ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of Director of Sports Science/High-Performance Director and highlights some of the key issues involved in leading and managing contemporary high-performance when working at a professional club or with a national team. It also focuses on translating into practice the requirements of leading and managing high-performance teams, with special reference to the cultural and organisational structures pertinent to real working practices in soccer. High-Performance Directors need to be aware of the physiological, biomechanical, psychological, nutritional, medical, and other types of issues that can affect competition. When all these factors work as an integrated system, excellence in high-performance soccer is possible. In sports research, the process of talent development is discussed with the purpose of producing athletes that can attain a consistent world-class level of performance. High-performance sport operates in a fast-paced, highly dynamic environment that is influenced by the social, cultural, and economic conditions of the community in which it operates.
