I’ve spent the last week, a very stimulating one, at the IMG Academy in Brandenton Florida, where I’ve lectured on the IAAF Level 5 and USATF Level 3 coaching courses. The specific theme of this year’s Academy was Youth Sport, and I did four lectures in total – three on Talent ID and Specialization issues, […]
Talent vs training
Transformation in SA sport: Dear Minister…
Transformation is a cyclical, recurring problem in South African sport. Yesterday, the SA Minister of Sport announced a ban on certain sports from hosting international events because they had not adequately met transformation targets. This article discusses the root causes, and explains the fundamental principles that have not been met, which is why we keep circling back to the same controversies.
Talent ID & Management Part 6: The Relative Age effect
I’ve been on a “home nations” tour (Rugby reference) of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales for work, and Renee Anne Shirley did the honour of writing a guest opinion piece last week, so it’s been a while since the last video in my Talent ID & Management Series, which looked at Early vs Late Specialisation. […]
Talent ID & Management Part 5: Early vs Late Specialisation?
This episode of the Talent ID and management series looks at another very controversial question – should children and young athletes specialise in one sport, or should they play as many as possible? I look at how the 10,000 hour dogma drives a negative behaviour and the research which shows that optimal performance actually requires… read the post to find out!
Talent ID & Management: The 10,000 hour “rule” and talent
Part 4 of the Talent ID Series, and this time we introduce the controversial 10,000 hour “rule” and I explain its origins, and the false dichotomy that leads to some undesired and inefficient behaviour