Aims
In general terms, the Pathways to the Podium Research Project aims to conduct a large
scale examination of long-
More specifically, the first aim of the Pathways to the Podium Research Project is to construct a valid, reliable measurement tool for collecting information regarding athlete developmental histories (more information on the Developmental History of Athletes Questionnaire can be found here).
Secondly, the Pathways to the Podium Research Project aims to examine the generality
of existing models and theories relating to the development of sport expertise across
a variety of sports, in a multiple countries, via a large-
Importantly, the Pathways to the Podium Research Project also aims to identify practical recommendations concerning the patterns of participation in sport that appear to be optimal for the development of expertise.
Research Questions
The Pathways to the Podium Research Project will investigate three main areas of sport expertise development:
- Profiles of involvement in main sport
- Profiles of involvement in other organised sports and informal sporting games
- Familial influences on the development of sport expertise
Some examples of research questions that will be investigated in each of these areas are provided below. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of research questions for the Pathways to the Podium Research Project but rather a small sample to serve as an introduction to the results that you can expect to find out more about as the project progresses.
1. Profiles of involvement in main sport
a) At what age do athletes reach significant sporting career milestones (for example: first participation in supervised practice; first participation in competition; first selection to the national team etc.), and how do these ages differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
b) What types of practice activities do athletes engage in throughout different stages of their career (for example: sport specific practice; physical preparation; mental preparation etc.), how much time do they invest in these different practice activities, and how do these practice profiles differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
2. Profiles of involvement in other organised sports and informal sporting games
a) In addition to their main sport, how many other organised sports do athletes participate in, how much time do they invest in these other sports, what level of competition do they reach in sports other than their main sport, and how do profiles of involvement in other organised sports differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
b) How much time do athletes spend engaging in informal, playful sporting games for fun in their spare time, what types of games are they playing, and how do profiles of involvement in playful sporting games differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
3. Familial influences on the development of sport expertise
a) What is the typical composition of athletes’ families (for example: number of siblings; birth order; parental marital status etc.), and how does family composition differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
b) How involved are athletes’ immediate family members in sport and physical activity (for example: how often do they engage in competitive sport / recreational sport / physical activity for fitness; what types of competitive sports have they played; to what level of competition did they reach in these sports etc.), and how do these profiles of familial involvement in sport and physical activity differ between athletes of different skill levels, athletes in different sports, athletes in different countries, and males and females?
Findings relating to these questions and more will be posted on the Results and Recommendations page as soon as they become available. Please check back regularly for updates.
The Pathways to the Podium Research Project
Aims and Research Questions
An investigation of the development of sport expertise
Pathways to the Podium Research Project