Towards a concept of Performance Literacy

The development of talent in young athletes is an issue that has been the focus of a considerable volume of research attention globally. The pursuit of international sporting success has been, and remains, a clear goal within national sports policy in many developed countries (de Bosscher, Shibli, Westerbeek, & Bottenburg, 2015). Unfortunately, talent development systems based on instrumental philosophies haven’t necessarily created positive life outcomes for many of the young athletes you have been through those systems.
In contrast the concept of physical literacy has long been seen as defining a holistic, positive approach to the development of the child. It’s monist existential approach to pedagogy supports the holistic development of the child through sport rather than focusing on outcomes. However, it remains unclear how the fundamental philosophical approach captured in physical literacy can be translated into talent systems and talent coaching. Currently there seems to be a divide between practice/research focused on physical literacy and practice/research focused on talent development.
This paper will report on two complementary strands of practice and research that consider how can we might bridge the gap between the holistic perspective of physical literacy and the instrumental approaches being pursued in talent systems. Drawing from the researchers applied experiences we will consider how sport might better facilitate creating talent environments that develop the whole person as well as the athlete. The paper will present arguments as to why coaching needs to develop the concept of performance literacy to sit alongside the more established concept of physical literacy.