Exploring the subjective beliefs of expert coaches on ‘talent’ and player selection in German table tennis

Abstract

Player development programmes in sports are considered crucial pillars for the development of young players and countries’ international sporting success. As resources are limited, coaches preferably decide which players to select for these programmes at a young age. This is particularly true for early-starting sports such as table tennis. However, the selection criteria used by coaches and the decision-making processes in player selection contexts are widely unknown. To address this gap, we conducted 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews with table tennis coaches with high expertise in the identification and development of talented young players. Here we show that the concept of ‘talent’ and the process of player selection in table tennis are highly complex phenomena with three main areas of interest identified: (a) general aspects regarding ‘talent’ (in table tennis), (b) specific selection criteria including individual as well as environmental aspects, and (c) the process of player selection. One main finding is that coaches see ‘talent’ as dependent on various factors including (relative) age, maturation as well as practice and previous experience. Furthermore, coaches appear to include both individual (e.g., technical skills) and environmental criteria (e.g., parents’ support) in their decision-making process. Finally, the interviews revealed that player selection decisions are usually made by multiple coaches during group meetings, suggesting the relevance of group processes and dynamics. In summary, this study provides new findings regarding the understanding and discovery of ‘talent’ in table tennis that can help practitioners and open new avenues for further research on player selection in sports.

How coaches’ decision-making affects athlete selection: A systematic review and meta-synthesis

“…42 In addition, coaches emphasize the importance of combining subjective assessments and objective examinations when making athlete selection decision-making. 37…”

“…Undoubtedly, the eye or intuition of coach is the most critical aspect of athlete selection that receives the most attention at the moment. Coaches' decision-making on athlete selection is a highly complex and crucial process in elite sports, 37 which can be considered as the main activity of coaches in athlete development. 19 However, since there are no standardized criteria for talent identification and selection, 44 coaches tend to use their expertise and intuition to make athlete selection decisions.…”

“…42 In addition, coaches emphasize the importance of combining subjective assessments and objective examinations when making athlete selection decision-making. 37 In another aspect, coaches rely on their own experiences as elite athletes and their extensive competition background to make decisions regarding athlete selection. The training and competition experiences of elite players also contribute to coaches' understanding of their intuitive decisionmaking processes.…”

“…parents, siblings, and the home coaches). 37 A study suggests that pressure from the media, agents, the public, sponsors, and even parents can also have an impact on the talent selection of football coaches. 41 Besides, the physical maturity of athletes, the pressure of immediate performance from players, the pressure related to the coach's profession, reputation, and job retention, peer pressure, and pressure from the athlete's parents also affect the coach's decision-making process.…”

“…These factors include individual aspects like physiological characteristics, skills, and psychological attributes, and environmental factors such as boarding schools and parental support. 37 Additionally, coaches also consider how performance decline due to growth affects players from a psychological perspective in the talent selection process. 40 While physical attributes are a major component of physiological aspects that influence recruiters' decisions, recruiters consider psychological attributes to be a key component of optimal performance in sports, so athlete psychological assessment is also a crucial aspect to consider in their decision-making process.…”