Development of Elite Performers in Sport

Personal Factors in Elite Performer Development

Progressing from talent identification – the multi-disciplinary screening of athletes to find those with world-class potential – through to elite performance depends on a combination of personal, social/cultural and organisational factors.

• Talented performers need to be goal-orientated, setting clear, measurable short- and long-term targets, and must have good communication, listening to and acting on advice from coaches and mentors, e.g. Leon Taylor mentoring Tom Daley
• A clear focus is essential, since young athletes can be distracted by other demands such as sponsor commitments, and patience is equally important to stick to a long-term plan and learn from setbacks
• Other key qualities include dedication, determination, intrinsic motivation, self-discipline, willingness to self-sacrifice, high pain tolerance, resilience, perseverance, and self-confidence and self-efficacy built on strong technical skill

Social and Cultural Factors in Elite Performer Development

• The support of friends and family – practically and emotionally – is important, and a family's financial resources matter since specialist equipment, travel, coaching and medical support are costly, linking progression closely to an individual's socio-economic status
• Equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice matter, since issues such as sexism can limit opportunities – Sport England sets equity targets for national governing bodies to combat this
• Educational providers influence progression through positive experiences of sport and access to high-level coaches and facilities, ideally as part of a co-ordinated pathway through local, county, regional and national competition
• The level of media coverage a sport receives affects its status and the availability of role models to aspire to – a high-coverage sport like football has many role models, whereas a lower-coverage sport like hockey has fewer

UK Sport: Role and Funding

UK Sport has a single focus on developing high-performance sport in the UK, strategically investing National Lottery funding to maximise the performance of UK athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• Funding is channelled two ways: to national governing bodies (NGBs) to operate a World Class Programme, and directly to individual athletes through an Athlete Performance Award, contributing to living and sporting costs
• UK Sport also funds the National Institutes of Sport (e.g. the EIS), develops 'World Class Coaches' through its Elite Programme, provides Personal Lifestyle Advice, promotes positive sporting conduct, and manages international sporting relationships

National Institutes of Sport: The English Institute of Sport (EIS)

The EIS is a subsidiary wholly owned by UK Sport, acting as its science, medicine and technology arm, operating 'World Class Performance' environments across High Performance centres and partner sites.

• Key services include sport science (exercise physiology, performance nutrition, psychology, performance analysis), medical support (sports medicine, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning), and Performance Lifestyle Support (time management, budgeting, media, career development)
• Its Performance Solutions team works on Performance Pathways (Talent ID, recruitment, progression), the UK Talent Team focuses on Podium and Podium Potential athletes, and a Research and Innovation team ensures access to the best equipment and technology
• The roles of National Institutes of Sport can be remembered via SPORT: Sport science and medicine support; Performance Lifestyle Programmes; Organisations working in partnership; Research and innovation; Top quality facilities and coaches

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Elite Performer Development

NGBs are the organisations responsible for managing their own sport and play a central role in developing elite performers.

• NGBs promote and increase participation while ensuring equality of opportunity, remembered via PAMPER: Positive role models; Accessible facilities; Meeting government policy; Policies targeting under-represented groups; Employment of Sport Development Officers; Resources invested in inner city areas
• NGBs use regional scouts and talent identification schemes, decide who receives funding, provide sport-specific coaching award pathways (e.g. the LTA's Level 1 to Level 5 Coaching Pathway in tennis), and work with National Institutes of Sport and UK Sport
• British Cycling illustrates a structured talent pathway: its Olympic Podium Programme supports elite cyclists, while its Olympic Academy Programme prepares 18–23-year-olds for the step up

Talent Identification: Advantages, Disadvantages and Effective Programme Features

Talent ID programmes are run by UK Sport, National Institutes of Sport and NGBs to systematically discover athletes with medal-winning potential.

• Advantages: all potential performers can be screened; performers can be directed to the sports best suited to their talents; development can be accelerated; funding is used efficiently; and there is a co-ordinated approach between organisations
• Disadvantages: late developers may be missed; high levels of funding are required; large numbers must be tested to be worthwhile; there is no guarantee of success; and many sports compete for the same limited talent pool
• Effective programmes can be remembered via TALENT: Testing facilities of a high standard; Analysis via a clear database; Links between organisations; Equal opportunities for all to apply; National development squads to progress through; Talent spotting via high-quality coaches
• The EIS Performance Pathways Team runs Pathway Frontline Technical Solutions, Pathway Education, Pathway Analytics, and the Performance Pathway Health Check, e.g. 'Discover Your Gold' (2016–18), a joint EIS/UK Sport campaign targeting 15–24 year olds

UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme

The World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) reflects the long journey to international success, covering all funded summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic sports.

• Podium supports athletes with realistic medal-winning capability at the next Games (within around four years), e.g. UK Athletics' 2015–16 podium group including Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah
• Podium Potential supports athletes with realistic medal potential at a subsequent Games (within around eight years); below this sits the Talent level, funding and supporting identification of athletes with potential to reach the world-class pathway, e.g. British Athletics' 'Futures Programme'

UK Sport's Gold Event Series and Talent ID/Development Initiatives

UK Sport is the lead agency helping the UK bid for and stage major international sporting events through its Gold Event Series, aiming to bring 100 targeted major events to the UK between 2013 and 2023, e.g. the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (London, 2016) and the World Athletics Championships (2017).

• Talent recruitment and confirmation programmes follow set phases: a public talent search and application, Phase 1 fitness/skill testing, Phases 2–3 (medical screening, lifestyle workshops, psychological assessment), and a 6–12 month confirmation phase
• A 'World Class Talent Transfer' initiative helps athletes switch sports, e.g. Rebecca Romero winning Olympic medals in both rowing and cycling, and 'Girls4Gold Canoeing' aims to grow the female talent pool