A Descriptive Study of Coaches' Perceptions Regarding Talent Identification and Development in Swimming

Abstract

Sports coaches have a fundamental role in talent identification and development pathways as they are responsible for determining the characterization of an athlete and overseeing his subsequent advancement in the sport. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive survey on coaches’ current perceptions of talent identification and development issues in swimming. An online survey of 20 different types of questions was completed by 112 swim coaches (87 male/25 female) of competitive swimmers based in five countries. Pearson chi-square test assessed the relationship between coaches’ responses and their coaching experience and gender. Cramer’s V test was applied as an effect size of the relationship. According to the results, general health indicators (37.6%), buoyancy (46.2%), body composition (33.7%), family support (55.9%), coaching environment (66.4%), and the desire for training (25.5%) were considered the highest-ranked answers regarding the physiological, technical, morphological, social, environmental, and psychological factors, respectively. Moreover, coaching level and gender appeared to have a minor effect on participants’ perceptions. The data presented provide a detailed overview of the methods and beliefs adopted by contemporary swim coaches and may offer valuable insights into issues and practices related to talent selection and development. The results can also be useful for coaching education curriculums and designing and implementing future talent identification programs in swimming.