Where is the talent?
Issue: Volume 29 Number 3
Compare the statistics, Australia has a population approaching 21 million, the United States of America has a population of over 300 million and China’s population is over one billion. If you look at the numbers and the potential for sporting talent within the population, Australia, compared to these nations should not be competitive, however, we seem to defy the odds and rank high in world sport.
Despite Australia’s limited talent pool we still manage to achieve international success across a broad range of sports each year. To maintain our international competitiveness we need to ensure that the next generation of athletes are identified, trained and ready to go.
Matching the right athlete at the right time to the right sport with the right coach could well be considered a science in itself as there are many tangible and intangible factors that contribute to sporting success. The role talent identification plays in our ongoing sporting success is critical. It is also critical that the identified athletes are linked with coaches who have the skill to assist them to reach their full potential.
We must seek out athletes that have the potential to perform and fast track their development. The sports that Australia has focused on will expand as we look to build stronger links within the traditional Asian sports and intensify our focus on Indigenous talent.
As our competitors invest more money into sport generally and in particular niche sports, we too must work smarter to coordinate our approach and ensure our talented athletes have the best opportunity in the sport for which they are best suited to achieve international success.
As part of the New Talent Identification and Development program we are making a significant investment into the development of new athletes and transferring existing athletes between sports to enhance their opportunity to perform in 2010 at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games and in 2012 at the London Olympics.
Our talented athletes are guided by the substantial experience and expertise of our talented coaches and sport scientists who work together with the athletes to achieve their very best performance. Getting the most from our limited talent pool is in our hands.
Mark Peters
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Sports Commission
