Essay Sample on Young Athlete Performance: Training Program for the Youth

Introduction

The practice of developing young athlete performers requires profound knowledge and an engaged mind-set to create a training program for youths. In the United States, there has been an increase in the demand for services and programs that teach the youth sport skills. The emphasis is on training programs that help the youth to develop basic athletic techniques and motor abilities. There has been an increase in performance fitness and training centers that specialize in running programs targeted for 8- to - 16-year-olds. The main focus of these fitness centers is to develop speed and agility for youths playing team sports such as basketball, football, and baseball. Thus, this essay aims to explore the models of athlete development, relative age effect, and the role of parents in developing young athlete performers in basketball.

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Models of Athlete Development

Various models of athlete development aim at developing athletic technique and abilities in young performers. The two common models of athlete development include; a) The deliberate practice framework, and b) The developmental model of sport participation.

The Deliberate Practice Framework

The deliberate practice framework proposes that expertise in any sport is determined explicitly with the amount and type of practice performed in that sport. According to Corbett Barr, deliberate practice is related to the quality of training and practice time (2012). This model of development focuses on the objective of improving performance by undertaking highly structured activities that are related to basketball. Experts of the deliberate practice model, such as Ericsson and his colleagues at Florida State University, believed that the key to top-level achievement is based on maintaining high-level practice and consistently improving performance (1993). The '10 years, 10000 hours rule' is fundamental to the development of expertise in any sport (Ericsson, 1993). In essence, quality practice is the fundamental principle underlying the process of learning a new skill or gaining expertise in basketball.

Moreover, to attain expertise in basketball, early specialization is necessary. The deliberate practice model entails that early specialization influences the development of elite athleticism. Elite athletes start training at a younger age, accumulate more hours of deliberate practice, and thus become better in their main sport than sub-elite athletes. Studies in the subject of the development of sports' expertise support the claim that peak performance is mainly achieved before the age of puberty. Early specialization is essential in attaining peak performance, mainly due to the prior engagement in deliberate practice and the elementary exposure to specialty training programs.

The Developmental Model of Sport Participation

The developmental model of sport participation (DMSP) emphasizes on the essence of developmentally appropriate training. The DMSP model proposes three stages associated with the development of sport elitisms throughout childhood to adolescence. The key stages are specified as follows; a) the sampling years (6-12), b) the specializing years (13-15), and the investment years (16 +). Cote and colleagues proposed that the DMSP phases aim to provide a general framework that considers how athletes develop and the type of training they require as they move through the different stages (2014).

Due to variations in individual athlete development profiles, the DMSP phases are not associated with specified ages or lengths of practice time. In the sampling phase, young athletes are encouraged to take part in a range of different activities in multiple sports to develop foundational movement abilities and skills. Athlete participation during this phase is not restricted by skill level since the objective is to expose young performers to the sport. The environment of the sampling phase should be specifically designed to offer immediate gratification and to maximize enjoyment. In the specializing phase, athletes are grouped by skill level as they focus more on basketball. Participation becomes more competitive as training demands increase. Lastly, in the investment phase, athletes concentrate on achieving top-level performance in the courts. Athlete participation is limited only to performers who have displayed promise for high-level performance.

Relative Age Effect

In youth sports, the relative age effect is an influencing factor that affects the selection criteria. Youth sports are usually grouped into annual age bands with children who were born early in the age cohort having higher chances of being selected to participate in a sport than those born late in the same group (Hancock et al., 2013). The impact of relative age effect is that early-born players are likely to be selected for higher-level coaching and training compared to their counterparts born late in the age band. According to Barnsley et al. (1985, p.167), there are subtle discrepancies observed between individuals in an annually grouped age band. The chronological age discrepancies have been observed in various sports such as ice hockey, basketball, soccer and tennis. In these sports, particularly in basketball, there are increased selection opportunities for young athletes who are born early and are physically stronger than their age mates born later on in the age cohort.

The relative age effect is dependent on other influencing factors as well. In practice, the relative age effect is a cross-cultural bias, and thus it is different in various countries. Secondly, the relative age effect is dependent on the cutoff dates assigned to each annually grouped age cohort. For example, in a study conducted by Helsen et al. (2005), the cross-cultural bias in the selection of youth performers was explored. In England, the cutoff date is set at 31st August, and thus, it was observed that there was a higher selection preference for youth athletes born early on in their age cohort, that is, between September and December. Moreover, the cutoff date in Sweden is December 31st, and thus there is a higher selection preference for players born early on in their age band, that is, between January and April.

Conversely, the relative age effect as the basis for selection of youth athletes has been overruled by various sports associations. In particular, Barnsley et al. (1995), reported that the Football Association sought to revise its selection criteria for youth squads after flaws in using the relative age effect were uncovered. In 1992, the Football Association conceded that many youth players identified as probable professional and international footballers at young ages, and using the relative age effect, failed to make expected progress later on in their adult game (Barnsley et al., 1995). As discussed earlier, the older selection criteria, particularly in football, put more emphasis on the relative age effect and the physical attributes of players. However, in recent times, the revised selection criteria emphasize more on the technical and tactical expertise as merits for choosing youth squads.

As discussed earlier, the relative age effect is a common factor that influences the selection criteria in youth sports. Various aspects explain why the relative age effect has been prevalent as a selection criteria in youth sports. Mainly, competition is the fundamental factor that is likely to explain the prevalence of the relative age effect in youth sports. Indeed, the higher the competition in team sports such as basketball, the less the opportunities for players to participate in the sporting event. Conversely, if the competition is low, the opportunities for players to participate in the sport becomes more as there is a space for every player. In situations where there is a large pool of potential players, there is higher competition for limited team places, and therefore there is a need to use stringent selection criteria. In these situations, the resulting relative age effect becomes stronger, meaning that players born early on in their age cohort and with superior physical attributes are selected to join youth squads.

The Role of Parents and Family

Parents and family play a fundamental role in nurturing young performers to develop expertise in their chosen sport. In particular, the family/athlete and coach/athlete relationships play a significant role in the development of youth athletes. Extensive research into the effect of the social context in the development of elite athletes has revealed the vital impact of personal relationships. The influence of social context has a significant effect on influencing the participation of young players in sports. Further, the social environment consists of the athlete, the coach and the family. The family environment is expanded to include not only parents but also significant adults who have guardianship of the young athlete.

Indeed, parents/ family members are an integral component of the coaching process. It is proven that for children aspiring to attain top-level performance in sports, a huge portion of their family life would be organized around the requirements of training and competition. In practice, the 10,000-hour rule requires an average of eight to twelve years of training for talented performers to achieve elite performance levels in their sport. Notably, this high-level engagement requires consistent training every day for ten years. Therefore, it is evident that for young athletes aspiring to attain elite level performances, there is a great commitment required from the athlete and the whole family for support.

Moreover, the role of parents and family members is more vital in the coaching process. They can affect all areas of the coaching process, but in particular, their influence is on the feedback phase. The feedback should be intentional, appropriate and positive. Parents can affect the psychological development of their children, and therefore, the need to offer correct and positive feedback. Young athletes have an inherent desire to feel competent, and therefore they will seek to participate in environments that allow them to attain experience mastery. Parental approval and encouragement are critical in validating their children's efforts in self-initiation and mastery. Therefore, as children get on a pathway towards attaining mastery, parental feedback is fundamental to their psychological development.

Conclusion

In summary, the practice of developing young performers is extensive and vigorous as it involves the participation of different stakeholders. The training programs in youth sports should be structured around various models of development, such as the deliberate practice framework, and the developmental model of sport participation. Moreover, the relative age effect has been found to have an influence on the practice of developing young athletes. However, there is no consensus on its effectiveness as a selection criterion in youth sports. Lastly, it has been established that parents and family members play a significant role in the practice of developing young performers.

References

Barnsley, R.H., Thompson, A.H. and Barnsley, P.E. (1985). Hockey Success and Birthdate: The Relative Age Effect. Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 51(1), pp.23-28. [Accessed 25 April, 2020].

Barr, C. (2012). Deliberate Practice What It Is and Why You Need It. Available from https://www.expertenough.com/deliberate-practice/ [Accessed 25 April 2020].

Cote, J. and Vierimaa, M. (2014). The Developmental Model of Sport Participation: 15 Years after Its First Conceptualization. Science & Sports, 29, pp.S63-S69. [Accessed 25 April, 2020].

Ericsson, K.A., Krampe, R.T. and Tesch-Romer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate...