Reader,
Recently, I was in the very fortunate position of attending a workshop led by some top experts on talent development in an international context.
A great deal of discussion was had around talent identification and talent development. Conversations around when we should identify players, the difference between performance and potential, the risks around early identification, performance age, relative age effect, performance behaviours, and more.
Talent is an absolute rabbit hole and it can be a dangerous word. Whether it’s professional clubs, international federations, competing codes or even community sports clubs who claim to have “academy programmes”, adults spend a lot of time trying to create systems to uncover and polish diamonds. For kids, this can create a lot of anxiety that doesn’t actually need to exist in their sporting experience.
For me, there are not only a multitude of factors to consider, but the player has to sit at the centre. The welfare, readiness and all round development of the person has to be more important simply trying to find the next professional player.
I also believe it’s critical to consider the language in talent development across sport. So often I see the words “product” or “produced” when it comes to young people who have emerged from sporting systems. Last time I checked, athletes were people, and people are not products. In my mind, this language is toxic and has to change.
This narrative reflects industrial or commercial ideas which have infiltrated youth sport and led to the idea of talent factories which in turn leads to the commodification of youth sport. We have to remember, youth sport is about so much more than the few who might show potential, it’s about engaging children for a lifetime.
Three things to consider.
- There are very few predictors of long term success, and the earlier we identify, the less likely we are to be accurate.
- Performance behaviours can be a great focus when looking for indicators of potential.
- Cater your programme or environment to the many, not the few. Less than 1% of football players will play professionally, so we need to look after the 99% who simply love the game.
One thing for you to try this week.
Ask a colleague what their definition of talent is. This could lead to an interesting discussion within your coaching environment.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this Masterclass Discussion with world-class Athlete Development expert, Ken Lynch to truly understand high performance athlete development and the key considerations in a complex landscape.
