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Abstract
The focus of this study was to examine the nature and function of talent identification in category one football academies in the UK. Data were collected from three participant groups: heads of recruitment (n = 12), recruitment staff (n = 18) and scouts (n = 7). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews, conducted either face-to-face or via Skype®. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) league structures in junior grassroots football; (2) reflective practice; (3) looking at the whole player; and (4) luck. The paper concludes by suggesting that there are issues that need to be considered by the football association, county football associations and clubs. Those issues include the organization of leagues in junior football, the education of scouts and recruitment staff around reflective practice and understanding how to identify psycho-social attributes whilst identifying talent.
Notes
1. Abbott et al., Talent identification and development; Durand-Bush and Salmela, The development and maintenance; Vaeyens et al., Talent identification and development.
2. Durand-Bush and Salmela, The development and maintenance; Régnier, Salmela, and Russell, Talent detection and development.
3. Bailey and Collins, The problem with the pyramid.
4. For a review, see: Davids and Baker, Genes, environment and sport.
5. Clarke and Harwood, Parenting experiences; Clarke, Harwood, and Cushion, A phenomenological interpretation; Finnegan et al., The influence of date.
6. Ford et al., The developmental activities.
7. Williams and Reilly, Talent identification and development.
8. Carling et al., Do anthropometric and fitness; Williams and Reilly, Talent identification and development.
9. Hassan, ‘Searching for the next’.
10. Williams and Reilly, Talent identification and development.
11. Meylan et al., Talent identification in soccer.
12. See le Gall et al., Anthropometric and fitness characteristics; Williams, Perceptual skill in soccer; Figueiredo et al., Youth soccer players.
13. Premier League, ‘Elite player performance plan’.
14. Ibid, 9.
15. The Football Association Technical Department, ‘Football education for young players’.
16. Premier League, ‘Elite player performance plan’.
17. Richardson et al., An examination of.
18. Premier League, ‘Elite player performance plan’, 25–26; Richardson et al., Sociological and cultural influences.
19. Christensen, ‘An eye for talent’.
20. Creswell, ‘Research design’.
21. Patton, ‘Qualitative research & evaluation’.
22. Sparkes and Smith, ‘Qualitative research methods’.
23. Deakin and Wakefield, Skype interviewing.
24. Seitz, Pixilated partnerships.
25. Deakin and Wakefield, Skype interviewing.
26. Patton, ‘Qualitative research & evaluation’.
27. Rubin and Rubin, ‘Qualitative interviewing’.
28. Strauss and Corbin, ‘Basics of qualitative research’.
29. Maykut and Morehouse, ‘Beginning qualitative research’.
30. Strauss and Corbin, ‘Basics of qualitative research’.
31. Sport England, ‘Active People Survey’.
32. Vaeyens, Philippaerts, and Malina, The relative age effect.
33. Collins et al., Change of plans.
34. Gilbert and Trudel, Learning to coach.
35. Leitch and Day, Action research.
36. Cropley et al., Learning to learn; Dixon, Lee, and Ghaye, Reflective practices.
37. Sparkes, ‘Narrative analysis’.
38. Meylan et al., Talent identification in soccer.
39. Schien, ‘Assumptions about managing’, 94.
40. Ibid., 95.
41. Irwin, Hanton, and Kerwin, Reflective practice.
42. Cropley et al., Learning to learn.
43. Christensen, ‘An eye for talent’.
44. Nicholls and Polman, Think aloud.
45. Bahrick, Hall, and Berger, Accuracy and distortion.
46. Miller, Cronin, and Baker, Nurture, nature.
47. Bouchard and Hoffman, ‘Genetic and molecular aspects’; Montgomery and Safari, Genetic basis of physical fitness.
48. Ericsson, Krampe and Tesch-Römer, The role of deliberate practice; Ericsson et al., ‘The Cambridge Handbook’.
49. Baker et al., Nurturing sport expertise; Phillips et al., Expert performance in sport; Vaeyens et al., Talent identification and development.
50. MacNamara and Collins, More of the same?
51. Durand-Bush and Salmela, The development and maintenance; Fletcher and Sakar, A grounded theory.
52. Miller, Cronin and Baker, Nurture, nature, 653.
53. Vaeyens et al., Talent identification and development; van Rossum and Gange, ‘Talent development in sports’.
54. Bailey, Talent development.
55. Rescher, ‘The machinations of luck’, 169.
56. Coffman, Thinking about luck; Ballantyne, Anti-luck epistemology; Levy, ‘Hard luck’.
57. Milburn, ‘Subject-involving luck’.
58. Ballantyne, Anti-luck epistemology.
59. Rescher, ‘Luck’, 28.