Abstract des Autors

Specialization in one sport and intense investment in sport-specific practice is, without any doubt, a prerequisite for the attainment of expertise. The timing of specialization and the consequences of early specialization on athlete development are, however, questions that have created debates in the last several years (Baker et al., 2009; Malina, 2010; Wiersma, 2000). Governing bodies around the world face the challenge of structuring a youth sport system that regularly develops elite athletes at the professional and international levels. To reach this goal, governing bodies are adapting models of development that focus on long-term athlete development, institutionalization, elitism, early selection, and early specialization, instead of focusing on the inherent enjoyment of participating in various forms of sport and the natural challenges and skill development opportunities that result from playing sports during childhood (Côté et al., 2011).