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Talent Identification in the Western World – Over funded and Over rated.
Talent Identification in the Western World – Over funded and Over rated.

The concept of Talent Identification – TID for short – makes sense.

Do some standardised testing and screening of lots of kids, find the ones who can run faster, run further, jump longer, stretch better than the rest and bingo- you found talent!

It all grew out of the now “mythical” talent identification systems of the old Eastern Block (and more recently China) – and the countless stories we have all heard for the past 30 years about how the centralised government systems put every child in the nation through a series of TID testing protocols and then funnelled them in to the specific sports where their talent was most likely to be developed to its full potential.

But in the western world, in spite of the hundreds of millions of dollars thrown at TID in Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and Western Europe, with the exception of a few minor and specialised sports – it has failed and failed badly.

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The Top Ten Reasons Why Coaches Fail
The Top Ten Reasons Why Coaches Fail

Ever wanted to know what’s holding you back as a coach? Ever wanted to know why you are not realising your potential?
This post, “The Top Ten Reasons Why Coaches Fail” outlines the ten biggest mistakes coaches make, discusses how you can avoid them and in doing so ensure your coaching becomes everything it could and should be.

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Multi-Disciplinary (Performance) Sports Science: The Future of High Performance Sport.

There is no doubt that successful sports performance is multi-disciplinary in nature. Athletes and coaches need to be aware of the physiological, biomechanical, psychological, nutritional, medical and immunological and other issues that can impact on their competition performances.

It – performance – is rarely – if ever -about one thing in isolation! 

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The Role of Parents in Sport

Discussions with Coaches Geoff  Marsh (Cricket), Joyce Brown (Netball) and Lindsay Gaze (Basketball). 

In response to repeated community complaints, a Sydney Council announced it planned to introduce the following policy:

City of Botany, Code of Conduct, Sports Field Users.

“At it’s meeting of 26th May 1999, Council endorsed the following policy direction as outlined in the Mayoral Minutes No 5/99 and resolved:

That: “Council as a matter of policy, determine that any sporting activity being run by an Association or Club, on any ground within the City of Botany Bay, have lodged with Council, as a condition of use of Council’s playing fields, a Code of Conduct, which is to be subject to Council’s approval”.

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Sport Analysis and the Era of Negativity

Seems like every coach has a video, a camera, a DVD player and some analysis software these days.

Coaches spend more time behind a desk, staring at replays and performance analysis data than they do actually working and communicating with athletes and staff!

Modern analysis techniques and equipment have given us the luxury of detail- the ability to evaluate, measure and analyse performance in far greater depth than ever before.

Most analysis techniques used in elite sport evolved from research methods used in the academic world, where a wide range of analysis tools are used to systematically investigate technique, movement, skills, decision making etc as part of a the study behind a journal article, research project or thesis. 

The problem with all this analysis is that analysis, by its nature is destructive. Analysis breaks down performances, techniques, skills etc into component parts or measurable events. It looks to identify what went wrong with an athlete or team and what problems, faults and mistakes led to a poor performance.

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Strength Training for High Performance Sport – An Overview

It was not all that long ago when the words “strength training” and “gymnasium” conjured up images of muscle hulks and Arnold Schwarzenegger – that is before he become the Governator!

However, in recent years, strength and conditioning has gained acceptance as an applied sports science and is respected as a profession in its own right in many high performance sporting systems around the world. It has become a fundamental and integral aspect of the training and preparation of elite athletes in a wide range of sports.

This article will cover some of the contemporary issues in strength training for high performance sport and suggest some practical applications for the practicing coach.

The basic issues: Strength training or no strength training?

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Helping Your Child Achieve in Sport – Fifty Things You Can Do

Fifty tips for parents of young athletes, to help them get the most out of their chosen sport.

 

  1. Love them unconditionally.
  2. Support their coach.
  3. Accept that they can not win every time they compete.
  4. Allow them to be a kid and to have fun.
  5. Help them to develop as a person with character and values.
  6. Turn off as a sporting parent. Don’t make sport the one and only topic of conversation at the dinner table, in the car, etc.
  7. Don’t introduce your child as “This is my son the swimmer or Rugby player” – their sport is just something they do – it does not define them.
  8. Don’t do everything for them. Teach them responsibility and self management.
  9. Reward frequently for success and effort but make them small, simple, practical, and personal things. Kids don’t need a CD or $20 just for playing sport.
  10. Best of all reward them with what they really love…….your time!
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