Developing Sport Expertise : Researchers and Coaches Put Theory into Practice

The development of an athlete from basic performance to elite level of accomplishment is a long and complicated process. Identifying and nurturing talent, developing and fine tuning sport skills, and maintaining high levels of performance over the course of a career requires many thousands of hours of training and, increasingly, the input and support of expert coaches and sport scientists. In this fully revised and updated new edition of the leading student introduction to the development of sports expertise, a team of world-class sport scientists and professional coaches examine the fundamental science of skill acquisition and explore the methods by which science can be applied in real performance sport. The book surveys the very latest research in skill acquisition, provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to core theory and key concepts, and includes an innovative 'Coaches Corner' feature in each chapter in which leading coaches offer insights from elite sport and critique contemporary practice in sport skill development. With new chapters offering more material on key topics such as instruction and observation and expert visual perception, the second edition of Developing Sport Expertiseis invaluable reading for all courses on expertise in sport, skill acquisition, motor control and development, sport psychology, or coaching theory and practice.