Distinct trajectories of athlete development: A retrospective analysis of professional rugby league players. Issue 22 (17th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cupples, Balin; O'Connor, Donna; Cobley, Stephen
• Is Part Of: Journal of sports sciences. Volume 36:Issue 22(2018)
• Page Start: 2558
• Page End: 2566
• Publication Date: 2018-11-17
• Subjects: Development trajectories -- training & practice -- sport specialisation rugby league; Sports -- Periodicals; Sports -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 612.044
• DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1469227
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-0414

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Contemporary models of athlete development (e.g., Development Model of Sport Participation) suggest attainment benefits from early age multi-sport "sampling" behaviour before progressive transition into "invested" single-sport involvement in teenage years compared to intensive early-age specialisation. However, specific examinations of these development patterns across a number of team sports and cultural contexts remains limited. This study involved a large sample of professional Australian Rugby League (RL) players ( N = 224) who progressed along the RL system pathways. It defined two contrasting athlete development trajectories based upon initial entry into formal age group representative teams ("Early": U16, U18; "Later": U20+) to compare their developmental participation patterns using the National Rugby League Athlete Development Questionnaire (NRLADQ). Between-Within Analyses of Variance (BW-ANOVA)'s identified interaction effects as the 'Later' group reported lower volumes of deliberate practice from 10–20 years, RL-game involvement from 10–20 years, deliberate play from 5–12 years, and a later reduction in other sporting involvement. Group differences in RL-related deliberate practice and play were supported by qualitative descriptions of training at age-categories. Conclusion: RL professional senior elite success level can be attained via early intensified specialised investment and accelerated youth success as well as by a rather decelerated, much less cost-intensive participation pattern.