“Coach’s Eye” as Talent Selection Technique in Iranian School Sport: Pilot Study on Checklist Instrument for Youth Handball

Talent programs are aimed to detect talented athletes that are predictive of future career success. New foremost feasible and practical approaches in schools and youth sport with evidence-based procedures, in order to increase the probability accurate anticipation, isneeded. Through this approach, the coach is considered as a reference for talent identification and selection. In the literature, the term “coach’s eye” is used as a metaphor for coach decision-making in selecting talents and for the description of the process of subjectively evaluating athletic performance. In the present study, we tried to develop and implement a form of checklist for coach to select talented youth handball in Iranian schools competitions. This process was based on the coach’s intuition and subjective experience and had the potential to provide a more holistic profile of the athlete. To define the role of the coaches in talent selection and to avoid reducing reliability, objectivity,subjective biases, we developed a form used by coaches. The forms contained a checklist of items that the coach must consider while observing athlete during playing, and assign a score from ۱ to ۱۰ based on criteria. CVR and CVI were examined through employing expert panel. Final items that acquired sufficient CVR and CVI were listed and other items were removed. From ۱۵ items extracted throughout interviews with experts, ۱۱ items reached CVR and CVI values higher than critical value (۰.۵۶ in n=۱۲) and were introduced as valid items for identifying and selecting handball talents. These items could be used inschools and youth handball competitions.

Keywords:

Talent Identification , Talent Selection , youth sport , Handball