Fostering Elite Athlete Development and Recreational Sport Participation: a Successful Club Environment

The overall aim of this article was to present a positive case study about how a sport club can foster both elite athlete development in parallel with offering a diverse range of sport activities to attract and maintain a greater number of children and youth for continued participation in a long ter...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Galatti,Larissa Rafaela (author)
Other Authors: Côté,Jean (author), Reverdito,Riller Silva (author), Allan,Veronica (author), Seoane,Antonio Montero (author), Paes,Roberto Rodrigues (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1646-107X2016000300004
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:scielo:S1646-107X2016000300004
Description
Summary:The overall aim of this article was to present a positive case study about how a sport club can foster both elite athlete development in parallel with offering a diverse range of sport activities to attract and maintain a greater number of children and youth for continued participation in a long term sport program. To this end, an in-depth case study was conducted of a model Spanish Basketball Club, considered an example of success in achieving consistent level of performance and high rates of participation among their youth. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with administrators, setting observation, and analysis of current and archived club documents. The results show that the club has created changes over the years that have led to a clear organizational structure with a philosophy that connects its youth development teams and elite teams. An increase focus on youth development, the addition of recreational activities, and the implementation of a coach education program have been linked to enhanced participation rate and performance.