“Looking for a Golden Needle in the Haystack”: Perspectives on Talent Identification and Development in Paralympic Sport

Abstract

Despite rapid increases in research on talent identification and development in able-bodied sports, there remains limited knowledge regarding how talent is identified and developed in Paralympic contexts. The purpose of this study was to capture the perspectives of experts (coaches, high-performance managers, and pathway specialists) working in elite Paralympic sport to better understand how they conceptualize, measure, and develop talent. Eight coaches and three performance directors from six Paralympic sports, along with two pathway specialists from Paralympics Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. The results suggest impairment type and, therefore, classification are key indicators of identification and anticipated success, highlighting the importance of educating talent selectors in these areas. In addition, familial (e.g., overprotectiveness, sporting background) and biopsychosocial factors (e.g., resilience, work-ethic, sport-specific skills, other life commitments) were noted as being influential when selecting athletes. There were concerns regarding the disproportionately low number of female athletes in the system, suggesting a need for new initiatives to support early-entry points for female athletes (e.g., education on the benefits of sport participation, supportive environments). High-performance staff also lacked resources to better understand the nuances associated with different impairments and their implications (physiological response to training, associated psychological stresses from injury, identity change). Recruitment strategies included “talent search” days, collaborations with school programs and rehabilitation centers, and helping local clubs support “drop-in” athletes. However, limited funding impacted the sustainability of programs, resulting in a regular turnover of staff, loss of intellectual property, and a weakened pathway system. Results from this study generated several practical implications and future directions for research.

Talent Identification and Development in Paralympic Contexts: Current Challenges

“…In extension of this work, Dehghansai et al (2021b) examined the variation in athletes' careers based on when they acquired their impairment. The authors categorized athletes into groups representing different biological maturation phases to better understand the interaction between athletes' impairment and the phase during development that they acquire their impairment.…”

“…More specifically, where athletes are in their sporting career (i.e., their sport/training age) will differ from their chronological age, and, therefore, the experiences they bring to the sport will vary. Relatedly, the type of sport they had experience in could affect their abilities and their "baseline" in their new sport (Dehghansai et al, 2021b). Second, once an athlete enters a performance pathway, the type of resources necessary to support optimal development can vary based on their readiness (Dehghansai et al, , 2021b.…”

“…Relatedly, the type of sport they had experience in could affect their abilities and their "baseline" in their new sport (Dehghansai et al, 2021b). Second, once an athlete enters a performance pathway, the type of resources necessary to support optimal development can vary based on their readiness (Dehghansai et al, , 2021b. This includes impairmentspecific considerations (e.g., equipment, accessibility of venues, etc.)…”

“…This includes impairmentspecific considerations (e.g., equipment, accessibility of venues, etc.) as well as the type/style of coaching they require (Bentzen et al, 2020;Dehghansai et al, 2021c), their preference for a type of training profile (Dehghansai et al, 2021b), and so forth. These elements should be taken into consideration when developing policies and guidelines for resource allocation and athlete support.…”

Coaching and Scouting: A managerial framework for Sports Development

“…The framework will have to be carefully re-worked, and strategically aligned for further development and substantial growth of Paralympic Sports (40) in India, as the usual identification methods won't be applicable. Therefore, detection and recognition methods of para-athletes or athletes who are differently/specially abled have to be carried out, based on classification code or rules (41) put in place by the global governing body for Paralympic sport.…”