The Road to Excellence in Orienteering: An Analysis of Elite Athletes' Life Stories
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: IntroductionThe pursuit of perfection has been a challenge that has always accompanied man. The constant evolution of scientific and technological knowledge has enabled individuals who have access to certain conditions to achieve such excellence. However, it is noted that despite this steady progress in scientific and technical knowledge there continues to be a very limited the number of individuals who can achieve and maintain levels of excellence (Gagne, 2007), which in turn gives them a uniqueness and unique status.Indeed the systematic and exceptional performances of athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer), Simone Luder Niglli and Thierry Gueorgiou (orientation), Usain Bolt (athletics), Michael Phelps (swimming) among many others, whose characteristics, abilities and developmental pathways immediately raise admiration and curiosity to know how did they develop these capabilities? Characteristics that make them so exceptional? How do they manage maintain their high performance?This curiosity in turn validates itself by the need for a better understanding and interpretation of this human phenomenon. Their study has consistently assumed a particular emphasis not only in the sport science scientific community but also in other fields of achievement such as musicians, teachers, scientists, among others (Bloom, 1985; Lubinski & Benbow, 2006), in seeking to better understand the reasons and possible causal factors underlying these performances.These analyses unanimously allude to excellence as a result of certain characteristics or related to personality, motivation and/or cognitive skills, or related to the context, such as family issues, peers, or coaches, among others. Indeed, the interaction of these factors with each other (Baker & Horton, 2004) is believed to be fundamental for the development and maintenance of excellence (Ruiz Sanchez, Duran, & Jimenez, 2006). Similarly it appears also that the development of excellence in sport has its genesis in childhood and is the result of a long-term investment (Barreiros, Cote, & Fonseca, 2013), which, in turn, highlights the need to understand excellence as a multidimensional process.In this perspective, the contribution of the study of Bloom (1985) who analysed longitudinally the route of young talented in different areas came to emphasize that excellence is the result of an evolutionary process and that it takes place over three important and distinct phases: initial, intermediate and final years (Bloom, 1985).These findings inspired the development of a set of development models of practitioners structured in stages (Bloom, 1985; Cote, 1999; Cote & Hay, 2002; Durand-Bush & Salmela, 2002), which try to describe the type of investment required and the different variables underlying the development of excellence in sport (Barreiros et al. 2013).Underlying all of these models is a common catalyst without the fulfilment of which, hardly an athlete may reach a level of excellence. Thus, it becomes important passion for the sport and a long commitment to training.Considering the above and considering the evolutionary, dynamic and multidimensional perspective of excellence and the holistic need of understanding we believe that further study should examine a significant range of different dimensions.Thereby we considered relevant the realization of studies that provide collecting data about the interpretations of elite athletes about their experience, their daily work, the guiding principles of their actions and meanings of their attitudes and behaviors (Jones, Armour & Potrac, 2003). This study aimed to characterise the development path of a group of elite orienteering athletes, in order to identify the factors and requirements that influence and determine the development and maintenance of excellence in orienteering.MethodParticipantsFive elite orienteers (25,8±2,9 years old), 4 males and 1 female participated. …
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1187089166