Sean Horton

A review of primary and secondary influences on sport expertise

Sport scientists have examined numerous factors influencing the acquisition and manifestation of high levels of performance. These factors can be divided into variables having a primary influence on expertise and variables that have a secondary influence through their interaction with other variables. Primary influences on expertise include genetic, training, and psychological factors while secondary influences include socio‐cultural and contextual elements. This paper reviews the factors affecting the development of expert performance in sport and suggests directions for future research.

East African running dominance revisited: a role for stereotype threat?

Regardless of the possible existence of physiological advantages in East African runners, belief that such differences exist creates a psychological atmosphere that can have significant consequences on performance. This is known as stereotype threat and can feature in many sports.

Stereotypes of Aging: Their Effects on the Health of Seniors in North American Society

Seniors are routinely subjected to negative stereotypes regarding their physical and cognitive abilities. The power and prevalence of cultural stereotypes of aging essentially results in a “double-whammy” to seniors. First, they influence the way that seniors are treated by society. Second, cultural stereotypes affect how seniors see themselves. The ramifications here are important, for research suggests that stereotypes influence decisions to engage in cognitive and physical activity, the ability to recover from disease and, ultimately, the length and quality of life. Considering the demographic trends in North America, finding ways to effectively minimize and counteract the most negative stereotypes remains a pressing social concern.

A longitudinal examination of performance decline in champion golfers

The maintenance of skilled performance is of increasing interest and importance in our aging society. Bortz and Bortz (1996) suggested that cognitive and physical abilities decline at a rate of 0.5% per year from peak performance. However, examinations of expert performance in cognitive‐motor activities suggest that performance in these areas can be maintained with age. This study examined the career performance of 17 professional golfers. Results showed that the age‐related decline in golf performance was on average 0.07% for the period 35–49 years of age and 0.26% for the period 51–60 years of age. While additional research is required to determine the generalizablity of these results, they indicate that the age‐related decline in skilled golf performance is considerably less than previously suggested.

Involving Immigrants in Youth Sport Coaching: Part 1. A Literature Review and Quantitative Profile

Little, if any, previous research has investigated the involvement of immigrants in sport coaching. This is the first of a series of two articles that focus on this issue. In this article, following a general literature review, structured retrospective interviews (n = 29) are used to construct a profile of immigrant youth sport coaches. Two distinct profiles were identified: (a) leisure-oriented coaches, who had not coached prior to immigration; and (b) career-oriented coaches, who had coached prior to immigration Statistically significant differences (p < .05) were found between groups relating to athletic experience, sport-related education, time between immigration and initiation of coaching, and coaching of their own children Separate pathways to coaching involvement after immigration were identified for both profiles.

Engaging Immigrants in Youth Sport Coaching: Part 2. A Qualitative Analysis of the Barriers, Facilitators and Motivators for Involvement

Although research in the area of immigrants and their physical activity patterns has been steadily growing, there is still much to learn. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers, facilitators and motivators facing recent Canadian immigrants as they relate to involvement in coaching youth sport. The quantitative information presented in the first article of this series served as a framework for conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with 28 immigrant youth-sport coaches. Results of these interviews support the notion that there are two distinct groups of immigrant coaches - the ‘leisure-oriented coach’ (those without coaching occupational aspirations) and the ‘career-oriented coach’ (those with coaching occupational pursuits). Despite sharing several of the same barriers, facilitators and motivators, each group showed marked divergence from the other on a number of aspects in each of these three categories.