Over the years, there has been many athletes that have been tipped to be the next big star, but fail to reach their full potential. One example is Freddy Adu, who in 2004, at the age of just 14, became the youngest athlete in America to sign a professional contract playing football for D.C United […]
In recent years there has been increasing acknowledgement of the problem of mental health in elite sport. Research shows that while sports people are susceptible to mental health problems to broadly the same extent as the wider community, there are a number of key risk periods – such as times of injury, retirement and competitive […]
I dislike how we use the word ‘talent’. A quick google of the word ‘talent’ provides the following definition: natural aptitude or skill. Despite this rather narrow definition, I feel ‘talent’ is too often given as the independent reason and cause to explain how people reach elite performance in sport. I would instead argue that […]
Identifying talent is one of sports biggest and most profitable issues. There is a constant seek for a new Christiano Ronaldo in the world of football, the next LeBron James on the basketball-court, Mo Farah of running. This process has over the last years become a major industry for clubs and independent agents – driving […]
Motivational theories assumes an individual as an intentional, goal-directed organism who operates in rational manners (Roberts, Treasure & Conroy, 2007). An individual participating in sports are consequently driven by motives related to winning (ego-orientation) and mastering of skills (task-orientation) (Roberts et al., 2007). These predisposed goal orientations affects an individuals`state of motivational-involvement in sport-context. An […]
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide and in recent years the affirmation of depression has increased within the elite athlete population. Despite the alarmingly large amount of athletes acknowledging their depression, a lot remains unknown about their true experiences and why it occurs. Robert Enke’s suicide, Kelly Holmes act of self-harming, […]
The development of depression during retirement from professional sport has been highlighted by many athletes and most recently by swimming legend Ian Thorpe. James Cracknell has spoken about his tunnel vision of sport performance and subsequent inability to broaden his horizons in retirement. Alternatively sports stars have often quit a major competition or retired from […]