Charting the development of sport expertise: challenges and opportunities

This review poses three key issues that will progress our understanding of the sport expertise literature and its translational scientific impact. Primarily relying on research conducted in interceptive sport tasks, and to a lesser extent team sports, we review the perceptual-cognitive skills of sports experts and explore the challenge of designing a sufficiently representative task to examine expertise. We focus on the methodological challenges presented by the reciprocal relationship between players’ action capabilities and their perceptual-cognitive skill. Second, we consider the need for a paradigm shift in the experimental approach used when examining the development of sport expertise. In short, a shift from traditional expert-novice designs to more prospective longitudinal designs that cross-sectionally track the development of expertise is discussed. The final issue considers how the volume of in situ data now collected provides a rich source of information that sport expertise researchers have only begun to consider and integrate with more traditional sport psychology research. We demonstrate how statistical approaches that have described the likely trajectories of expert performers on their journey toward expertise coupled with more traditional qualitative experimental approaches can provide useful insights into the development of psychological performance skills and more broadly sport expertise.     

运动中专家表现的研究述评

在回顾运动专家表现研究的基础上, 指出了运动专家表现研究的发展趋势, 即运动专家表现研究将更加重视纵向研究和性别差异研究; 研究内容将关注专家表现的保持; 运动专家表现的评估将转向模拟运动情境或真实运动情境。此外, 运动专家表现的研究有必要从操作方法上弥补专家———新手研究范式不足, 探索新的研究范式, 并对运动专家表现的获得作重新解释。     

20 years later: deliberate practice and the development of expertise in sport

Twenty-one years ago, Ericsson, Krampe and Tesch-Romer published their seminal work expounding the notion of deliberate practice in explaining the development of expertise. This concept has since become extremely influential in the fields of sport psychology and motor learning. This review evaluates current understanding of deliberate practice in sport skill acquisition with an emphasis on the role of deliberate practice in distinguishing expert athletes from non-experts. In particular, we re-examine the original tenets of Ericsson et al.'s framework to (a) evaluate the sport-related research supporting their claims and (b) identify remaining research questions in this area. The review highlights the overall importance of deliberate practice in the development of expert sport performers; however, our understanding is far from complete. Several directions for future research are highlighted, including the need for more rigorous research designs and statistical models that can evaluate changes in developmental and contextual factors across development. Finally, we advocate for a more thorough understanding of the implications of a ‘deliberate practice approach’ for coaching science.     

Parameterising expertise in coaching: past, present and future

Research into expertise is increasing across a number of domains pertinent to sport. Whilst this increase is particularly apparent in coaching, a key question is how to identify an expert coach? Accordingly, this paper draws upon existing studies into expert coaches to address this issue; in particular, the criteria used to select expert coaches for research purposes and the methods used in expert coach research. Based on these data, we contend that the elements of expertise are not fully reflected within currently accepted criteria which, in turn, results in expert coaching research not necessarily identifying the appropriate individuals to study. The paper concludes with recommendations for more rigorous criteria for selecting expert coaches and highlights the associated implications for the future training and development of expert coaches.     

Parameterising expertise in coaching: Past,present and future

Abstract

Research into expertise is increasing across a number of domains pertinent to sport. Whilst this increase is particularly apparent in coaching, a key question is how to identify an expert coach? Accordingly, this paper draws upon existing studies into expert coaches to address this issue; in particular, the criteria used to select expert coaches for research purposes and the methods used in expert coach research. Based on these data, we contend that the elements of expertise are not fully reflected within currently accepted criteria which, in turn, results in expert coaching research not necessarily identifying the appropriate individuals to study. The paper concludes with recommendations for more rigorous criteria for selecting expert coaches and highlights the associated implications for the future training and development of expert coaches.     

Developing football expertise: a football-specific research review

About 265 million people regularly play football, of which only 0.04% play in a professional league. This suggests that reaching expertise specifically in football is difficult and highly competitive. In recent decades, research on the development of football expertise has increased substantially. However, most of these studies have focused on isolated aspects of the developmental process, and consequently there has been a lack of overview of how these different aspects interact to produce football experts. The aim of this study is to review available research on the development of expertise specific for football. The review is limited to papers found in the electronic SportDiscus database. The 2007 Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) has been used as the conceptual framework. The results highlight the importance of football-specific practice in early developmental phases in becoming an expert in football. It is also proposed that football-specific nuances may need to be applied to the DMSP in order to make the debate of early specialization versus diversification sufficiently valid for this particular context. Consequences for practice engagement and future research are discussed.     

试析我国普通高校竞技体育现代化的基本内容

高校试办高水平运动队已经取得了一定的成绩和经验,我国普通高校竞技体育已经成为奥运战略的＂重要分子＂,为早日实现我国高校竞技体育现代化,提高运动训练水平,采用文献资料、专家访谈、逻辑分析等方法,对我国普通高校竞技体育现代化的基本内容进行了分析和探讨,以期为我国普通高校竞技体育现代化提出科学、切实可行的研究成果和参考依据。     

Decision-making skills and deliberate practice in elite association football referees

We examined sport expertise as a function of role. In study 1, referees were better than players in a video-based decision-making task. This provides evidence that there are role-specific skills within one domain or sport. In study 2, we examined the training activities that could be influential in the development of skills in sports officials. Elite association football (soccer) referees retrospectively reported time spent in and perceptions of training activities for three periods: their first year of formal refereeing, 1998 (before formal training programmes were available), and the current year (2003). This allowed us to examine an area of skill with a limited culture of practice, where performance simulations with direct feedback are usually not feasible. The results showed that referees specialize early and, as they develop, they engage in greater volumes and types of training. Competitive match refereeing is considered a relevant activity for skill acquisition that does not fit Ericsson and colleagues' (1993) original definition of deliberate practice. Our findings indicate that actual performance is a significant activity for skill acquisition and refinement.     

我国自行车运动科学训练理论与训练监控研究现状

自行车是典型的体能性运动项目,专项体能水平是决定比赛成绩的重要因素,心理、战术、技术等对于竞技水平的发挥有着重要影响作用,自行车运动员科学训练是取得优异成绩的保障。对我国自行车运动科学训练理论发展及训练监控的研究现状进行综述,对科学训练中的一些热点问题和主要研究成果进行评述,并对以后发展方向提出了展望,以期对我国自行车运动研究与实践提供参考。     

Experiential knowledge of expert coaches can help identify informational constraints on performance of dynamic interceptive actions

Abstract

Coordination of dynamic interceptive movements is predicated on cyclical relations between an individual’s actions and information sources from the performance environment. To identify dynamic informational constraints, which are interwoven with individual and task constraints, coaches’ experiential knowledge provides a complementary source to support empirical understanding of performance in sport. In this study, 15 expert coaches from 3 sports (track and field, gymnastics and cricket) participated in a semi-structured interview process to identify potential informational constraints which they perceived to regulate action during run-up performance. Expert coaches’ experiential knowledge revealed multiple information sources which may constrain performance adaptations in such locomotor pointing tasks. In addition to the locomotor pointing target, coaches’ knowledge highlighted two other key informational constraints: vertical reference points located near the locomotor pointing target and a check mark located prior to the locomotor pointing target. This study highlights opportunities for broadening the understanding of perception and action coupling processes, and the identified information sources warrant further empirical investigation as potential constraints on athletic performance. Integration of experiential knowledge of expert coaches with theoretically driven empirical knowledge represents a promising avenue to drive future applied science research and pedagogical practice.     

Sand training: a review of current research and practical applications

Abstract

Sand surfaces can offer a higher energy cost (EC) and lower impact training stimulus compared with firmer and more traditional team sport training venues such as grass. This review aims to summarise the existing research on sand training, with a specific focus on its application as a team sports training venue. Compared with grass, significant physiological and biomechanical differences are associated with sand exercise. However, evidence also exists to suggest that training adaptations unique to sand can positively influence firm-ground performance. Furthermore, the lower impact forces experienced on sand can limit muscle damage, muscle soreness, and decrements in performance capacity relative to exercise intensity. Therefore, using a sand training surface in team sports may allow greater training adaptations to be achieved, while reducing performance decrements and injuries that may arise from heavy training. Nevertheless, further research should investigate the effect of sand surfaces over a greater range of training types and performance outcomes, to increase the application of sand training for team sports.     

散打技术训练手段分类及运用研究

散打项目开展30多年来,其技术水平不断提高,训练手段也更加科学化、规范化。但是对其训练手段的研究并不是很多,理论的研究已经明显滞后于散打技术水平的发展。文章运用文献资料法、专家访谈法、问卷调查法等研究方法探求散打技术训练手段的分类及运用,对训练手段进行合理的整理和分类。文章还对其运用现状进行了研究分析,对其提出合理见解,为散打运动的教学训练提供有益的参考。     

整合创新上海市青少年业余训练体育科技服务资源的探索

通过查阅文献资料、实地调查、专家访谈等方法,了解上海市、区两级青少年业余训练体育科技服务的组织资源、人力资源、技术资源、信息资源、财力资源的现状,分析目前业余训练体育科技服务体系中各类资源存在的主要问题,并结合问题提出整合创新发展对策建议,为全面提升上海市青少年业余训练水平和完善业余训练体育科技服务体系提供参考借鉴。     

核心力量训练在羽毛球训练中重要作用的研究与探讨

竞技体育项目中,核心力量的增强能够帮助运动员有效提升竞技能力,这一观念已被海内外众多体育领域的专家学者所认可。核心力量作为一个研究的热点,在运动训练、体育竞赛、运动损伤、运动康复等诸多领域的作用也随着日益深入的研究显现得更加清晰。核心力量训练对竞技成绩的提升有着深层次的推动,任何竞技运动项目中对身体核心肌群的训练都是训练成绩的重要保障。因此针对不同的竞技项目,结合专项特点进行核心力量训练就显得异常关键。本文运用文献资料法、逻辑分析法、专家访谈法对羽毛球项目中核心力量训练的意义以及核心力量训练的方法与手段进行研究和探讨,旨在为羽毛球教练员、运动员和从事羽毛球项目研究的体育工作者提供借鉴和参考。     

浅谈散打运动的力量特征和训练方法

力量素质的作用在散打项目的竞技能力构成结构中具有非常重要的地位,现阶段关于散打的力量训练相关理论比较缺乏,尤其是力量特征以及力量训练的方法都没有系统的研究和归纳。为丰富散打项目运动训练的理论,促进运动员运动水平的提高,文章从多学科的视野,运用文献资料法、调查法、观察法等研究方法,综合得出散打运动的力量特点以及目前散打力量的训练情况,并在此基础上提出了散打运动力量训练的方法及手段,为散打项目的教学和训练提供参考。     

An analysis of practice activities and instructional behaviours used by youth soccer coaches during practice: Exploring the link between science and application

Abstract

We examined the practice activities and instructional behaviours employed by 25 youth soccer coaches during 70 different practice sessions. We evaluated the extent to which these activities and behaviours differ from those shown in contemporary research to best facilitate skill acquisition. Nine coaches worked with the under-9 years age group and eight coaches each with the under-13 and under-16 years age groups; nine of those coaches were employed at the elite level, nine at the sub-elite level, and seven at the non-elite level. Coaches had players spend more time in activities that were deemed less relevant to soccer match performance, termed “training form” (e.g. physical training, technique and skills practices), than activities deemed more relevant, termed “playing form” (e.g. small-sided/conditioned games and phase of play activities). Coaches provided high levels of instruction, feedback, and management, irrespective of the activity in which players engaged. Few differences in practice activities and instructional behaviours were reported across skill and age groups, implying the absence of any notable age- or skill-related progression. Findings are discussed with reference to recent research in the areas of skill acquisition, motor learning, and expert performance.     

überlegungen zur Trainingswissenschaft

The deliberations on training science as a scientific discipline, training science itself, and economic aspects within the framework of training science-related intervention research in theory and practice are explicitly meant to be a contribution to the discussion on the further exploration of training science processes. Furthermore, the application of economic considerations is supposed to expand the training science foundation based on a framework model for training adaptations. Currently, the link between economic and training science observations is still in the initial phase of scientific processing. From the author??s point of view, further research efforts are required to be able to estimate the consequences of these deliberations. This means that scientific experts are called upon to further explore athletic training as a scientific object of research and the ensuing implications.     

体育竞赛表演产业与品牌赛事融合发展研究一一以吉林省太极拳比赛为例

论文采用文献资料法、专家访谈法、实证调查法,对吉林省太极拳竞赛表演产业与品牌赛事的融合发展进行研究,从国家政策导向的顶层设计、地方领导重视的中层推进、新型协会体系的基层实施三个维度进行分析、整理体育竞赛表演产业发展的理论支持与推进路径,研究目前吉林省太极拳竞赛表演产业中品牌赛事发展的科技化、链条化、服务化、产业化现状,总结和归纳出目前阶段品牌赛事体系构建过程中面临的问题,并给出未来发展的建议,力求为体育竞赛表演产业与品牌赛事的融合发展提供借鉴与参考。