Samenvatting

An athlete development pathway describes the continuum of athletic development, from initiation of fundamental movement skills through a lifelong engagement and proficiency at an elite level. The interaction of these elements is also influenced by prevailing, and long term developed, the local culture, the political system, geography, cultural and historical context that the countries are inserted (Digel, Fahrner, & Burk, 2006). Several researchers have attempted to outline athlete development frameworks and highlighted different stages in mainstream sport (Balyi & Hamilton, 2004; Gulbin, Croser, Morley, & Weissensteiner, 2013; Sotiriadou, Shilbury, & Quick, 2008; Wylleman, Alfermann, & Lavallee, 2004). However, most of these athlete development frameworks are sport generic and none thus far have attempted to outline Paralympic athlete development pathways. The aims of this study are to gain an understanding of the development phases of Paralympic elite athlete pathways in sport and to identify the parasport unique characteristics that have an impact throughout these phases. This study uses the Brazilian Paralympic sport context as a case study to understand the development phases of Paralympic elite athlete pathways. The long-term goal is then to develop a framework of reference for further exploration. A total of 32 face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders from the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, representing the most experienced stakeholders working with elite Paralympic sport in Brazil. The interview transcripts were subjected to a thematic analysis (Patton, 2002), combining inductive and deductive reasoning. This study outlines different phases and transitions in the Paralympic elite athletes’ pathways. The results elucidate the commonalities of each development phase, the differences among impairment groups, the influence of the classification and its implications. The wider understanding of how Paralympic elite athletes’ pathways are developed can assist sport organisations and stakeholders in using impairment-specific approaches to better recruit and develop para-athletes to seek a successful pathway. The main conclusion found in this study is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when developing Paralympic athletes’ pathways and, consequently, an impairment-specific approach should be taken into consideration. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in this area by identifying and understanding particular elements within the pathways phases that require modification to the parasport context.
Originele taal-2English
StatusPublished - 15 dec 2017
EvenementVK Symposium - Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Campus Jette, Brussels, Belgium
Duur: 15 dec 201715 dec 2017

Conference

ConferenceVK Symposium
Land/RegioBelgium
StadBrussels
Periode15/12/1715/12/17

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