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One common practice in talent development environments during the investment years (age 16+) and elite sport, in general, is the use of physiological testing of the athletes’ physical determinants of performance. In this article, the regime of controlling and monitoring athletes’ bodies for elite sport production through physiological testing will be examined. To this end, we explored athletes’ experiences of what has been done and why physiological tests are carried out the way they are to understand the practice of physiological testing in relation to athlete development. The material in this study is based on interviews with adult elite sport athletes (four group interviews with eight individual athletes in three different sports, four male and four female, and individual interviews with twelve female and five male football players). Schatzki's and Reckwitz's theorizing on social practices, together with Dewey's theorizing on learning from experience, are used to explore and illuminate the practice of physiological testing and what learning is enabled and constrained within that practice. The findings show that the meaning and significance of physiological testing for athletic development relates to how the tests are followed up and talked through with the athletes. The analysis shows that there exists a form of sport-wide commonality where the same understandings, rules or ends—irrespective of which sport is concerned—govern coaches’ and athletes’ behavior regarding physiological tests. The physiological testing practice articulates action intelligibility through rules and structures which emphasizes tests as isolated quantified indicators of physical status. The use of physiological tests as a part of learning or as a means for athlete development can therefore be questioned.

Using questionnaire data collected from one gym in 1995, 2005, and 2015 this study examines 861 women’s and 1827 men’s training patterns and their motives for weight training. Between 1995 and 2015, the gym increased its membership, equipment, and machines. The analysis shows that the participants increased the time they trained in gyms and changed the muscle groups they prioritized. The motives to become stronger, healthier, and more fit remained stable over time, but both the men’s and women’s training de-emphasized building muscles and firmer shapes and emphasized fun, attractiveness, and endurance. The analysis suggests that how the socially constructed body should be shaped and the goal with the shaping has changed. In conclusion, the 20-year perspective captures changes that have not been reported previously and contributes to knowledge about the intersection of gyms and gender, shedding light on how gym culture has changed and the reasons for these changes.

Drawing on data from the present and former football players (N = 1026) selected to a national football talent programme at the age of 15, this study explores a model of sport specialisation. We examined three specific aspects of sport specialisation including early football specialisation, participation in youth elite football training environments (i.e. academies) and enrolment in upper secondary football specialisation schools. Antecedents of these sport specialisation factors included gender (i.e. sociocultural), grit (i.e. personality) and perceptions of family finances (i.e. social). Outcomes focused on adult football participation at the age of 21 including elite skill acquisition (i.e. playing elite football) and personal development (i.e. participation in non-elite football). Findings revealed that females were less likely to gain access to elite football training or school specialisation environments. There was also a positive association between grit and participation in elite training environments. In terms of outcomes, players, who got trained in elite training environments during adolescence, were twice as likely to play elite football at the age of 21, while those who attended football specialisation schools were more likely to participate in non-elite football at the age of 21. Early specialisation was not associated with either adult participation outcome. This is one of the few studies to date addressing diverse antecedents and outcomes of sport specialisation factors. Understanding how sport specialisation practices relate to future skill acquisition and personal development can provide guidance for maximising the benefits of youth sport programming.

Elite level achievement in football can, besides the training in the club, be advanced through elite sport schools at the upper secondary school. This systematic talent development environments are of central interest in this study. Previous research in the area have been extensive, and with a particular focus on football academies and environmental success factors (e.g., Cooper, 2021; Larsen et al, 2013). To date, research undertaken has not in any greater extent taken into consideration non-club environments such as the upper secondary school specialization in Sweden (2-3 trainings/week during school hours). A dual career program for 16-year-old ones in order to achieve international top-level in sport (Lund, 2014). Drawing on questionnaire and interview data from men and women that at the age of 15 were selected to a national talent program this study focuses on the consequences of upper secondary school specialization for elite football in adulthood. Findings from the questionnaire data showed that football specialization schools did not increase the likelihood for playing elite football at the age of 21. The analysis of players experiences of upper secondary football schools showed that the understandings of school specialization for developing as a football player can be found in the players background, present level as well as the school activities. In conclusion the findings provide insights about sport specialization within the context of football.

This study investigates players who have been selected to a district team in the Swedish Football Association U15 talent programme. Using register data on all selected 15-year-old boy and girl district team players (3943 boys and 4056 girls born between 1986 and 1996) from Sweden’s 24 football districts, we analysed the relationships between club affiliation at age 15, the player population of the district, date of birth, and continuation with football and competitive level as young adults. The results show that a higher percentage of boys than girls continued playing football into young adulthood and that continuation is related to district size. Belonging to an elite club at age 15 reduces the likelihood of girls playing football at age 21, but it has no effect on the likelihood of boys playing football at age 21. In addition, 15-year-old boys and girls from larger districts who played on an elite club at age 15 were more likely to play elite football at age 21. In sum, the study shows that football district size and club affiliation at age 15 affect whether boys and girls continue to play football and whether they play at an elite level as young adults.

Drawing on data from the present and former football players (N = 1026) selected to a national football talent programme at the age of 15, this study explores a model of sport specialisation. We examined three specific aspects of sport specialisation including early football specialisation, participation in youth elite football training environments (i.e. academies) and enrolment in upper secondary football specialisation schools. Antecedents of these sport specialisation factors included gender (i.e. sociocultural), grit (i.e. personality) and perceptions of family finances (i.e. social). Outcomes focused on adult football participation at the age of 21 including elite skill acquisition (i.e. playing elite football) and personal development (i.e. participation in non-elite football). Findings revealed that females were less likely to gain access to elite football training or school specialisation environments. There was also a positive association between grit and participation in elite training environments. In terms of outcomes, players, who got trained in elite training environments during adolescence, were twice as likely to play elite football at the age of 21, while those who attended football specialisation schools were more likely to participate in non-elite football at the age of 21. Early specialisation was not associated with either adult participation outcome. This is one of the few studies to date addressing diverse antecedents and outcomes of sport specialisation factors. Understanding how sport specialisation practices relate to future skill acquisition and personal development can provide guidance for maximising the benefits of youth sport programming. Highlights Girls had less opportunity to participate in elite training environments and school football classes. Early specialisation was unrelated to elite football participation at the age of 21. Participation in youth elite training increased the likelihood of elite status as an adult. Need for clo

Adult football success in Sweden can, besides the training in the club, be advanced through the Swedish football associations regional (U15-17) and national (U15-U21/23) team systems or through elite sport schools at the upper secondary school. These systematic talent development environments are of central interest in this study. Research on talent development environments has had a focus on football academies and environmental success factors (e.g., Cooper, 2021; Larsen et al, 2013). However, to date, research undertaken has not in any greater extent taken into consideration non-club environments and athletes views on how useful those environments have been for their development into elite football players. Thus, in this paper the aim is to explore the meaning and significance of non-club talent development environments by scrutinizing elite football players experiences of participating in such environments and their importance for their development as football players. The material in this study is based on interviews with 13 male and 12 female present and former elite football players. The results showed that being selected at age 15 as one of 16 players in one of the 24 district squads (a two-year process) is, for both women and men, mostly a question of being confirmed and has little or no importance with respect to their football development. The analysis of players experiences of upper secondary elite sport schools (2-3 trainings/week) revealed a more mixed picture. Half of the men and women considered it, although they trained more hours, of little importance for their development. However, those players who have participated in elite sport schools organized by an elite club highlighted to a greater extent the importance of the school environment. The players perceived the national team activities (foremost U15-U19) as professional and serious, but since most players club environment had the same or better quality it had little significance for their develo, Oral presentations: 134. Psychology, Social Sciences & Humanities [OP-SH14], Youth development

Studies on talent identification "the process of recognizing current participants with the potential to become elite players" (Williams & Reilly, 2000, p.658), has predominately focused upon on coaches identification practice (e.g., Cushion & Jones, 2006) or on finding out what qualities that can predict talent (e.g., Vaeyens et al., 2008), and especially with a focus on boys. To date, research undertaken in the field has also neglected elite football player's perspectives on ways of seeing and defining talent. Thus, in this paper the aim is to explore female and male elite football players' perception of what to look for when selecting a talented 14-year-old football player. The material in this study is based on interviews with football players (12 women and 13 men) that at the age of 15 were selected to a district squad and made it all the way to elite football in adulthood. The results show that the dominant view among the women is that attitude and curiosity, the willingness to learn and get better would be decisive in their identification process. However, although a majority of the men also emphasize those factors, the dominant view among men when selecting a talented 14-year old football player is game understanding i.e., how to perceive and understand the game and how to move and act in relation to "what's going on" on the pitch. In conclusion, the question can be asked whether the gender differences shown in the study reflect the different conditions that surround women's and men's football.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are common in soccer players, and reconstructive surgery is often performed to restore knee stability and enable a return to play. Purpose: To investigate whether an ACL reconstruction for talented youth soccer players affects their potential to become elite players at the senior level. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: All soccer players who participated in the Swedish National Elite Camp for 15-year-old players between 2005 and 2011 (N = 5285 players; 2631 boys and 2654 girls) were matched with the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry to identify the players who had undergone ACL reconstruction. Information on player participation in Swedish league games and level of play was collected from the Swedish Football Association’s administrative data system. The players with an ACL reconstruction who were injured at the ages of 15 to 19 years were compared with the rest of the players who participated in the National Elite Camp to see whether an early ACL reconstruction affected whether they remained active as soccer players and their chance to play at the elite level as seniors. Results: A total of 524 (9.9%) players had undergone an ACL reconstruction, and 292 (5.5%; 75 male and 217 female) had sustained their injury at age 15 to 19 years. During the follow-up period, 122 (23.3%) players underwent ACL reconstruction: revision (11.5%; n = 60) or contralateral (11.8%; n = 62). Male and female soccer players undergoing an ACL reconstruction at age 15 to 19 years experienced no significant effect on being active or playing at the elite level in the season that they turned 21 years old. Of the youth players who underwent ACL reconstruction, 12% of the male players and 11.5% of the female players progressed to the elite level at the age of 21 years compared with 10.3% of the men and 11.1% of the women among the uninjured players. Conclusion: ACL reconstructive surgery in talented youth soccer

This article examines how a virtual case that prepares students for practical scenario training affects police students' performance in a practical scenario training. This study included 69 Swedish police students at the Basic Training Programme for Police Officers – 35 assigned to a virtual police case (VCASE) and 34 assigned to a conventional teacher-led (CON) lesson. A questionnaire captured how students experience training conditions and a blind assessment by police officers evaluated the students' performance in the practical scenario training. The results show that both the VCASE and CON participants thought that the training they received before the practical training was meaningful and motivating. However, to a significantly higher degree than the CON students, the VCASE students thought that their preparation helped them during the practical training. The expert assessment of one practical scenario (stopping a suspected stolen car) showed that the VCASE participants performed better than the CON participants in three out of five criteria. In conclusion, the VCASE and the CON training had different effects on the students' performance in the practical scenario: compared to the CON training, the VCASE training seemed to more effectively help the police students solve the situations presented in the practical scenario training.

This article presents an analysis of a five-year study on the implementation of a technology-supported distance programme in Swedish firefighter training. Based on activity theory and four interview studies, the attention is directed to firefighter instructors' perceptions and use of digital technologies with a focus on challenges, contradictions and changes. Two phases are identified, viz an implementation phase and a dissemination phase. During the implementation phase a clear contradiction emerges regarding how the object of the training should be interpreted, which results in the instructors responsible for the implementation reconsidering previous beliefs and, with the support of digital technologies, developing more theoretical and process-oriented approaches and improving the course design. However, during the dissemination phase, when all instructors are involved, a number of conflicts and dilemmas emerge, resulting in the changes achieved in the distance programme to some extent being normalised in the direction of the instructor-centred and exercise-oriented approaches of the campus programme. The article concludes with a discussion about contradictions as well as opportunities that may emerge during the implementation process of a vocational technology-supported distance programme., lict

This study of Sweden’s 24 football districts analyses whether contextual factors (number of players, number of elite teams, and number of elite players on each district team) influence the district teams’ relative age effect (RAE) and the way in which contextual factors and RAE correlate with the U15 teams’ competitive success. The analysis is based on register data on district players (4,516 girls and 4,501 boys, all 15 years old) who attended an annual elite football camp: birthdate, the total number of players aged 15, club membership, senior elite clubs, proportion of elite players on the district teams, and match outcomes. Based on the birthdates of the players born between 2001 and 2012, a relative age index was constructed for each district. The results showed a relative age effect (RAE) for the selected district players (boys and girls) compared to the general 15-year-old football population; however, birthdate only affected the competitive success of the boys’ district teams. The analysis points out that contextual factors such as the number of football players and the presence of elite clubs are important to consider in order to understand how RAE is produced and its relationship to the success of winning matches for boys’ district teams.

The purpose of this article is to explore whether context and coaching cultures influence coaches’ practical experience and their unarticulated and embodied knowledge, and thus their different ways of seeing and defining talent. Using a cultural sociological perspective, we challenge the commonly held assumption that talent identification is, or can be made into, a rational and objective process. Our interpretations and analyses are based upon interviews with 15 soccer coaches in four districts within the Swedish Football Association’s talent organization program. The results imply that coaches’ talent identification is guided by what feels “right in the heart and stomach”; but what feels right is greatly influenced by their experience of previous identifications, interpretations of what elite soccer entails, and the coaching culture in which they find themselves., Also published in:Lund, S., & Söderström, T. (2017). To See or Not to see : Talent Identification in the Swedish Football Association. Sociology of Sport Journal, 34(3), 248–258. DOI: 10.1123/ssj.2016-0144, Fotbollens talangorganisation

This study of Sweden’s 24 football districts analyses whether contextual factors (number of players, number of elite teams, and number of elite players on each district team) influence the district teams’ relative age effect (RAE) and the way in which contextual factors and RAE correlate with the U15 teams’ competitive success. The analysis is based on register data on district players (4,516 girls and 4,501 boys, all 15 years old) who attended an annual elite football camp: birthdate, the total number of players aged 15, club membership, senior elite clubs, proportion of elite players on the district teams, and match outcomes. Based on the birthdates of the players born between 2001 and 2012, a relative age index was constructed for each district. The results showed a relative age effect (RAE) for the selected district players (boys and girls) compared to the general 15-year-old football population; however, birthdate only affected the competitive success of the boys’ district teams. The analysis points out that contextual factors such as the number of football players and the presence of elite clubs are important to consider in order to understand how RAE is produced and its relationship to the success of winning matches for boys’ district teams., Fotbollens talangorganisation

The use of physiological tests has received a lot of attention within high performance sport. One major motive for using physiological tests is to help the athlete enhance their performance (Tanner and Gore, 2013). However, to date, research undertaken in the field has not acknowledged or taken into consideration those that actually use the tests. What do they think about tests and how useful do they find them? Thus, in this paper we aim to explore the meaning and significance of physiological tests from the athletes’ perspective by scrutinizing their experiences of physiological tests and their importance for enhancing performance. The material in this study is based on interviews with eight elite athletes between 20-30 years of age in three different individual sports. They were all dual career athlete-university students. The results show that their experiences of using physiological test vary according to which training group they belonged to prior to entering university. The athletes believed that their pre-University coaches generally used tests as a checkpoint or single indicator of fitness. As a consequence, for most athletes, the tests had little or no importance with respect to how they evaluated and planned their training. In other words, physiological tests are not automatically useful for enhancing performance. Drawing on Bourdieu (1990), we argue that the use of tests in high performance sport can be considered as part of a practical logic that counteracts reflexive attention and processing necessary for enhancing the athletes performance (cf. Dewey, 1910).

This paper focuses on the practical knowing that is central in police education.Drawing on perspectives about tacit knowledge and embodied learning (e.g.,Argyris & Schön, 1974; Merleau-Ponty, 1945/1997; Polanyi, 1966) as well asempirical examples, this paper will discuss the design of and what can beexpected from computer simulation training for the development of policestudents' professional knowing. Based on the the lessons learned fromworking with computer simulations in police education we argue thatcomputer simulations can be a useful aid for practical training, but they cannotreplace exercises in scenario training or drill exercises.

In this article, we contribute to the discussion on factors affecting adult participation in organized sport. To this end, we examine whether explanations regarding sport expertise can also add to the understanding of non-elite-level sport participation in young adulthood. Results from questionnaires (n = 572) revealed that date of birth and early sport debut positively correlated to strong sport performance during childhood, which, in turn, were correlated to strong sport performance and being selected for talent groups during adolescence. Finally, strong sport performance during adolescence was positively correlated to sports club membership as young adults. As relative age effects seem to remain throughout childhood and adolescence, we conclude that the underlying variable that affects the selection process and sport participation in young adulthood is date of birth. The results indicate that being active in sport as young adults is contingent on sport-specific variables previously not investigated in research on sport participation.

Contribution: Drawing on theoretical perspectives on learning bodily skills combined with literature on the development of expertise in sport this paper discusses how assessment in physical education (PE) could be understood in relation to physical education as a school subject. Both international and national research studies have shown that assessment in PE is complex and troublesome (e.g., Lópes-Pastor et al., 2013; Redelius et. al. 2009). Swedish research has highlighted that PE teachers are not in agreement about what students should learn in the subject (Annerstedt & Larsson 2010; Lópes-Pastor et al., 2013; Redelius et al., 2009). As a side effect of this, teachers are also uncertain about how to assess different student qualities (Annerstedt& Larsson 2010; Redelius et. al. 2009). This uncertainty about what students should learn become most obvious when teachers are grading student’s competence (Larsson, 2007). Teachers also have a hard time verbalizing their assessment and the distribution of grades. Therefore, they often refer to their intuition and gut feelings when grading students’ performance (Annerstedt & Larsson 2010; Svennberg et al., 2017). In general research have highlighted that assessment in physical education focuses on certain dimensions such as motor skill, fitness and team games as a major part of the assessment. For example, both review studies (Lópes-Pastor et al., 2013), and recent empirical studies of PE teachers assessment practices confirms this picture (Borghouts et al., 2017; Dalen et al., 2017). Similarly, findings from Swedish studies argues that there is a relation between PE-teachers use of teaching strategies and grading (Håkansson, 2015). Some of the teachers in his study are fully driven by the subjects’ traditions (physical activities, team sports), and others by a mix of traditions and interpretation of present curricula. When grading, both of these teacher categories try to gather evidence by documenting student

This article presents a summary analysis of a 5-year study on the implementation of a technology-supported distance firefighter training programme in Sweden, focused on the firefighter students’ learning processes regarding challenges, contradictions and changes that occurred during the implementation period. With activity theory as the theoretical basis, three data collections were carried out. The analysis, based on interviews with firefighter students and instructors as well as observation logbooks and educational documents, identified two phases, an implementation phase and a dissemination phase. The implementation phase is characterized by the distance students developing a self-directed and goal-oriented learning, supported by the revised and technology-supported training design. During the dissemination phase, when many technology-inexperienced instructors become involved in the distance programme, a number of challenges and contradictions are identified, which, however, turn out to be a driving force for the students to develop alternative learning strategies. Finally, vocational distance training is discussed in terms of potential opportunities for developing vocational students’ learning processes., lict

Publicerad 22 juni 2016

Floorball is the second largest team sport in Sweden. Although it's popularity the number of children who play floorball decreases from age 10 and drops dramatically after age 15 (Swedish Floorball Federation, 2012). To overcome this situation and to counteract exclusion and early specialization the Swedish Floorball Federation adopted a new player development model, the Swedish Floorball Development model (SFD), inspired by the LTAD model (Ford et al., 2011). The main aim with SFD is to allow for better opportunities for all children and youth to develop their skills, regardless of age, sex, ambition and date of birth (Persson & Blååth, 2011). SFD is based on six development levels in which the player should be able to progress between the levels based on growth and maturity. The implementation work started 2012 through information of the concept to all 22 districts and leadership courses. The purpose of this study is to analyze the consequences of the implementation. Data consists of interviews with representatives of 14 out of 22 floorball districts. The results showed that the classification of teams that would be part of a league changed to be based on the development level instead of age, which means that the younger teams can play in a league of elder teams and vice versa. The interviewees point out that the SFD model contributes to more focus on development rather than results, everyone's right to participate but also that individual players can be moved up and down between ages based on their knowledge and skills. Some of the representatives notes that there are risks with the SFD. It could legitimize elite teams at young ages resulting in, for example, exclusion. The study shows overall that SFD contributes to both desired and undesired effects.

When educating new police officers, using scenario training is an integral part of the educational program including a variety of practical exercises where students´ should act as police officers. The aim of this paper is to provide a holistic analysis of empirical data on preparation, implementation and debriefing of a critical incident in the Swedish police education program and conditions provided for developing professional knowing through scenario training. The approach was explorative and the methods used to collect data were observations, video-observations, interviews and surveys. The unit of analysis focused how students acted in and how they made sense of the activities. The analyses were influenced by a sociocultural and dialogical framework, in which learning is seen as a social activity. The results showed that using scenario training in professional education is a complex endeavor in which the social aspects of simulating have to be acknowledged. The analyses showed that the situated activities i.e. preparation, implementation and debriefing have to be linked to each other in way that enables the participants to; first, produce a situation with authenticity and second, to use previous experiences and coordinate them with new ones from the training in order to create good conditions for learning. With the support of and communication with others can students through scenario training, borrow, reshape and gradually develop professional knowing. It is about applying predetermined knowledge and skills but also about "... learning to perform and cope when encountering something for which one does not feel fully prepared" (Hopwood et al., 2014, p. 9). One conclusion is that students need to be challenged, but also get support for coordinating experiences from the situated activities with previous experiences to develop professional knowing. This means acknowledging that the stance of scenario training needs to be longer than just the actual scenario. How sit

När coacher inom Svenska fotbollförbundets distriktslagsverksamhet identifierar talang handlar det i låg grad om en objektiv och rationell bedömning av spelarna. Istället är det magkänslan som i hög grad avgör vilka spelare som betraktas vara svensk fotbolls framtid., Fotbollens talangorganisation

This study compares the influence of two learning conditions - a virtual police case and conventional teacher led lesson - that prepare police students for a practical scenario training. The study focused on how the students' experience the different learning conditions and a) how they prepare them for the scenario training and b) how they influence their task completion in the practical scenarios. The sample consisted of 66 participants and used a comparative group design with 35 participants assigned to a virtual case training group (VCASE) and 31 participants to a conventional-training group (CON) with 5-6 students in each group. The VCASE group worked two hours with a virtual police case to perform two exercises. The CON group had a two hour teacher led lesson with the same content. This was followed by practical scenario training. A questionnaire was used to collect the students' experiences of both the preparation and practical scenario training. A blind expert assessment, carried out by police officers, was used to collect the students' performance in the practical scenario training. The results showed that a majority of the students in both groups believed that the task they did before the practical training was meaningful and motivating. However, the results showed (independent t-test) that the VCASE group in significantly higher extent thought that the preparation helped them when they conducted the practical training (e.g. confident how to act, sufficient knowledge to solve the situation and a feeling of being sufficiently prepared). The expert assessment of a stolen car incident during practical training showed (independent t-test) that the VCASE group performed better according to three out of five base tactics measurements. To conclude, the different learning conditions produced different results with respect to how they prepared for practical scenario training.

Background Drawing on Donald Schön’s concepts, this article investigates the links between computer simulation training and the concepts of reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action while participating in dental and nursing trainingAim This article explores how collaborative simulation training and collaborative conventional training affect students’ reflection processes when learning to interpret radiographic images.Method This qualitative study uses interviews from 11 nursing and 18 dental students to compare the experiences of conventional training (CON-dental students) with intra-oral radiography simulation (SIM-dental students) and cervical spine simulation training (nursing students).Results The analysis showed that the simulation and conventional training influenced reflective thought processes in different ways. The SIM students concentrated on the visual information before and after they made their choices, whereas the CON students, in the absence of three-dimensional characters and reference points, focused on discussions and mutual agreements within the group to achieve a solution. The visual feedback and opportunities for manipulation provided by the simulation training encouraged the SIM-students to examine their assumptions and actions (to reflect-in-action) while solving the task. Prior knowledge served as a theoretical and methodological scheme guiding the learners’ actions and directed their reflection on their existing anatomical knowledge.Conclusions SIM and CON training provide different conditions for students’ reflective thought processes, and these differences influence how well the groups learn radiological principles.

Introduction This study reports empirical data from an ongoing project, investigating talent development in football. The purpose is to examine predictors that impact on 14-year old football players´ possibilities to enter and proceed through the Swedish Football Associations´ talent development system. Drawing on deliberate practice and deliberate play (Côté, Baker & Abernethy, 2003), the relative age effect (RAE)(Romann & Fuchlosher, 2011) and sporting habitus (Bourdieu, 2010) we focus on football training in clubs and school, training time in football and other sports, birth dates and parental support. Method The analysis is based upon questionnaires from one large and one medium district. The study included 166 boys and 117 girls who at the age of 14 participated in the first selection camp at each district. They were then followed until their last selection the year thereafter, in which 16 boys and 16 girls where selected to represent the district in a national elite camp. Result The results show that 67% of the boys and girls where born in the first six month, RAE then increased for boys, with 83% in the last selection being born the first six months girls RAE were constant. Boys practiced more football both in and outside their club, 61% of the boys and 40% of the girls reaching the last selection practiced 7 hours or more in their club. 33% of the boys and 8% of the girls practiced 5 or more hours on their own. For girls selected, on each level parental support was stronger than for not selected girls, for both boys and girls who were selected for the final district team parental support was almost twice as big in terms of presence at games and practice. The parents of the players who were selected had to a great extent a competitive sport background. Discussion The results show that RAE is a threshold for entering the system and then increase for boys. The 14-year old football players´ proceeding through to the district team seem to be related to tr

Introduction Understandings of, explanations to, and predictors of adult participation in organized sport, on the one hand, and expert performances in organized sport as adults on the other hand have received a lot of attention as separate entities by scholars in the areas of sport participation and sport expertise alike. Although scholars in both fields share an interest in tracing explanatory factors and predictors, it is evident that sport participation research has not investigated the impact of factors that are in focus in sport expertise research and vice versa. Thus, in this paper we aim to explore relationships between sport performance during childhood and adolescence and participation in sport in adulthood. Methods Data were derived from Web-based questionnaires completed by university students between 2005 and 2012. In total, 572 students (290 men and 282 women) completed the questionnaires. These students were at the beginning of their studies in sports science (n=357) and physical education teacher education (n=215). The questionnaire gathered information about the following topics: • Biographical data: date of birth; • Sport debut: age they started to participate in organized club sports; • Sport performance: self-estimated sporting skills and participation in regional talent groups during childhood and adolescence. • Sport involvement: previous and present involvement in organized club sports; Results Results from questionnaires reveal that early sport debut and date of birth positively correlate to strong sport performances during childhood and being selected for talent groups. These variables, in turn, are positively correlated to strong sport performances during adolescence and being selected for talent groups. Strong sport performances during adolescence do not correlate to expert performance as adults. However, strong sport performances during adolescence are positively correlated to sports club membership as adults. Discussion These results sugg