time, with better players achieving superior scores. Hence, the test showed discriminant validity. A significant familiarisation effect for penalty time was also shown from Day 1 – Trial 1 to Day 2 – Trial 2 in the Under 13–Recreational group. The Under 19 – Competitive group showed the greatest number of acceptable (&gt;0.70) ICC values for within-day and between-day reliability of the LSPT while the Under 13 – Recreational group showed less than acceptable reliability values. These findings have implications for talent identification and development programs.