Summary Talent Identification and
Development
Inhoud
Lecture 1 – Introduction.........................................................................................................................4
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 4-1-2021........................................................................................4
Article Vaeyens, R., Lenoir, M., Williams, A. M., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2008). Talent identification
and development programmes in sport. Sports medicine, 38(9), 703-714........................................7
Article Phillips, E., Davids, K., Renshaw, I., & Portus, M. (2010). Expert performance in sport and
the dynamics of talent development. Sports medicine, 40(4), 271-283.............................................8
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., & Wormhoudt, R. (2018). Creating adaptive athletes: the athletic skills
model for enhancing physical literacy as a foundation for expertise. Movement & Sport Sciences-
Science & Motricité, (102), 31-38.....................................................................................................10
Chapter 1 – The basics of the Athletic Skills Model......................................................................10
Chapter 2 – Talent development..................................................................................................11
Lecture 2 – The better mover: the role of general motor coordination in talent identification and
development in sport...........................................................................................................................15
Lecture Notes Matthieu Lenoir 6-1-2021..........................................................................................15
Article Pion, J. A., Fransen, J., Deprez, D. N., Segers, V. I., Vaeyens, R., Philippaerts, R. M., & Lenoir,
M. (2015). Stature and jumping height are required in female volleyball, but motor coordination is
a key factor for future elite success. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 29(6), 1480-
1485..................................................................................................................................................19
Article Pion, J., Lenoir, M., Vandorpe, B., & Segers, V. (2015). Talent in female gymnastics: a
survival analysis based upon performance characteristics. International journal of sports medicine,
94(11), 935-940................................................................................................................................20
Article Mostaert, M., Deconinck, F., Pion, J., & Lenoir, M. (2016). Anthropometry, physical fitness
and coordination of young figure skaters of different levels. International journal of sports
medicine, 37(07), 531-538................................................................................................................21
Article Robertson, K., Mostaert, M., Pion, J., & Lenoir, M. (2020). Mind, body, and shuttle:
Multidimensional benchmarks for talent identification in youth male badminton. Biology of Sport
..........................................................................................................................................................22
Lecture 3 – Pacing and self-regulation in youth athletes: how to coach youth endurance athletes
towards excellence...............................................................................................................................23
Lecture Notes Marije Elferink-Gemser 11-1-2021............................................................................23
Article Menting, S. G. P., Huijgen, B. C., Konings, M. J., Hettinga, F. J., & Elferink-Gemser, M. T.
(2019). Pacing Behavior Development of Youth Short-Track Speed Skaters: A Longitudinal Study.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise...................................................................................27
Article Wiersma, R., Stoter, I. K., Visscher, C., Hettinga, F. J., & Elferink-Gemser, M. T. (2017).
Development of 1500-m pacing behavior in junior speed skaters: a longitudinal study.
International journal of sports physiology and performance, 12(9), 1224-1231..............................29
, Article Elferink-Gemser, M. T., & Hettinga, F. J. (2017). Pacing and self-regulation: important skills
for talent development in endurance sports. International journal of sports physiology and
performance, 12(6), 831-835............................................................................................................30
Lecture 4 – The role of visual information; the better perceiver; visual information, gaze behavior and
expertise in sport..................................................................................................................................31
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 13-1-2021....................................................................................31
Part 1: search strategy..................................................................................................................31
Part 2: pattern recognition...........................................................................................................32
Part 3: visual attention training....................................................................................................33
Article Goodale, M. A., & Milner, A. D. (1992). Separate visual pathways for perception and action.
..........................................................................................................................................................35
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., Van der Kamp, J., Williams, A. M., & Ward, P. (2005). Anticipation and
visual search behaviour in expert soccer goalkeepers. Ergonomics, 48(11-14), 1686-1697.............35
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., Haans, S. H., Kooijman, M. K., & Van Kampen, P. M. (2010). A method to
identify talent: Visual search and locomotion behavior in young football players. Human
movement science, 29(5), 764-776..................................................................................................36
Article van Maarseveen, M. J., Oudejans, R. R., & Savelsbergh, G. J. (2015). Pattern recall skills of
talented soccer players: Two new methods applied. Human movement science, 41, 59-75...........37
Article van Maarseveen, M. J., Oudejans, R. R., Mann, D. L., & Savelsbergh, G. J. (2018). Perceptual-
cognitive skill and the in-situ performance of soccer players. Quarterly journal of experimental
psychology, 71(2), 455-470...............................................................................................................38
Lecture 5 – The cognitive factor...........................................................................................................39
Lecture Notes Remco Koopmeiners 15-1-2021................................................................................39
Article Ehrlinger, J., Mitchum, A. L., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Understanding overconfidence: Theories
of intelligence, preferential attention, and distorted self-assessment. Journal of Experimental
Social Psychology, 63, 94-100...........................................................................................................43
Article Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2017). The origins of children's growth and fixed mindsets:
New research and a new proposal. Child development, 88(6), 1849-1859......................................44
Article Matthes, B., & Stoeger, H. (2018). Influence of parents’ implicit theories about ability on
parents’ learning-related behaviors, children’s implicit theories, and children’s academic
achievement. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 54, 271-280.................................................46
Article Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children's
motivation and performance. Journal of personality and social psychology, 75(1), 33....................48
Article Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., Romero, C., Smith, E. N., Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2015).
Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement. Psychological
science, 26(6), 784-793.....................................................................................................................52
Lecture 6 – from science to application 1.............................................................................................53
Lecture Notes Ruud den Hartigh & Tom Bergkamp 18-1-2021.........................................................53
Article Den Hartigh, R. J., Hill, Y., & Van Geert, P. L. (2018). The development of talent in sports: A
dynamic network approach. Complexity, 2018................................................................................58
, Article Den Hartigh, R. J., Niessen, A. S. M., Frencken, W. G., & Meijer, R. R. (2018). Selection
procedures in sports: Improving predictions of athletes’ future performance. European journal of
sport science, 18(9), 1191-1198.......................................................................................................59
Article Bergkamp, T. L., Niessen, A. S. M., Den Hartigh, R. J., Frencken, W. G., & Meijer, R. R. (2019).
Methodological issues in soccer talent identification research. Sports Medicine, 49(9), 1317-1335.
..........................................................................................................................................................61
Article Bergkamp, T. L., den Hartigh, R. J., Frencken, W. G., Niessen, A. S. M., & Meijer, R. R. (2020).
The validity of small-sided games in predicting 11-vs-11 soccer game performance. PloS one, 15(9),
e0239448..........................................................................................................................................62
Lecture 7 – From science to application II............................................................................................64
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsberg & Kai Krabben 20-1-2021...............................................................64
Creating adaptive athletes: The Athletic Skills Model as a foundation for expertise....................64
Building adaptive judo athletes – the ASM model applied in judo...............................................66
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., & Wormhoudt, R. (2018). Creating adaptive athletes: the athletic skills
model for enhancing physical literacy as a foundation for expertise. Movement & Sport Sciences-
Science & Motricité, (102), 31-38.....................................................................................................68
, Lecture 1 – Introduction
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 4-1-2021
What is a talent?
- Successful athletes seem to improve more within the same or even less
time when compared to their less successful counterparts
- Degree of individual potential
- The level of how quickly you can learn something
Traditional model
Detection finding a general or sport specific
giftedness in a heterogeneous population
↓
Identification finding the most talented individuals in a
homogeneous population, i.e. in a specific
sport
↓
Development guidance and training towards high level
competition
↓
Selection selecting from the best athletes those
individuals that are most likely to
guarantee the best result on a very short time scale
This does not necessarily imply that the best athletes are selected (injuries, team
compositions, long term goals, …)
Talent development is in most cases non-linear (80%)
- Mixed ascent always forward but linear
- Mixed descent not always selected,
sometimes a setback or drop-out
Talent development systems are based on linear
development
Talent identification
- Looking for similarities within a group of talents
- Commonalities used for identification
Problem correlation vs causation
- You find a correlation between athletes, but it is not necessary that only
talents share this and if this is the cause of talent
- Shouting talents obvious, mostly linear, spotted by everyone
- Whispering talents different path, most athletes disappear
Talent Development Models
Pathways of TD
- Early specialization
- Late specialization
- Diversification
- Early engagement
Talent development models
Development
Inhoud
Lecture 1 – Introduction.........................................................................................................................4
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 4-1-2021........................................................................................4
Article Vaeyens, R., Lenoir, M., Williams, A. M., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2008). Talent identification
and development programmes in sport. Sports medicine, 38(9), 703-714........................................7
Article Phillips, E., Davids, K., Renshaw, I., & Portus, M. (2010). Expert performance in sport and
the dynamics of talent development. Sports medicine, 40(4), 271-283.............................................8
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., & Wormhoudt, R. (2018). Creating adaptive athletes: the athletic skills
model for enhancing physical literacy as a foundation for expertise. Movement & Sport Sciences-
Science & Motricité, (102), 31-38.....................................................................................................10
Chapter 1 – The basics of the Athletic Skills Model......................................................................10
Chapter 2 – Talent development..................................................................................................11
Lecture 2 – The better mover: the role of general motor coordination in talent identification and
development in sport...........................................................................................................................15
Lecture Notes Matthieu Lenoir 6-1-2021..........................................................................................15
Article Pion, J. A., Fransen, J., Deprez, D. N., Segers, V. I., Vaeyens, R., Philippaerts, R. M., & Lenoir,
M. (2015). Stature and jumping height are required in female volleyball, but motor coordination is
a key factor for future elite success. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 29(6), 1480-
1485..................................................................................................................................................19
Article Pion, J., Lenoir, M., Vandorpe, B., & Segers, V. (2015). Talent in female gymnastics: a
survival analysis based upon performance characteristics. International journal of sports medicine,
94(11), 935-940................................................................................................................................20
Article Mostaert, M., Deconinck, F., Pion, J., & Lenoir, M. (2016). Anthropometry, physical fitness
and coordination of young figure skaters of different levels. International journal of sports
medicine, 37(07), 531-538................................................................................................................21
Article Robertson, K., Mostaert, M., Pion, J., & Lenoir, M. (2020). Mind, body, and shuttle:
Multidimensional benchmarks for talent identification in youth male badminton. Biology of Sport
..........................................................................................................................................................22
Lecture 3 – Pacing and self-regulation in youth athletes: how to coach youth endurance athletes
towards excellence...............................................................................................................................23
Lecture Notes Marije Elferink-Gemser 11-1-2021............................................................................23
Article Menting, S. G. P., Huijgen, B. C., Konings, M. J., Hettinga, F. J., & Elferink-Gemser, M. T.
(2019). Pacing Behavior Development of Youth Short-Track Speed Skaters: A Longitudinal Study.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise...................................................................................27
Article Wiersma, R., Stoter, I. K., Visscher, C., Hettinga, F. J., & Elferink-Gemser, M. T. (2017).
Development of 1500-m pacing behavior in junior speed skaters: a longitudinal study.
International journal of sports physiology and performance, 12(9), 1224-1231..............................29
, Article Elferink-Gemser, M. T., & Hettinga, F. J. (2017). Pacing and self-regulation: important skills
for talent development in endurance sports. International journal of sports physiology and
performance, 12(6), 831-835............................................................................................................30
Lecture 4 – The role of visual information; the better perceiver; visual information, gaze behavior and
expertise in sport..................................................................................................................................31
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 13-1-2021....................................................................................31
Part 1: search strategy..................................................................................................................31
Part 2: pattern recognition...........................................................................................................32
Part 3: visual attention training....................................................................................................33
Article Goodale, M. A., & Milner, A. D. (1992). Separate visual pathways for perception and action.
..........................................................................................................................................................35
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., Van der Kamp, J., Williams, A. M., & Ward, P. (2005). Anticipation and
visual search behaviour in expert soccer goalkeepers. Ergonomics, 48(11-14), 1686-1697.............35
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., Haans, S. H., Kooijman, M. K., & Van Kampen, P. M. (2010). A method to
identify talent: Visual search and locomotion behavior in young football players. Human
movement science, 29(5), 764-776..................................................................................................36
Article van Maarseveen, M. J., Oudejans, R. R., & Savelsbergh, G. J. (2015). Pattern recall skills of
talented soccer players: Two new methods applied. Human movement science, 41, 59-75...........37
Article van Maarseveen, M. J., Oudejans, R. R., Mann, D. L., & Savelsbergh, G. J. (2018). Perceptual-
cognitive skill and the in-situ performance of soccer players. Quarterly journal of experimental
psychology, 71(2), 455-470...............................................................................................................38
Lecture 5 – The cognitive factor...........................................................................................................39
Lecture Notes Remco Koopmeiners 15-1-2021................................................................................39
Article Ehrlinger, J., Mitchum, A. L., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Understanding overconfidence: Theories
of intelligence, preferential attention, and distorted self-assessment. Journal of Experimental
Social Psychology, 63, 94-100...........................................................................................................43
Article Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2017). The origins of children's growth and fixed mindsets:
New research and a new proposal. Child development, 88(6), 1849-1859......................................44
Article Matthes, B., & Stoeger, H. (2018). Influence of parents’ implicit theories about ability on
parents’ learning-related behaviors, children’s implicit theories, and children’s academic
achievement. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 54, 271-280.................................................46
Article Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children's
motivation and performance. Journal of personality and social psychology, 75(1), 33....................48
Article Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., Romero, C., Smith, E. N., Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2015).
Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement. Psychological
science, 26(6), 784-793.....................................................................................................................52
Lecture 6 – from science to application 1.............................................................................................53
Lecture Notes Ruud den Hartigh & Tom Bergkamp 18-1-2021.........................................................53
Article Den Hartigh, R. J., Hill, Y., & Van Geert, P. L. (2018). The development of talent in sports: A
dynamic network approach. Complexity, 2018................................................................................58
, Article Den Hartigh, R. J., Niessen, A. S. M., Frencken, W. G., & Meijer, R. R. (2018). Selection
procedures in sports: Improving predictions of athletes’ future performance. European journal of
sport science, 18(9), 1191-1198.......................................................................................................59
Article Bergkamp, T. L., Niessen, A. S. M., Den Hartigh, R. J., Frencken, W. G., & Meijer, R. R. (2019).
Methodological issues in soccer talent identification research. Sports Medicine, 49(9), 1317-1335.
..........................................................................................................................................................61
Article Bergkamp, T. L., den Hartigh, R. J., Frencken, W. G., Niessen, A. S. M., & Meijer, R. R. (2020).
The validity of small-sided games in predicting 11-vs-11 soccer game performance. PloS one, 15(9),
e0239448..........................................................................................................................................62
Lecture 7 – From science to application II............................................................................................64
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsberg & Kai Krabben 20-1-2021...............................................................64
Creating adaptive athletes: The Athletic Skills Model as a foundation for expertise....................64
Building adaptive judo athletes – the ASM model applied in judo...............................................66
Article Savelsbergh, G. J., & Wormhoudt, R. (2018). Creating adaptive athletes: the athletic skills
model for enhancing physical literacy as a foundation for expertise. Movement & Sport Sciences-
Science & Motricité, (102), 31-38.....................................................................................................68
, Lecture 1 – Introduction
Lecture Notes Geert Savelsbergh 4-1-2021
What is a talent?
- Successful athletes seem to improve more within the same or even less
time when compared to their less successful counterparts
- Degree of individual potential
- The level of how quickly you can learn something
Traditional model
Detection finding a general or sport specific
giftedness in a heterogeneous population
↓
Identification finding the most talented individuals in a
homogeneous population, i.e. in a specific
sport
↓
Development guidance and training towards high level
competition
↓
Selection selecting from the best athletes those
individuals that are most likely to
guarantee the best result on a very short time scale
This does not necessarily imply that the best athletes are selected (injuries, team
compositions, long term goals, …)
Talent development is in most cases non-linear (80%)
- Mixed ascent always forward but linear
- Mixed descent not always selected,
sometimes a setback or drop-out
Talent development systems are based on linear
development
Talent identification
- Looking for similarities within a group of talents
- Commonalities used for identification
Problem correlation vs causation
- You find a correlation between athletes, but it is not necessary that only
talents share this and if this is the cause of talent
- Shouting talents obvious, mostly linear, spotted by everyone
- Whispering talents different path, most athletes disappear
Talent Development Models
Pathways of TD
- Early specialization
- Late specialization
- Diversification
- Early engagement
Talent development models
