AM8 International

Continuing along the lines of controversy, Talent Identification (ID) systems are in all sports and have the potential to lift players and athletes alike towards their sporting ambitions, whilst also derailing them if the conversation is not handled in a conducive manner — best to serve a player’s and/or athlete’s future ambitions. Whilst many parents are under the impression that these programs are what’s best for their child’s sporting future, there us a lot of misinformation out there around these systems to programs that are not all good news.

What remains pivotal is that the player/athlete remains informed and is afforded a decision opposed for the decision being made for them.

Too often then not players and/or athletes alike are pulled away from their current coaching environment into a new one without any fundamental adjustments being made. This poses quite a significant risk on the players/athletes development and being inside a Talent ID program is more often than not, not the right decision for the player/athlete as a whole.

This week’s episode looks into the concerns around Talent ID and steps in navigating this process. It remains internal to be mindful of the benefits of these programs but also the risks they also pose. Depending on your sport of choice, these are all slightly different. But, if there’s one thing we know for sure and what the data reaffirms over and over again, is the coach-athlete relationship and its stability. Entering into a new program with a new coach and for this dynamic to constantly be on a rotation, is not what serves the player/athlete for long-term driven ambitions. Choose wisely and remember the triangular dynamic that will keep the team strong and better informed.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Google to Amazon Podcasts with all links at Beyond Top 10 Tennis.

One of the most controversial topics out there but also perhaps the most empowering, is putting the control back into the players and/or athletes hands to choose who they resonate with best and/or who they like to have on their team. Changing this perspective can be an incredibly rewarding experience for a player/athlete as the roles are somewhat flipped on their heads giving the player/athlete the power to really think about ‘who’ they’d consider as an invaluable additional to their playing future.

Too often than not many coaches manipulate their players/athletes into believing they’re equipped to deliver their lofty dreams and/or aspirations without any prior experience or more importantly, education in really being able to help the player/athlete understand the road ahead and what steps need to be taken over set periods of time.

There’s a whole world of specificity out there and there are also a lot of tools to be leaned on to help upskill and/or navigate the entire coaching process. Perhaps most significantly is an awareness around what skills do you need to learn, at this point in time, to progress further — and the type of coach that is fit-for-purpose. This may or may not be a coach who’ll be by your side for the next 10-20 years, or for the next 6 months.

It’s incredibly important to choose wisely and that is where the parent/guardian comes into play to help their child and aspiring player/athlete look through a new lens and gauge the perspective required to really think about their journey ahead.

It’s an incredibly controversial and yet important discussion to be had and more and more players/athletes should feel empowered to take charge and initiate these conversations with their coaches if they’re not being upfront and tackling the hard questions before they arise!

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Google to Amazon Podcasts with all links at Beyond Top 10 Tennis..