Abstract des Autors

Recent research in expertise suggests that elite performers spend a minimum of ten years engaging in intense practice and preparation. For most sports, this long period of preparation begins in childhood and continues into young adulthood. The purpose of this reviews is to outline developmental factors that influence the acquisition of expertise during childhood and adolescence. The first section of the paper summarizes biological and experiential factors that facilitate or limit (i.e. rate limiters) sport performance. The second section describes complex adaptations in knowledge structures that underlie response selection processes that accompany increasing expertise during childhood and adolescence. Preliminary research suggests that many of these adaptations in response selection process may require specific types of practice activities. Suggestions are provided for future research to better understand what types of practice activities are most likely to facilitate acquisition of response selection processes. Verf.-Referat