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JOURNAL
OF
SPORTS SCIENCE &
MEDICINE
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Research
article
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PATHS TO EXPERTISE IN PORTUGUESE NATIONAL TEAM ATHLETES |
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Nuno Leite1  ,
Joseph Baker2 and Jaime Sampaio1 |
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1Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health and Human Development, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro at Vila Real, Portugal, 2School of Kinesiology and Health Science - York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
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© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2009) 8, 560 - 566 |
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| ABSTRACT | |||
| The purpose of this study was to identify the quantity and type
of sporting activities undertaken by expert team sport athletes in the earlier
stages of the long- term athlete development. Experts in roller-hockey (n
= 19), volleyball (n = 14), soccer (n = 42) and basketball (n = 37) provided
detailed information about the sporting activities they undertook throughout
their careers. Results showed considerable variation between and within
sports; however, generally, athletes began participating in sports between
6 and 10 years of age. The pattern of participation in specific and non-specific
(team, individual and combat) sports for each stage of involvement demonstrated
an increase in the number of activities participated in until early adolescence.
Our results suggest that involvement in multiple sports during early stages
of development is an alternative to early specialization and add further
evidence of the complexity of skill acquisition in sport. Key words: performance, specialization, skill acquisition. |
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