Stacy Danley: What Happens When There’s Sports Talent?
Stacy Danley mentions that coaching plays a great role in the realm and process of talent identification. It has often been suggested that key issues in talent identification should include having highly qualified coaches present. It should also be noted that these reputable coaches have to work with beginners, not only high-level athletes, to improve the overall generation.What are the issues between coaching and talent development?
Many resources have mentioned that within talent identification, a qualified coach who observes young athletes during both training and competition is the one who facilitates the true initial phase of identification. Also, subsequent testing and medical assessment serve as simply a reinforcement of the facts.
The issue is that the base level of sport, or beginning youth, lacks these good coaches. According to Stacy Danley, the best coaches in North America, including the top strength and conditioning professionals, often work exclusively with the more elite athletes within a given system. It means that young athletes are left with less experienced coaches or volunteers. The result in the talent pool, therefore, becomes a lot less than desirable.
People often choose political posturing for talented young athletes to “win” over, creating a development process that can equally benefit and direct all youngsters. Stacy Danley further explains that the overuse of the body leading to acute injuries due to early sport specialization and inadequate conditioning is just as harmful as the emotional burnout due to increased pressure to emerge victorious. There is also an alienation that happens with the less talented young athletes, which can lead to quitting training altogether.
Talent selection is the second stage in nurturing the potential high performers in sports, and talent development represents the third stage of the entire process. Stacy Danley mentions that this happens after talent iden
Generally, competition is the main means of talent selection concerning the advancement of young athletes. That said, a crucial point here is the issue of early selection. In many countries, young athletes who, unfortunately, mature and grow slower are often at a huge disadvantage when it comes to selection via competition.
In these countries, Stacy Danley notes that it is generally only those young individuals who excel in competition when they are young who are offered adjunct training and other forms of sports science services. These services can include therapeutic care, nutritional support, or psychological development.
Stacy Danley also mentions that without a distinct nationwide development system, such as the one found in North America, parties with financial resources often experience such services. For other countries, it would appear to be more beneficial to have a systematic means of development wherein coaches and handlers of young athletes are very much qualified and athletic advancement is open to all young people in the country.
Stacy Danley graduated from Auburn University, earning his Bachelor of Science in Adult Education and Master of Education in Administration of Higher Education. He is currently the President and CEO of SLD Sports Management Group, a premiere management consulting, sports, and special event marketing and management company. For more related discussions, follow this page.