Class Talent Scouting and Guidance

Talent is one of the fundamental conditions for achieving excellence in competition sport and its identification represents the first step in a long process of specialization that allows selecting the right athletes. The CU provides a set of scientific instruments that promote critical reflection and autonomy of the student in the construction and application of a model of identification, identification, selection, and development for youth sports.

Not applicable

1. Theoretical basis: 1.1. Sports talent and motor talent. 1.2. Sports' talent detection, identification, development, and selection. 1.3. Talent identification and development programs in sport. 1.4. Systems of recruitment and promotion of sports talent. 2. Operating and basic model: 2.1. Basic determinants of the sport. 2.2. Profile characteristics of the athlete. 3. Methodology and control of variables that affect success in sports: 3.1. Test battery commonly used in talent identification programs. 3.2. The effect of body size and composition and biological maturation on athletes' functional and motor performance. 3.3. What is the training influence over the growth and maturity of athletes? 4. Talent development in sport: 4.1. Critical periods/opportunity windows and trainability of functional capacities and general and motor skills. 4.2. The long-term athletes' development stages.

At the beginning of the CU, the key concepts will be worked on in a lecture format. In the second phase, the basic and operative model will be worked in groups, with reference to the sports modalities chosen by the students. The theoretical rationale of the model will be built and supported by scientific articles, which justifies the choices of the students. This process culminates with the construction of an evaluation protocol specific to each sport. In the third stage, these models of development and detection of talents will be worked, where the students, in groups, should cogitate about it, and build an operational model for their sports. The assessment considers the presentation and discussion of the theoretical rationale of the basic model and of the defence of an operational model for the detection and guidance of talent in a specific sport. The student must attend 75% of classes to do this presentation.

Lloyd, R. S., & Oliver, J. L. (2012). The youth physical development model: a new approach to long-term athletic development. Strength Cond J, 34(3), 61-72. Massuça, L. M., Fragoso, I., & Teles, J. (2014). Attributes of top elite team-handball payers. J Strength Cond Res, 28(1), 178-186. Reilly, T., Williams, A. M., Nevill, A., & Franks, A. (2000). A multidisciplinary approach to talent identification in soccer. J Sports Sci, 18(9), 695-702. Vaeyens, R., Lenoir, M., Williams, A. M., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2008). Talent identification and development programmes in sport: current models and future directions. Sports Med, 38(9), 703-714. Vandendriessche, J. B., Vaeyens, R., Vandorpe, B., Lenoir, M., Lefevre, J., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2012). Biological maturation, morphology, fitness, and motor coordination as part of a selection strategy in the search for international youth soccer players (age 15-16 years). J Sports Sci, 30(15), 1695-1703.