The Key Issues from the Thesis

This thesis began with a review of the large volume of TID research literature, from which I concluded that placing the research into five constructs, each with a number of sub-themes, enabled closer analysis of the key issues. It was apparent that the (often unstated) objective of TID systems (e.g., Abbot et al., 2002; Baker et al., 2012; Durand-Bush & Salmela, 2001) is to recruit young talented athletes to become successful adult performers (success being determined by medals, trophies, and championships according to the sport). This objective is often lost because of the pressure for immediate (junior) success in many sports. However, the research evidence indicated that the timing and method of identification and selection of that talent to be crucial to long term success. Essentially, I concluded that, although the research evidence suggests TID processes to be more successful if selection and training processes are delayed until puberty or later, the majority of sports continue to set up and manage TID programmes for children or pre-puberty athletes and expect junior success, despite evidence that indicates it does not lead to or indicate adult success (e.g., Gullich, 2013; LTA 2011).

The research literature also pointed to other reasons why TID processes do not achieve their objectives. I surmised that because children and pre-pubertal athletes have few of the necessary capacities (Simonton, 1999) in place for adult performance they cannot realistically be identified either as future successful adult performers or even as talented athletes. I further concluded that many research outcomes within the five constructs appeared to be either unknown by, not communicated to, or ignored by those who are responsible for TID practice. My analysis also indicated that the fifth

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construct, the Role of the Stakeholders, has attracted a lower level of research attention, despite its obvious and documented importance (Baker, Schorer & Cobley, 2012; Bloom, 1985 and Cote, 1999) as a contributor to the efficacy of the total TD process.

The responsibility for TID in any sport is assumed by a sports organisation; often an NGB, but also by a sport club or academy. This assumption of responsibility thus places the sport organisation as the system stakeholder in the TID process along with coaches and (depending on the age of the athletes) the parents. As a consequence, the Role of the Stakeholders and the relationships between them became the key construct to be investigated throughout this thesis. How the different stakeholders worked together and the nature, quality and coherence of their relationships, was mentioned by both coaches and parents in Chapter 4. The stakeholder relationships, while not necessarily being the only factor, clearly have some impact on the success (or otherwise) of any athlete.

Reflecting these concerns, in Chapter 3, I presented my analysis of stakeholder understanding of the five constructs and their sub-themes within one sporting system (i.e., tennis in the UK). My conclusion was that ignorance (for whatever reason) of TID research evidence appeared to be an important reason why this sport organisation (the LTA) continues to implement a flawed TID system for young athletes. The impact of this was further compounded by the lack of coherence apparent in the understanding of the five constructs, both between and within the three principal stakeholders (i.e., NGB, coaches and parents). As a result, even if / when the correct message was sent, it was only partially received.

My research also indicated some of the problems associated with the prevailing TID system in tennis (in common with some other systems) in relation to its inability to develop successful adult athletes. The evidence is that the problems are increased

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when younger athletes (whose growth, development and maturation is incomplete), are identified as talented and selected to follow a developmental pathway that ultimately under equips them with the psycho-social and competitive skills needed for adult success. Thus the critical variable for TID success is, as I suggested, age and maturity.

Chapter 4 developed the theme of stakeholder coherence and enabled me to conclude that coaches and parents were both clear on the TID information they wanted to become more knowledgeable for, and about their own role. The coaches, however, preferred to obtain this information independently of the standard NGB route of coach education courses, although they needed help to organise this. The coaches were also clear that the TID policies of the NGB often contradicted their own knowledge, experience and beliefs. For parents, in contrast, there appeared to be few ways by which they felt able to increase their understanding of key TID issues. However, the indications were that, if parents were given more specific and evidence- based knowledge, this could be a tool to improve the coherence between them and the other two stakeholders. It could also help parents contribute more positively to the development of their children as tennis players.

Chapter 5 therefore discussed the delivery and consequences of parent workshops, based on what parents said they wanted to know. The workshops were demonstrated to have a positive effect on parent behaviour and a consequent improvement in coach perceptions of parents, leading to a more coherent parent-coach relationship. Two fundamentals arose from the parent workshops. The first was the necessity that they should be based on what parents themselves wanted to know and the second was that the delivery of them required trained personnel. The latter point is more difficult to resolve than the first, since a training programme for coaches as deliverers would be necessary.

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Throughout my own research for this thesis, I considered it important that coaches and parents were recruited from different parts of the UK. The parent workshops were similarly distributed. Therefore, the coach and parent data in every study were designed to be universal across the UK context. Indeed, it was evident that stakeholder understanding of TID research across the UK was very similar: there were no local differences. Accordingly, when it became apparent that I could also conduct the same research of coach perceptions of what parents wanted to know about TID in different nations, with dissimilar cultures and sport structures, I took that opportunity in order to inform the design of bespoke solutions for their particular needs. My expectation that different results would prevail to those found in the UK sample, because of organisational and cultural differences, proved to be incorrect. However, the TID systems in the three nations were very similar and again appeared to ignore the extensive TID research evidence concerning children and pre-pubertal athletes. I concluded that, when similarities in TID systems exist, the international dynamic can be lost irrespective of culture, and the lack of knowledge of the TID constructs remains apparent, perhaps because of a dominant influence of the sport over the national culture.