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TALENT IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH

AFRICA: SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING POTENTIAL

ATHLETES

TALENT IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH

AFRICA: SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING POTENTIAL

ATHLETES

L.O. Amusa and A.L. Toriola

University of Venda, Thohoyandou,

South Africa

Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

University of Venda

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Introduction

• South Africa attained independence following multiracial elections in 1994.

• Sport administration in the country has witnessed series of transformation.

• After independence, the National Sports Commission (NSC) was established to coordinate sports and recreation in the country.

• The NSC was the operational arm of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

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Introduction - contd.

• The NSC subsequently established the national Sports Science and Information Agency (SISA) that provided scientific support to elite athletes under its high performance programme.

• The Ministry of Sport and Recreation published the white paper on sport and recreation in 1997 that guided sport and recreation development in the country.

• The rural development and reconstruction programme (RDP) launched by the ANC in 1998 was aimed at using sport and recreation as a catalyst for development in the country.

• In 2002, the NSC introduced the concept of provincial academies of sport.

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Introduction – contd.

• Despite these structures, sport and sports development in the country face a number of problems:

• National squads were not representative of the demographics of the country.

• Performances of national teams at international competitions were inconsistent and unreliable.

• Sports development programmes were not properly designed and implemented.

• In soccer for example, the country has had 13 coaches in its 12 years of independence.

• Physical Education is more a feature of the curriculum of public schools.

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Recent developments

• In 2004 the NSC was dissolved and replaced with a new body: South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

• While SASCOC is now responsible for coordinating elite sport, the Department of Sports and Recreation administers recreation and leisure programmes at the national level.

• The provincial sport academies still exist alongside private academies, but no strategic approach is implemented to coordinate sports development initiatives among the various stakeholders.

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Management Structure of Sport and Recreation in South Africa

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Debate

• Is ‘talent identification’ the same as ‘athlete selection’?

• What are sport organizations in South Africa doing regarding talent identification/athlete selection?

• Are there specific models of talent identification that South Africa has adopted?

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Recognition of Stages of development of an elite athlete

• Catch them young: Not catch them old

• Initiation phase: (1-6 years), i.e. development of fundamental movement patterns.

• Developmental phase: (6-12 years), i.e. development of sports skills.

• Perfection phase: (12-18 years), i.e. Correction of missing gaps in sports skills development.

• Discrimination phase: (19+ years), i.e. professional or elite sports participation.

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What happens to the athlete during these phases?

• Body/growth crisis• Psychosocial adjustment (psychological problems, social

problems) • Discrimination• Peer crises

Guidance should be provided by parents, teachers, peers, coach and society at large)

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Coping Mechanism During The Development

• Childhood: Readiness, motivation, interest, knowledge (cognition)

• Adolescence: Identity formation, sport/athlete identity, identity foreclosure (sees himself only in sport), student athlete (dual identity).

• Young Adulthood: Role formation, partnership formation, societal role/expectations.

• Childhood: Readiness, motivation, interest, knowledge (cognition)

• Adolescence: Identity formation, sport/athlete identity, identity foreclosure (sees himself only in sport), student athlete (dual identity).

• Young Adulthood: Role formation, partnership formation, societal role/expectations.

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Goal of Competitive sport –Development of Elite Athlete

• What makes a champion athlete?

• Multidimensional factors are involved: Physical, physiological, social and training factors.

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Developing an elite athlete

Nutrition Physiological Physical Psychological

Nurture Champion Athlete Cognition

Genetic Endowment Training Socio-economic

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Talent characteristics

Psychology: Attitude, interest and motivation

Motor skills

Physiology

MorphologyChampionship potential

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Talent Identification

A complex process Talent – Dynamic/Non-static

Sport specific

Talent Identification

Athlete specific

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Talent Identification Processes

Identification

Selection

Development

Detection

Identify Develop Nurture

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Need for a paradigm shift

Talent selection Talent identificationFrom:

Athlete coming from within the sport(Has been engaging in the sport)

Athlete coming from outside the sport (Possesses all required potentials)

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Talent search basics – contd.

Broad

Older Youth

Physical variables

Experience

Focused

Novice

Physiological forms

From:

Individualsports

Team sports

Centralized Decentralized

General Specific

Longitudinal Short term

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Talent search basics

• Phase 1: At school (Catch them young – FS+SS+Perfection)

• Phase 2: Sent to a developer (Academies, training institutes, schools of excellence, etc.)

• Phase 3: Invited for trials

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Talent ID Program Issues

• Growth and development continuum- Individual must be in the right environment with the right management

• Labour intensive• Capital intensive• Athlete acceptance uncertainty• Requires enthusiasm of teachers, coaches, developers

and other role players• Information privacy concern – For the athlete, his training

and development (cf. Jabu Pule)• Response to immediate changes/development• Response to immediate athlete needs – Money,

education, health and safety, technical development

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Support structures for talent development

• Health, safety and sports medicine

• Sports science

• Technical development aids

• Research and information management

• Counseling

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Summary/Conclusion

• South Africa has abundance of sports talents, but there are problems with its talent identification system and practice.

• Problems include:• Priorities • HIV/AIDS• Nutrition• Sport science• Absence of PE in schools• Facilities• Necessary sports structures – At national, provincial,

district and regional levels• Fragmented approaches to sport development-

Holistic/strategic approach is preferable.

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Thank you!