ABSTRACT

The drive to understand and develop expertise spans decades and disciplines, from visual arts and music to mathematics and sport. In sport, the concepts of early specialization and sampling have gained traction in both academic and non-academic circles as different pathways an individual may take towards achieving expert performance. This chapter contrasts these two approaches to talent development – the early sampling approach and the early specialization approach – and discusses the implications of each for an athlete's motivation and interest: intrinsic processes that play an important role in developing sport talent. It provides an overview of established pathways of talent development in sport. The chapter offers some recommendations for long-term talent development based on an early sampling approach. It explores the intrinsic processes – motivation and interest – that promote sustained engagement and development in sport, and proposes practical strategies that can be used to promote motivation and interest.