The Development of Australian Olympic/World Championship Track
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES Dianne Julie Huxley, BA, DipEd, M. Ed (Coach Education) A thesis submitted to the University of Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Art and Social Sciences School of Education and Social Work University of Sydney June 2018 Thesis Declaration This is a thesis submitted to the School of Education and Social Work at The University of Sydney Australia in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person (except where explicitly defined in the acknowledgements), nor material which to a substantial extent has been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institution of higher learning. I, Dianne J. Huxley, certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is my own work and all the assistance in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged. Name: Dianne J. Huxley Date: July 5, 2018 ii Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank my Supervisor Professor Donna O’Connor for her tireless and ongoing support, and instilling in me the belief that I could get to the end of this very long journey. I have learnt an enormous amount from Donna and I thank her sincerely for her knowledge, expertise, support and patience, which has enabled me to complete this thesis. Words cannot really express my gratitude. Thank you also to my associate supervisors Dr Andrew Bennie and Dr Paul Larkin for their support in assistance in their particular areas of expertise. I really appreciated their encouragement throughout this journey as it really helped through periods of self-doubt. I also wish to acknowledge Elite Editing who edited my thesis, paying extreme attention to detail and conducting editorial intervention only in accordance with Standards D and E of the Australian Standards for Editing Practice. Thank you also to all the athletes and coaches who gave of their time so freely and enthusiastically and made this thesis what it is. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the Ascham school over the last few years, as they have shown so much patience and understanding, which I have greatly appreciated. When I have really been struggling, being out on the coaching fields has been like a breath of fresh air, so thank you girls! I also would not have been able to do this without the ongoing support from my team of physios and massage therapist who kept my aging body on task. Thank you, Cameron, Physio4All, Emma and Camilla for keeping me at the computer! And last but not least thank you to my partner Peter, my children, extended family and my friends, for the ongoing support and love throughout this time…they have been my rock. Throughout this journey I have lost both my parents, but also experienced the joy of being a grandmother to the most adorable little girl called Lucy. My parents and Lucy have been my biggest motivation and I dedicate this to my Mum and Dad - I am sad that they are not here to see me finish but I know how proud they would be. iii Abstract Australian Olympic-level track and field (T&F) has enjoyed a high profile over several generations and many of Australia’s athletic greats are publicly revered. Since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (OG), government funding for T&F has increased sevenfold—the majority being channelled into Athletics Australia’s (AA) high- performance programs to improve Australia’s standing at major international championships. However, over this period Australia has dropped in the world T&F rankings and more than two thirds of athletes who represent Australia at the World junior T&F championships [WJC] never make a senior international team. AA’s funding is contingent on athletes’ performances at both the junior and senior global level, but apart from two reports by AA (2004 & 2015), very little research has been conducted in relation to the development of athletes capable of competing on the world stage. Therefore, this thesis seeks to identify and understand—from the perspective of elite Australian T&F athletes and coaches—the major factors influencing the development and trajectory of Australian athletes to the highest global level in the sport (OG and World Track and Field Championships [WC]). The thesis consists of three separate but linked studies that examine the holistic development of elite Australian athletes. As this thesis focuses on the athletes’ development from junior sporting ranks through to the elite senior level, Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory of Human Development provides the underpinning framework to examine the processes (e.g., training activities), personal factors (e.g., psychological strengths) and contextual factors (e.g., family, peers, coaches) acting over time to influence an athlete’s development. Study 1 used a quantitative survey to collect data about the development and success of 73 Australian T&F athletes who competed at the OG or WC between 1956 iv and 2013. Results indicated that the key influencing factors during development included later specialisation in T&F, involvement in other sports during adolescence and strong social support networks. Also instrumental in athlete development was growing up in a major city and completing tertiary studies. The analysis indicated that athletes progressed to the elite level through different pathways, with the most common being a linear pathway from junior to elite senior athlete. This study also highlighted the importance of the talent development environment (e.g., appropriate training, competition opportunities, social support and good coaching) in facilitating the successful transition of a talented junior through to elite senior levels in T&F. In Study 2, semi-structured interviews were used to elicit a deeper understanding of the developmental experiences of 14 elite junior T&F athletes who transitioned into elite senior careers. Based on the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP), factors specific to development during the specialising (ages 12–15 yrs) and investment (16 + yrs) stages were investigated. Results revealed training, competition, social support and personal factors as the four key dimensions of talent development during these stages. During the specialising stages, commensurate with the DMSP, athletes were able to balance T&F training with involvement in various other sports and did not focus on their main senior event or fully invest in specialised intense training until towards the end of the investment stage. Experiences at junior international competitions, support from parents and peers and coaching appropriate to their developmental stage were also instrumental in their successful development. Study 3 also used semi-structured interviews to elicit the views of Australian T&F coaches’ in relation to key factors instrumental in the successful development of elite Australian T&F athletes. This study involved 12 coaches who collectively coached over 100 athletes to international level (junior and senior), including several global v medallists; thus they provided a comprehensive and unique viewpoint. Coaches perceived athlete characteristics and how talent was fostered through coaching as vital to successful development, and also highlighted several barriers facing athletes on their upward trajectory. Characteristics such as having naturally sound biomechanics and the ability to compete and cope under pressure, together with a strong work ethic and the determination to persevere through the tough times, were some important qualities coaches associated with successful athletes. Fostering talent required access to coaches who provided stage-appropriate training matched to the physical and psychological needs of the individual and facilitated strong coach–athlete relationships and a positive training environment. Conversely, coaches identified the lack of unity between the two main athletic bodies (Little Athletics [LA] [for 5–16 yrs] and Athletics Australia [AA] [for senior athletics]) as responsible for some talent loss in the transition from the junior to senior arm of the sport. Additionally, coaches perceived that the highly competitive structure of LA encourages early specialisation, partly because of the lack of appropriate coach education at that level, as well as pressure to perform in the results- driven culture. Coaches also felt that the lack of support from the sport (e.g., financial, sport science) for talented juniors trying to transition to elite senior status meant many dropped out because it was too difficult to balance study/work with the increased commitment needed to achieve at the elite senior level. The findings from each of the studies were integrated and analysed within Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical framework to provide a better understanding of the key factors associated with the long-term developmental process for elite Australian T&F athletes. Combined results highlighted the importance of matching training loads and volumes to athletes’ physical, mental and emotional development, continuing to incorporate other sports and delaying specialisation until late adolescence. Access to a vi wide variety and level of competition was also very important, as was psychosocial networks (parents, coaches, peers, sporting bodies), who provided physical resources, tangible and emotional support, motivation and opportunities to develop the physical and psychological skills needed to progress to elite senior levels of T&F. These findings are intended to provide valuable information for all stakeholders (coaches, athletes, parents, administrators) to help identify, develop, retain and maximise the potential of talented young athletes in Australian T&F. In addition, it is hoped the results will provide an impetus and platform for further research, in addition to providing robust evidence upon which AA (the governing body) can base future decisions for the design, delivery and evaluation of their elite programs.