As early as 1994, and with transformation in mind, the African National Congress (ANC) identified the development of the previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa as a national priority. In so doing, sport, among others, was used in this strategy as a medium to improve and change the circumstances of people in disadvantaged communities. Sports development in disadvantaged communities is essential, if taken into consideration that without such further support of the sport talent of some of these children, the needs of these talented children cannot be met and their potential will remain undeveloped. Talent identification (TID), which is based on scientific principles and forms the first step in sports development, still is relatively new in South Africa. Historically, coaches used their own knowledge and experience of the characteristics, which should lead to success in sport as well as participation in competitions in order to do TID. To date, very little research has been done on talent identification and development in sprints and long-jump, especially pertaining to young boy and girl athletes, and in particular concerning athletes from disadvantaged communities. The first and second objectives of this study were to implement sport specific athletics development programmes aimed at improving sprinting and long-jump ability and to determine its effect on the abilities and skills of talented 10 to 15 year-old girls and boys with talent for sprints and long-jump. The third and fourth objectives of this study were to establish which kinanthropometric, physical and motor components will play such a role in 10 to 15 year-olds that it can predict performance ability in sprints and long-jump in girls and boys at this age. The "Australian Talent Search" protocol was used to identify general sport talent in the children (66 girls and 62 boys) who were identified for the study. The talented children (19 girls and 21 boys) from the initial group of were then subjected to a sport specific test battery for sprints and long-jump. The maturation level of the boys was determined by means of a maturity questionnaire, based on the 5 Tanner stages. By using the Statistica and SAS computer programmes, independent t-testing, covariance analyses, correlation coefficients, effect sizes, descriptive statistics as well as a stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data with regard to the above-mentioned objectives. A p-value smaller than or equal to 0.05 was accepted as significant. From the results of the study it is evident that the development programmes contributed to the improvement of physical and motor abilities and skills important for performance in both sprints and long-jump in girls (n=19) and boys (n=21) respectively. Among the girls, flexibility, explosive power, muscle endurance, reaction time, speed, speed endurance, acceleration and long-jump showed statistically significant improvement, while abdominal muscle strength and stride length showed no improvement. Secondly, it was established that the development programme contributed statistically significantly to an improvement in flexibility, muscle endurance, 0-40 metres speed and long-jump ability in boys. However, some components did not show improvement, among them explosive power, reaction time, speed endurance, acceleration and stride length. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the third and fourth objectives. It indicated that, in respect to the 100 metres sprint, 7 variables, namely long-jump, push-ups to the point of exhaustion, 7-level abdominal strength, 0-5 metres speed, ankle dorsiflexion, body length and age contributed 84.0% to the total variance in girls. As for long-jump, 7 variables, namely 0-100 metres speed, body length, 7-level abdominal strength, push-ups, ankle dorsiflexion, standing long-jump and body mass proved to be the most important contributors to performance in these items with a total contribution of 79% to the total variance. The fourth objective indicated that average anaerobic power output, acceleration and body mass contributed statistically significantly to performance in the 100 metres sprint in boys with a contribution of 86.5% to the total variance. Horizontal jump, age and acceleration contributed statistically significantly to long-jump performance with a contribution of 81 5% to the total variance. It is evident from this study that sport specific development programmes can successfully be implemented on girls and boys at ages 10-15 in order to improve sprinting and long-jump ability, regardless of poverty-stricken circumstances and poor infrastructure. Furthermore, the study brought to light that specific kinanthropometric, physical and motor abilities exist which can be used to predict performance in sprints and long-jump in girls and boys separately at ages 10 to 15. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Title: The comparison of the sport training in soccer in selected soccer teams in the U8 category. Objectives: To the creation of the concept of sport training in the category U8 in the team Dukla Prague compare this sport training with other Prague teams and held various important differences or comfornity. Methods: In creating the concept of sports training soccer U8 used the methos od purposeful collecting qualitative data. Futhermore, also use their own and expert experience dealing with this issue. Results: The result of this thesis is to identify individual differences in sports training of young soccer players between teams of Prague. Key words: Football, sports training children, preschool age, the trainig procces, the gaming principle

Syfte Syftet med studien är att undersöka fem lärares syn på talangidentifikation, hur de realiserar uttagningsprocessen till NIU samt hur de förhåller sig till relativ ålderseffekt (RAE) i uttagningsprocessen. Frågeställningarna vi ämnar att besvara är: Hur ser lärarna på talangidentifikation? Hur realiseras uttagningsprocessen vid NIU och vilka utmaningar ser lärarna med uttagningsprocessen? Vilken kunskap har, och hur förhåller sig lärarna till RAE vid uttagningsprocessen? Metod 
 Metoden som använts är kvalitativ och genomförs med hjälp av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Målet med våra intervjuer att ta reda på hur lärarna upplever uttagningsprocessen samt deras förhållningssätt i arbetet med RAE. Anledningen till den kvalitativa karaktären är att vi har ett område vi vill kartlägga samt samla djupare information om, i detta fall RAE i samband med uttagning till NIU. Urvalet bestod av fem lärare; lärare 1, lärare 2, lärare 3, lärare 4 och lärare 5 som alla hade olika erfarenheter av läraryrket och arbetet med NIU Resultat
 Studiens resultat visar att det finns skillnader mellan de lärare som är involverade i individuella idrotter kontra lagidrotter i vad man anser att en talang bör besitta för egenskaper. För de lärare, lärare 3 och 4 som representerade individuella idrotter framgick det att den idrottsspecifika kunskapen vägde tyngst vid identifiering av en talang och att denna identifiering redan kan göras vid en tidig ålder. Lärare 1,2 och 5 som representerade lagidrotter lade en stor vikt vid att en talang måste besitta psykologiska färdigheter för att kunna identifieras som talang. Vidare visar resultatet att uttagningen är en rättsosäker process där uttagningarna ser olika ut beroende på idrott och i vissa fall skola. Gällande svårigheter med uttagningsprocessen och vad de värderade kom likartade svar fram i form av att de var rädda för att välja bort någon som senare skulle utvecklas. Vid frågan om värdering kom ord som drivkraft och målmedvetenhet fram. Samtliga av de intervjuade lärarna nämner inte att de aktivt tar hänsyn till relativ ålderseffekt i uttagningsprocessen. Lärare 2 och 5 är de lärare som lyfter att de tar hänsyn till den fysiska mognaden i uttagningen men inte vilken tid på året de elever som ansöker till NIU är födda på. Slutsats Studiens resultat belyser ett problem som finns i och med den rättsosäkerhet som råder vid uttagningsprocessen till NIU. Studien visar även att lärarna har olika uppfattning om vad talang är och hur talang identifieras. Resultatet visade att RAE är utbrett fenomen men något som inte tas hänsyn till i uttagningsprocessen till NIU. / Aim The aim of this study is to examine how five teachers view talentidentification, how they execute the tryout process to elite academy schools and also how they relate to relative age effect(RAE) in the tryout process. The questions being answered in this study are: 1. How do the teachers view talentidentification? 2. How is the tryout process being performed and what difficulties do the teachers experience with the tryout process? 3. What knowledge do the teachers have in regards to RAE and how do they relate to RAE during the tryout process? Method The method being used is qualitative and is executed by performing semi-structured interviews. The purpose of our interviews is to examine how the teachers experience the tryout process and their approach when working with RAE. The reason for the explorative nature is because we have an area to survey and also gather deeper information about, in this case, RAE in relationship to the tryout process to elite academy schools. The selection consisted of five teachers (teacher 1, teacher 2, teacher 3, teacher 4 and teacher 5) that all had different experiences of working as a teacher and with elite academy school. Results The result showed that there are differences among teachers involved in individual sports in relation to teachers working with team sports, in regards to what kind of attributes a talent should possess. For the teachers, teacher 3 and teacher 4, which represented individual sports it appeared that sport specific knowledge was most important when identifying a talent. This identification can be performed at an early age. Teacher 1, 2 and 5 which represented team sports stressed the importance of the psychological skills that a talent must possess, in order to be identified as a talent. The result also showed that the tryouts is an equivocal process where the tryouts is executed differently depending on the sport and in some cases which school. In regards to difficulties with the tryout process and what the teachers valued similar responses were received. All teachers described the fear of eliminating someone who could possibly develop late and they all valued attributes as drive and dedication. All teachers also mention that they do not take RAE in consideration during the tryout process. Teachers 2 and 5 mention taking the physical development into consideration during the tryout process, however not which month a student applying is born. Conclusions This study brings up a problem that is very current due to the equivocality which is present during the tryout process to elite academy schools. The study also showed that the teachers had different opinions in regards to what talent is and how to identify it. The result showed that RAE is a rife phenomenon however it is not being taking into consideration during the tryout process to elite academy schools.

This thesis focussed on examining the talent transfer experiences as lived by the athletes whom went through transitions. The purpose was to examine why athletes chose to continue in their pursuit of international competition by switching sports as well as understanding how they managed the process and their own unique experiences. Talent transfer is a process occurring when an athlete ceases or reduces their involvement in a sport in which they have invested significant time and concentrates their efforts in a sport that is new to them but involving similar skills. The process comprises of athletes who might be able to perform if fast tracked into other sports with sporting organisations seeing the benefits of this alternative talent identification (TID) system with specific examples of success. The first study (chapter 3) examined the athletes' experiences through the transition of talent transfer. Ten athletes were interviewed: five from a supported talent transfer programme (UK Sport/National Governing Body: NGB); and five that went through the process of their own accord (informally). The purpose of the second study (chapter 4) was to examine the subjective experiences and one athlete's meaning of the talent transfer process, who moved from judo to cycling and internationally medalled in both. A life history was chosen as the methodology in which to convey the information gathered through the process. The purpose of the third study (chapter 5) was to explore 10 purposeful athletes' experiences of the talent transfer process to understand their unique experiences within a supported NGB programme through unstructured interviews. The results from all three studies are discussed and culminate in a model of the talent transfer process (chapter 6) with limitations and future research directions also discussed. In conclusion, the findings offer a unique examination into athletes' experiences through the Talent Transfer Lifecycle Model.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Sport psychological skills are associated with performance in sport. Furthermore it is stated that there are also gender differences with regards to sport psychological skills. The sport psychological profiles of successful and less successful athletes also differ from each other. One hundred and sixty two grade 8 learners with a mean age of 13.2±0.33 years from a High School in Potchefstroom in the North-West province of South Africa were tested. The participants were subjected to the Australian Talent Search Protocol as well as the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory – 28 (ACSI-28) and a demographic questionnaire which collected the general information of participants were completed. Firstly, the group was divided into two groups by means of a median split on the Australian Talent Search Protocol which resulted in a talented group of 16 adolescents and 146 less talented adolescents. The talented adolescents outscored their less talented counterparts in all seven sport psychological variables with statistically significant better scores in coping with adversity, peaking under pressure, goal setting, confidence and coachability. Secondly the group of 162 participants was divided into two groups according to gender which resulted in male group of 77 and female group of 85. The male and female adolescent sport participants did not differ significantly in any of the sport psychological skills. All sport psychological skills revealed a small practical significance. The male group obtained better scores in peaking under pressure, goal setting, freedom from worry, selfconfidence and average coping ability. The female group obtained better scores in coping with adversity, concentration and coachability. Therefore, although a relationship exists between sport performance and sport psychological skills there are a few factors such as maturation and cognitive development that can influence sport psychological skills and development. / MSc (Sport Science), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

As early as 1994, and with transformation in mind, the African National Congress (ANC) identified the development of the previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa as a national priority. In so doing, sport, among others, was used in this strategy as a medium to improve and change the circumstances of people in disadvantaged communities. Sports development in disadvantaged communities is essential, if taken into consideration that without such further support of the sport talent of some of these children, the needs of these talented children cannot be met and their potential will remain undeveloped. Talent identification (TID), which is based on scientific principles and forms the first step in sports development, still is relatively new in South Africa. Historically, coaches used their own knowledge and experience of the characteristics, which should lead to success in sport as well as participation in competitions in order to do TID. To date, very little research has been done on talent identification and development in sprints and long-jump, especially pertaining to young boy and girl athletes, and in particular concerning athletes from disadvantaged communities. The first and second objectives of this study were to implement sport specific athletics development programmes aimed at improving sprinting and long-jump ability and to determine its effect on the abilities and skills of talented 10 to 15 year-old girls and boys with talent for sprints and long-jump. The third and fourth objectives of this study were to establish which kinanthropometric, physical and motor components will play such a role in 10 to 15 year-olds that it can predict performance ability in sprints and long-jump in girls and boys at this age. The "Australian Talent Search" protocol was used to identify general sport talent in the children (66 girls and 62 boys) who were identified for the study. The talented children (19 girls and 21 boys) from the initial group of were then subjected to a sport specific test battery for sprints and long-jump. The maturation level of the boys was determined by means of a maturity questionnaire, based on the 5 Tanner stages. By using the Statistica and SAS computer programmes, independent t-testing, covariance analyses, correlation coefficients, effect sizes, descriptive statistics as well as a stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data with regard to the above-mentioned objectives. A p-value smaller than or equal to 0.05 was accepted as significant. From the results of the study it is evident that the development programmes contributed to the improvement of physical and motor abilities and skills important for performance in both sprints and long-jump in girls (n=19) and boys (n=21) respectively. Among the girls, flexibility, explosive power, muscle endurance, reaction time, speed, speed endurance, acceleration and long-jump showed statistically significant improvement, while abdominal muscle strength and stride length showed no improvement. Secondly, it was established that the development programme contributed statistically significantly to an improvement in flexibility, muscle endurance, 0-40 metres speed and long-jump ability in boys. However, some components did not show improvement, among them explosive power, reaction time, speed endurance, acceleration and stride length. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the third and fourth objectives. It indicated that, in respect to the 100 metres sprint, 7 variables, namely long-jump, push-ups to the point of exhaustion, 7-level abdominal strength, 0-5 metres speed, ankle dorsiflexion, body length and age contributed 84.0% to the total variance in girls. As for long-jump, 7 variables, namely 0-100 metres speed, body length, 7-level abdominal strength, push-ups, ankle dorsiflexion, standing long-jump and body mass proved to be the most important contributors to performance in these items with a total contribution of 79% to the total variance. The fourth objective indicated that average anaerobic power output, acceleration and body mass contributed statistically significantly to performance in the 100 metres sprint in boys with a contribution of 86.5% to the total variance. Horizontal jump, age and acceleration contributed statistically significantly to long-jump performance with a contribution of 81 5% to the total variance. It is evident from this study that sport specific development programmes can successfully be implemented on girls and boys at ages 10-15 in order to improve sprinting and long-jump ability, regardless of poverty-stricken circumstances and poor infrastructure. Furthermore, the study brought to light that specific kinanthropometric, physical and motor abilities exist which can be used to predict performance in sprints and long-jump in girls and boys separately at ages 10 to 15. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Title: Relationship between selected laboratory and field indicators of movement abilities in soccer players Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine a degree of association between selected laboratory and field indicators assumptions motion at the elite junior footballers. Methods: The research group consisted of 51 probands aged 18-19, who are in the highest first-league domestic competition of U19 team. Players undergone laboratory and field trials under the supervision of qualified professionals, which were running under the standard conditions described within the Methodology section of the theses. To verify aerobic capacity under laboratory conditions, we chose a load test on the Quasar running belt (Cosmos, Germany). Dynamic application of force to the pad was evaluated by force sensors in stable Kistler 9281E platforms (© 2014, Kistler Group, Switzerland). Linear acceleration and maximum run speed tests were conducted in field conditions on artificial grass. Results: The results of the work provide information on the significance of the associations between the selected laboratory and terrain indicators of motion assumptions in elite football players. The analysis of our results reached values between the intermittent sustainability recovery test (LEVEL 1) and VO2 max, r = 0.112....

Title: Level and degree of association of selected motor abilities, motor skills in football players category U6. Objectives: The aim of the research is to identify the level of the selected motor abilities, motor skills and motor docility and to determine the degree of association between these performance components in football players category U6. Methods: The research group (n = 52; age = 6.1 ± 0.3 years) consisted of football players of SK Slavia Praha Youth Academy. The participants completed one-time test battery which consisted of motor docility tests (IOWA- BRACE test), five tests of the motor abilities (5m and 10m linear running acceleration, 5m flying maximum speed, standing long jump, 4x10m shuttle run) and two tests of the specific football skills (4x10m shuttle run with a ball, slalom skills test). The degree of association was determined via Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The part with the results provides information on the level of the players' motor abilities, motor skills based on the values obtained through performed tests. The statistically significant degree of association was found between all tests across the entire test battery except for one pair (long jump from place x shuttle run with a ball). Materially significant, medium to very strong correlation r =...

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