Excelência no Handebol: O processo de desenvolvimento esportivo de atletas brasileiras campeãs do mundo

Abstract

The objective was to analyze the development process of the sports career of Brazilian athletes who are handball world champions. A retrospective study was carried out with seven athletes, focusing on the main episodes of the sports career, from initiation to elite sport. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using the Thematic Analysis method. The results revealed that the athletes careers were marked by: diversified initiation in the sport; increase in deliberate practice during the years of specialization; early and rapid advance into the years of sports investment. Normative and nonnormative transitions were also identified, being more evident from the transition to elite sport. In addition, the athletes development process was unsystematic, expressed by the lack of organization and planning by the bodies responsible for promoting handball practice. The school context represents a significant environment to promote access to handball.