Expertise Development in Volleyball: the Role of Early Sport Activities and Players’ Age and Height

The purpose of this study was to analyse the developmental pathway of skilled and less skilled volleyball players by focusing on the quantity and type of sporting activities, as well as their age and height in comparison to peers in those experiences. Retrospective interviews were conducted to provide a longitudinal and detailed account of sport involvement of 30 skilled and 30 less skilled volleyball players (15 male and 15 female players per group) throughout different developmental stages (stage 1: 8-12 years; stage 2: 13-16 years; stage 3: 17-20 years). Results indicated that the developmental pathway of these volleyball players (i.e. skilled and less skilled) was characterized by an early diversified sport involvement with a greater participation in sport activities during stages 1 and 2. However, skilled players specialized later in volleyball (between age 14 and 15) and performed more hours of volleyball at stage 3 (from 17 years of age onwards). Also, skilled players (male and female) were younger in both the diversified sport activities and volleyball at the later stages of development (i.e. stages 2 and 3), and skilled female players were taller than peers in those activities in the early stages of development (i.e. stages 1 and 2). The present findings suggest early diversification as a feasible pathway to reach expertise in volleyball and highlight the importance of practicing with older peers once specialization in the main sport has occurred. The findings highlight the need for coaches and sport programs to consider different stimuli existing within the training environment (i.e. characteristics of athletes, such as age and height) that influence the quality of practice and contribute to players’ expertise development.

Three types of transnational players: differing women's football mobility projects in core and developing countries

Mobile players in men's football are highly skilled professionals who move to a country other than the one where they grew up and started their careers. They are commonly described as migrants or expatriate players. Due to a much less advanced stage of professionalism and production of the game in women's football mobility projects are different. At describing the cases of Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Mexico, Colombia and Portugal, the aim of this paper is to conceptualise an umbrella category for mobile players that can include current realities in the women's game, namely the transnational player who has gained and displays transnational football experience in different countries and socio-culturally contexts. Furthermore, analyses allow introducing two new subcategories besides the “expatriate”, namely diaspora players and new citizens.

1966 UM football players

back row L-R: Michael Bass, Rick Volk, Frank Nunley, Dennis Morgan, Rick Sygar, John Rowser. front row L-R: terry Salmi, Kenneth Wright, David Porter, Richard Williamson, Roger Rosema.

1966 UM football players from Chicago area

back row L-R: Royce Spencer, Robert Baumgartner, Robert Kieta, Robert Mielke, David Fisher, Ray Phillips. front row L-R: John Lynch, Gerald Miklos, Ernest Sharpe, Richard Yanz,

1983/84 U-M hockey players from Minnesota

[L-R: tom Stiles, Todd Carlile, Pat Goff, Bill Brauer, John Bjorkman, Dan Carroll, Dan Goff]

Hockey Coach Red Berenson with players on bench, vs Bowling Green i1989

[This was the CCHA playoff in which Berenson debuted the winged hockey helmet]

Jack Harbaugh and Jerry Hanlon, UM Football assistant coaches with players, 1979

[back l-r: Jack Harbaugh, Tony Osbun (78), Gary Haynes, (36), Robin Koschalk, (61), David Brewster (48), B.J. Dickey (10), Jerry Hanlon,