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

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

Globally, sport plays a significant role and forms part of every modern person’s life, irrespective of race, age, gender or ethnic group. Researchers on this topic increasingly focus on the early identification of talent and the development of the talent to ensure optimal performance. One of the most critical trademarks of human development is die correlation between age and physical ability. The primary reason why people participate in sport is to improve their level of participation and performance. Therefore every effort should be made to obtain a more scientific approach towards optimal sports performance, seeing that it is scientifically proven that it improves the effectiveness of a specific sport with regards to the selection and preparation of individuals and teams. In present time South African sport is still facing the challenge to successfully integrate previously disadvantaged communities and to select teams purely on merit. The use of scientific evaluation criteria in the selection process of teams can make a definite contribution to help solidify the selection principle of merit only. This is due to the fact that scientifically, assessed physical performance can not merely be ignored or overruled in the selection of teams. The primary objective of this study was first of all to establish whether different norms will be needed for different playing positions in netball and if the assessments that are currently used are able to accurately predict the highest level that players will be able to play at. In the second instance, the objective of this study was to try and determine which components should be part of a set of netball specific evaluation criteria. To accomplish this objective research was done to find many different test protocol and to find literature that would verify the protocol. A third objective was to identify the positional qualities that netball players have to comply to, based on the selected evaluation criteria, and to select the best tests to be used for talent identification. In other words what the minimum test requirements would be to accomplish maximum data gathering. The developed protocol consisted of three (3) motor tests, four (4) physical tests and three (3) kinanthropometrical tests. The research group used in this study consisted of 304 senior netball players i.e. players older than 19 years of age. These players were categorized into three groups, namely players competing at club, national and international level. With the presentation of the statistical analysis, percentile ranks were developed and a 100 research candidates per positional group was used; i.e. 300 netball players in total. Furthermore an ANOVA was used to determine whether there were significant differences between the three positional groups. An analysis was done to determine if the evaluation criteria could discriminate between players from different positional groups. The analysis was merely used as a classification method and did not serve to evaluate die significance of differences. The results delivered position-specific norms. A function for predicting the identification of talented and less talented players was also developed. Although the study showed certain limitations, the research can be utilized to further develop scientific talent identification criteria for netball and this will be to the advantage of sports scientists and coaches involved with netball. / Thesis (DPhil (Human Movement Science))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / DPhil / unrestricted

Die doel van hierdie studie is om riglyne daar te stel vir die vroeë identifisering van talent wat die totale funksionering en konteks van die leerder in ag neem. ‘n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om die navorsing en teorieë wat met die onderwerp verband hou, te ondersoek. Die denkverskuiwing van intelligensie as een konstruk na ‘n multikonstrukbenadering wat uit onderliggende intellektuele vermoëns voortvloei, is verken. Definisies van begaafdheid en talent wat oor ‘n tydperk onstaan het, is omskryf en die rasionaal vir die gebruik van talent in plaas van begaafdheid is gegee. Die bio-ekologiese teorie van Bronfenbrenner, die positiewe sielkunde en die bate-gebaseerde benadering dien as teoretiese begronding van die studie. Talentontwikkeling en -identifisering is aan die orde gestel deur die liggaamlike, kognitiewe, sosiale, persoonlikheids-, emosionele en morele ontwikkeling van die adolessent te bespreek. Verder is die stand van talentidentifisering in Suid-Afrikaanse skole ondersoek en is aangedui in watter mate dit deur amptelike beleid gerig en ondersteun word. Beginsels wat tydens talentidentifisering in ag geneem moet word asook enkele identifiseringsmodelle wat ‘n bydrae tot die kennis van begaafdheid en talentidentifisering lewer, is bespreek. Verder is ‘n verskeidenheid talente wat uit algemene intellektuele intelligensie ontwikkel, aangedui. Die literatuurstudie het getoon dat daar nie in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse skoolbeleid direkte riglyne is vir die identifisering van adolessente leerders se talent nie. Die deurlopende klem op akademiese prestasie en die feit dat leerders teen ‘n graadgemiddeld geassesseer word, lei waarskynlik daartoe dat ander metodes van assessering nie altyd in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers tot hul reg kom nie. Ten einde ‘n verskeidenheid talent te identifiseer en terselfdertyd ‘n leerder se konteks in ag te neem, is afsonderlike talentskale vir leerders, ouers en onderwysers ontwikkel en toegepas. Riglyne vir die identifisering van adolessente leerders se talent is dus op ‘n nie-formele manier ontwikkel. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat die talentidentifiseringsproses bewuswording van verskillende talente waaroor leerders beskik, kan bewerkstellig. Dit help leerders om hul selfkennis uit te brei en om ‘n denkverskuiwing van die erkenning van slegs akademiese talent na ‘n verskeidenheid van talentdomeine wat die uniekheid van elke leerder ontgin, te maak. / The purpose of this study was to formulate guidelines for the early identification of talent, taking into consideration the overall functioning and context of the learner. A literature review was done to investigate the research and theories on the topic. The mind shift from intelligence as one construct to a multiconstruct approach arising from underlying intellectual abilities was explored. The definitions of giftedness and talent, which have existing for some time, were presented and the rationale for using talent instead of giftedness was provided. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory, positive psychology and the asset-based approach served as theoretical grounding for the study. Talent identification and development were established by discussing the physical, cognitive, social, personality, emotional and moral development of the adolescent. The state of talent identification in South African schools was also investigated, and an indication was given of the extent to which it is guided and supported by official policy. Principles to be considered in identifying talent and a few identification models that contribute to knowledge of giftedness and talent identification were discussed. A variety of talents developing from general intellectual intelligence were also highlighted. The literature review reveals that in the current South African school policy, there are no direct guidelines for identifying the talent of adolescent learners. The constant emphasis on academic performance and the fact that learners are assessed against a grade average probably lead to other methods of assessment not always coming into their own in South African classrooms. To identify a variety of talents and at the same time take into consideration a learner’s context, separate talent scales for learners, parents and educators were developed and applied. Guidelines for identifying the talent of adolescent learners have therefore been developed in a non-formal way. The findings of this study indicate that the talent identification process can lead to awareness of different talents of learners. This helps learners to expand their self-knowledge and to bring about a mind shift from the recognition of only academic talent to a variety of talent domains which reveal the uniqueness of each learner. / Injongo yalolu cwaningo ukwakha imihlahlandlela yokuhlonzwa kwekhono masinya, kubhekwa indlela umfundi ngamunye asebenza ngayo kanye nesimo angaphansi kwaso. Kwabhekwa imibhalo ukuze kuphenywe ngocwaningo nemibono yezinzululwazi ngaphansi kwalesi sihloko. Kwaphenywa ngokusuka endleleni yokubheka inhlakanipho njengendlela okuyiyona yodwa yokwakha kuyiwe ezindleleni ezihlukene kaningi zokwakha ezisukela emakhonweni obuhlakani acashe ngaphansi kwazo. Izincazelo zesiphiwo nekhono, esezibe khona isikhathi eside, zethulwa kwase kunikezwa izincazelo zokuthi kungani kusetshenziswa ikhono kunesiphiwo. Umbono kaBronfenbrenner wobudlelwano phakathi kwezinto eziphilayo kanye nendawo eziphila kuyo, izifundo zezengqondo zemiphumela emihle kanye nendlela yokubheka encike ekubeni nenani kwento konke kusebenza njengengqikithi yombono wenzululwazi yalolu cwaningo. Ukuhlonza kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwekhono kwasungulwa ngokubamba izingxoxo mayelana nokuthuthuka kwabantwana asebengena ezingeni lentsha ngokomzimba, ngokwengqondo, ngokwenhlalo, ngokwendlela yokuziphatha, ngokomoya nangokwesimilo. Isimo sokuhlonza ikhono ezikoleni zaseNingizimu Afrika naso sibhekiwe, kwanikezwa nesilinganiso sokuthi lingakanani izinga lokuholwa nokusingathwa yinqubomgomo esemthethweni. Imigomo okufanele ibhekwe ngesikhathi sokuhlonza ikhono kanye vii nezinye izibonelo ezingasiza olwazini lokuhlonza iziphiwo namakhono nayo yadingidwa. Izinhlobonhlobo zamakhono avela ebuhlakanini obujwayelekile obuhambisana nemicabango nazo zaqhakambiswa. Ucwaningo lwemibhalo luveze ukuthi kwinqubomgomo yamanje yaseNingizimu Afrika, ayikho imihlahlandlela eqondile yokuhlonza amakhono kubafundi asebengena ezingeni lentsha. Ukuqhubeka nokugcizelela ukwenza kahle kwezemfundo kanye nokuthi abafundi bahlolwa ngokwezilinganiso ezivamile zamabanga cishe kuholela kwezinye izindlela zokuhlola ezingafiki kwezifana nezabo emakilasini aseNingizimu Afrika. Ukuhlonza izinhlobonhlobo zamakhono kube futhi kubhekwa isimo somfundi, kwasungulwa futhi kwasetshenziswa izilinganiso ezihlukile zokukala amakhono abafundi, abazali nawothisha. Ngakho-ke, imihlahlandlela yokuhlonza ikhono labafundi asebengena ezingeni lentsha yakhiwe ngendlela engalandeli kakhulu umthetho kanye nokuhleleka. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iveza ukuthi inqubo yokuhlonza amakhono ingaholela ekubonakaleni kwamakhono ahlukahlukene abafundi. Lokhu kusiza abafundi ukuba bakwazi ukwandisa ulwazi labo futhi benze kube khona ukucabanga ngokwahlukile ekwamukeleni kuphela ikhono lezemfundo kodwa kwamukelwe namakhono ahlukahlukene aveza ukwahluka komfundi ngamunye. / Department of Educational Psychology / D. Phil. (Educational Psychology)