A multi-disciplinary approach to understanding talent development in youth female athletes

Maribyrnong Sports Academy (MSA), a State Government Funded Specialist Sports School Program, provides a unique training and education environment for aspiring athletes in Melbourne’s inner west. Of the 575 enrolled students, 45% are female. Research into female talent identification and development is sparse hence practitioners working in talent development environments have limited knowledge of the physical, psychological, technical and tactical markers that progress into high performance for female athletes. Therefore, this project will attempt to determine factors affecting talent development in female athletes using a multi-disciplinary approach. In an Australian first, MSA recently launched the Maribyrnong Sports Academy Research Centre (MSARC) in partnership with Victoria University, a multi-disciplinary research centre embedded within the sports academy. Therefore, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with a supervisory team consisting of academics and practitioners, who are experts in developing physical, psychological, technical and tactical excellence in youth athletes.