For Future Athletic Success Work Attitude Capacity and Sport Learning Capacity in Experts’ Perceptions Most Important in 6 - 8 Year Olds

Abstract

Purpose: To identify whether experts' perceptions of future athletic success in six-to eight-year-old children is related to the type of sport (i.e., teamopen versus individual-closed). Methods: 114 physical education experts (Mage = 41.4, SD = 13.2) in team-open (n = 63) or individual-closed sports (n = 51) filled in the Scale for Identification of Sport Potential (SISP). Results: Rankings of capacities in team-open sports resembled those in individual-closed sports with work attitude and sports learning capacity on top. A MANOVA showed a difference in perceptions of capacities for future sports success in team-open versus individual-closed sports (F[6, 108] = 13.97, p < .05, Wilks' Lambda = .563) on three scales. While motor capacity was scored lower for team-open sports, interpersonal and intellectual capacity were scored higher than for individual-closed sports (p < .05). No differences were found for work attitude, sports learning, and creative capacity, or on overall score (p > .05). Conclusion: Regardless of the type of sport, experts rank work attitude capacity and sports learning capacity as most important in early childhood athlete identification processes. This supports more general sports and physical education program contents for young children.