Talent

OK guys,

I couldn't resist a bit of rant now that i have started (and the golf hasn't started here yet)

Talent.... HUGE topic for me in relation to coaching. for example
What is talent?
How is it recognised?
How can we affect it?
Can we nurture it?
Can it be manufactured?

These questions are pretty much what we MUST ask and attempt to understand as coaches if we are going to add any value to our athletes, pupils, children, animals, whatever.

I have mentioned previously that I love to read up and explore all avenues that add to the talent conundrum. Authors such as Coyle, Ericsson, Gladwell, Colvin etc. have written some excellent books articles and reviews around this subject and from areas not only in sport, but business, chess, maths, physics and music.

At the moment I do not feel I have come to a concise conclusion to the issue of talent development, (I don't think you ever can) and the more in depth you get the more you realise you don't know.
However, I stumbled across this blog post that I had first read last year when I was first trawling literature for my PhD proposals. It gives a pretty comprehensive introduction to talent and the common questions and assumptions that are made in relation in how to deal with it.
http://neuroanthropology.net/2009/05/20/talent-a-difference-that-makes-a-difference/

Have a read when you get the chance and hopefully in upcoming posts I will start to address this issue with my opinions and experience.

Mackers

PS. Good Luck to Tim and Anna and the rest of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team in India
PPS. Good Luck to Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Team too and to Ricky Lee who is out there with the team, he's a great lad even for an INST boy!