Predicting athletic success: Talent identification among Canadian amateur figure skaters.

摘要

This thesis was concerned with quantifying characteristics relevant to singles figure skating by employing tests and measures thought to be related to successful execution of skills and abilities for that sport. Determining characteristics relevant to figure skating would mean that a science-based talent identification system could be developed.;The format of the study was a concurrent multiple correlation approach. Each skater was required to perform several batteries of tests and/or was measured under three broad categories of factors: Environmental, Physiological and Psychological. Further break downs included tests and measures within the Physiological category (Anthropometric characteristics, Motor Fitness measures and Body Composition characteristics), and the Psychological category (Written tests, Neuromotor tests and Motor Memory tests). The dependent measure in the study was the number of points each skater received for competitive success during the 1986-87 skating season.;Results showed that, for the males, batteries of Anthropometric, Written Psychological Inventories, Neuromotor and Motor Fitness measures correlated with Skating Performance (Anthropometric R =.96; Written Inventories R =.94; Neuromotor Tests R =.67; Motor Fitness measures R =.66). Stepwise regression analyses found other, simple linear relationships between individual tests within categories and Skating Performance. The data for the females largely replicated those of the male skaters, with strong multiple correlation coefficients found also for Anthropometric measures (R =.75) and Neuromotor tests (R =.77). In addition, moderate correlations for the female skaters were found between Skating Performance and Written Psychological Inventories (R =.56) and also Motor Fitness measures (R =.53).;Overall, the evidence suggests that multidimensional analysis in sport is a valid approach to determine possible predictor variables. A longitudinal, multi-stage model for talent identification for the sport of figure skating was proposed, as well as the need for further research.;Fifty-three novice male and female figure skaters participated in a one year study, the aim of which was to determine factors thought to be relevant to figure skating success. In the pilot study, 9 skaters (5 female, 4 male) participated. In the formal study, 28 novice female singles figure skaters and 16 novice male singles skaters participated.