ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores an increasing demand for evidence to assist practitioners and scientists in understanding the costs and benefits of talent identification initiatives, and the factors influencing the process of athlete development. It aims to provide a 'state of the science' resource for researchers in athlete development, skill acquisition, talent identification and related fields of sport science. Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the notion of sporting talent, particularly as it relates to its identification and development. Conversely, talent development reflects the range of influences on the process of skill acquisition in the high performance sport setting. These influences may include issues such as how much training is appropriate for children or what type of coach support is required at different levels of development.
