Elite Sport Development

Examines the emergence, development and status of an elite sport development policy in swimming, track and field, and sailing in Australia, Canada and the UK.

Elite Sport Development addresses important sport policy questions and explores the emergence, development and current status of elite sport development policy with detailed examination of Australia, Canada and the UK. The sports compared are swimming, track and field athletics, and sailing. The book looks at the problems faced in establishing an elite sport development infrastructure covering facilities, coaching, sports science and competition. Likewise, full-time athletes are considered and the tensions that a pre-occupation with elite achievement generates within the sports is also examined. Includes: * why governments invest heavily in elite sport * the relationship between Government and NGB's * the impact of elite investment on 'sport for all' * the selection of individual sports for priority funding. This detailed text will be of interest to students, researchers and professionals working in sports development and policy.

'Comparative Elite Sport Development' focuses on the identification & development of elite sporting talent especially in Olympic sports. Written by a team of international contributors it applies a reflective & analytical approach, & both informs, & is informed by, established bodies of theory in policy analysis.

Elite Sport Development addresses important sport policy questions and explores the emergence, development and current status of elite sport development policy with detailed examination of Australia, Canada and the UK. The sports compared are swimming, track and field athletics, and sailing. The book looks at the problems faced in establishing an elite sport development infrastructure covering facilities, coaching, sports science and competition. Likewise, full-time athletes are considered and the tensions that a pre-occupation with elite achievement generates within the sports is also examined. Includes: * why governments invest heavily in elite sport * the relationship between Government and NGB's * the impact of elite investment on 'sport for all' * the selection of individual sports for priority funding. This detailed text will be of interest to students, researchers and professionals working in sports development and policy.

Sport is often perceived as being divided into two separate domains: mass participation and elite . In many countries, policy and funding in these two fields are managed by separate agencies, and investment is often seen as a choice between the two. Elite Sport and Sport-for-All explores the points of connection and sources of tension between elite and mass participation sport. The book’s multi-disciplinary and international line-up of contributors seeks to define, examine, and develop solutions to this problematic relationship. Drawing on research and case studies from around the world—with examples from Denmark, Canada, South Africa and Israel—the book explores key contemporary issues including: does effective talent identification require depth of participation? do elite performances inspire greater participation? the role of the Paralympic movement in mass participation and elite sport; and the economic aspects of their co-existence. The first study of its kind, Elite Sport and Sport-for-All addresses a central dichotomy in sport policy and, as such, is important reading for all students, researchers, policy-makers or administrators working in sport development and policy.

Over the last twenty years or so there has been a sharp increase in interest from national sports federations and governments in the development of effective elite sport systems, particularly focused on achieving success in the summer and winter Olympic Games. Many countries now have publicly funded elite sports strategies which provide specialist facilities and support staff and often provide direct financial support for athletes. These developments have stimulated academic interest in describing the elite sport systems, analysing the processes by which policy is established and evaluating the impact of these policies on elite athlete success. Far less attention has been placed on the operation of the elite sports systems and on how the system interfaces with the athlete. The aim of this book is to refocus attention on the management and operation of systems designed to deliver elite success. The book draws on the theoretical literature in implementation, organisation theory, leadership and complexity. This provides an initial context for analysis and a stimulus for theory development around key questions such as: How do coaches manage their relationship with athletes? How does talent identification operate in practice? Do coaches fulfil the role of gatekeeper between the athlete and other elements of the sports system e.g. sports science support? How do managers, support staff and athletes interpret the expectations placed on them? The first part of the book focuses on aspects of the effectiveness of elite sports systems and the second explores aspects of systems operation focused on the interface between the athlete and the sport development system, and cross-cutting themes within the book include the management of talent identification and coach development. This is illuminating reading for any student, researcher or practitioner working in sport development, sport management or sports coaching.

The development of both elite, high performance sport and mass participation, grassroots-level sport are central concerns for governments and sports governing bodies. This important new study is the first to closely examine the challenges and opportunities for sports development in the United States, a global sporting giant with a unique, market-driven sporting landscape. Presenting an innovative model of integrated sports development, the book explores the inter-relationship between elite and mass sport across history, drawing on comparative international examples from Australia to the former USSR and Eastern bloc countries. At the heart of the book is an in-depth empirical study of three (traditional and emerging) sports in the US – tennis, soccer and rugby – that offer important lessons on the development of elite sport, methods for increasing participation, and the establishment of new sports in new markets. No other book has attempted to model sports development in the United States in such depth before. Therefore this should be essential reading for all students, researchers, administrators or policy-makers with an interest in sports development, sports management, sports policy, or comparative, international sport studies.

Elite athletes lead a particular way of life, which creates significant learning and shapes their selves. This is the first sociological-pedagogical text to conceptualise athlete learning in elite sport and across athletic careers. It outlines theories of learning and argues for a cultural perspective capturing contextual influence, temporal changes, individual dispositions, and subjectivity. Presented in three parts—landscaping elite sport and theorising athlete learning; showcasing athletes’ learning in elite sport; and informing research and practice—the book features nine international, multi-contextual, and multi-experience case studies of athlete careers, experiences, and learning across individual and team sports such as boxing, rugby, basketball, hockey, and gymnastics. This is fascinating reading for students, researchers, and practitioners in sport organisations, sports coaching, coach education, and sport sociology and pedagogy.