What characterises a good specialisation process? A qualitative inquiry among 17 Danish elite athletes Louise Kamuk Storm & Mette Krogh Christensen Institute

What characterises a good specialisation

process?A qualitative inquiry among 17 Danish elite athletes

Louise Kamuk Storm & Mette Krogh ChristensenInstitute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics

Storm & Christensen, ECSS 2010

AIM 1) to describe how 17 Danish elite

athletes specialises 2) to explore what characterises a

good specialisation process to these athletes

A new understanding of specialisation

processes

Traditional understandingsEarly or late specialisation?

Storm &Christensen , ECSS 2010

Sampling years – diversification (6-12 years)•Focus on several sports•DELIBERATE PLAY

Sampling years – diversification (6-12 years)•Focus on several sports•DELIBERATE PLAY

Early specialisation(6 years→)

•Focus on one sport

•DELIBERATE PRACTICE

Early specialisation(6 years→)



Specialising years (12-15 years)•Reduce number of sports•DELIBERATE PLAY AND DELIBERATE PRACTICE


Investment years(15-19 years)•Focus in one sportInvestment years(15-19 years)•Focus in one sport

Expert performanceReduced health and enjoyment

Expert performanceEnhanced health and enjoyment

Introduction to sport

Inspired by: Developmental Model of Sport Participation Côté et al 2007


Diversity among sports and biographical data

SPORTS10 different sportsindividual, pair and team sport

BIOGRAPHICAL DATAnational and international elite male and female average age 25 years national team

Questionnaire 720

athletes

217 athletes accept

Selection of 30 athletesContact via

e-mail

12 interviews

Re-contact and new

contact 12 athletes

5 interviews

17 interviews


Qualitative inquiry

In-depth biographical interviews

Kvale (2008)

Case study analysis Flyvbjerg (2006)

Interpretation

Gadamer (1975)


Pathways of Danish elite athletes

Early focus on one sport via deliberate practice (n=1)

Late entry to primary sport (n=2)

Sampling and late specialisation (n=8)

Early focus on one sport via ‘fun and being together’ and late investment (n=6)

A third pathway


Sampling years – diversification (6-12 år)•Focus on several sports•DELIBERATE PLAY

Sampling years – diversification (6-12 år)•Focus on several sports•DELIBERATE PLAY

Early specialisation(6 years+)



Early specialisation(6 years+)





Investment years (15-19 years)•Focus in one sport

Investment years (15-19 years)•Focus in one sport

Expert performanceReduced health and enjoyments

Expert performanceEnhanced health and enjoyment

Introduction to sport

Notice: This is a way of illustrating the empirical data of the present study in the light of the two well-known traditional understandings of specialisation. This is not a new model, to that the foundation is way to limited.

Early focus on one sport

FunNon-serious

‘Being-together’

Late investment

SeriousCompetitiveIndividual

Expert performance

Storm Christensen, ECSS 2010

Common features regarding experiences of sports

participation

14-16 years of age

age

FunEnjoyableBeing-together

SeriousCompetitiveIndividual

1) Transition to another club

2) Selected for National Team3)Transition within the club


A cultural fingerprint

Danish sports originated from popular movements in different social milieus. These milieus and social movements gave different and rivalling impulses to the Danish practice and understanding of sports

Eichberg & Loland (2010) “Sport for all - regardless of level, age and gender”

Sports confederation of Denmark


Conclusions

Specialisation processes are unique trajectories Research has tended to focus on two common

trajectories leading to excellence in sport. This study outlines a third pathway - maybe more??

There is a cohesion between cultural aspects and specialisation – we must look at the environments in talent development

We need a more detailed discussion of specialisation processes


REFERENCESCôté J, Baker, J., Abernethy, B. (2007): Practice and Play in the Development of Sport Expertise. In Eklund R, Tenenbaum G (eds.) Handbook of Sport Psychology 3rd ed. pp. 184-202 New York WileyEricsson KA et al (1993): The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. In Psychological Review 100 pp. 363-406

Eichberg, H, Loland, S (2010): “Nordic sports - from social movements via emotional to bodily movement - and back again?” In: Sport in Society, 13: 4, 676 — 690Flyvbjerg, B. (2006): “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research “ In:Qualitative Inquiry.;12:219-245Gadamer, HG. (1975): Truth and Method, Seabury Press, NYKvale, S. (1996): Interviews: an introduction to qualitative research interviewing, Sage, LondonHenriksen K et al (2009): “Holistic approach to athletic talent development environments: A successful sailing milieu” In: Psychology of Sport and Exercise (in press)

Thank you for your attention!Thanks to The Danish Council for Independent Research | Humanities who allocated research grant to the research project and thereby made it possible to realiseContact: [email protected]

Documents

What characterises a good specialisation process? A qualitative inquiry among 17 Danish elite athletes Louise Kamuk Storm & Mette Krogh Christensen Institute