ABSTRACT
Innovative and creative goal-directed behaviours in complex neurobiological systems, such as apes and birds, has been studied extensively (see, e.g. Reader and Laland 2001; Taylor et al. 2010) and involves the discovery of novel patterns of behaviour by an organism. There has not been the same focus on creative behaviour in sport, although much research in sport sciences and pedagogy has been aimed at improving athletic performance. Traditionally, performance optimization methods have been implemented to identify the set of movement parameters that might maximize competitive outcomes for specific elite athletes (e.g. Bartlett 2007). However, as in the case of Dick Fosbury, the elite high jumper, sometimes exploration of novel movement patterns can not just improve performance but actually push it to a new, higher level.
