Talent Identification

The Peter Snell Institute of Sport Talent Search Programme is a talent detection, identification and development programme. The initial goal of Talent Search is to increase the level of participation in sport. From an increase pool of participants there should be a greater chance for potential talent to be recognised.

This is modelled on the successful talent search programme that was implemented by the Australian Institute of Sport in Australia ten years ago. It is all about empowering talented individuals with the knowledge about their potential - giving them the opportunity to open the door to sporting excellence. Talent Search is a co-ordinated effort to search for sporting talent. It is designed to help sports identify talented School age athletes.

Athletes will be guided to sports that best suit their attributes and provided with the opportunity to realise their potential in a high-quality talent development programme and encouraging others to participate in sport.

This is achieved through a close relationship with the Regional Sports Trusts, Secondary School Sport bodies and individual schools’ physical education staff in particular. The schools conducting, in the first instance, a simple battery of tests designed to test co-ordination, speed, basic endurance and agility.

The Institute provides the testing programme and all relevant information at no cost. Schools return results to the Institute for analysis. After analysis of the test results, those young athletes with “above average” sporting aptitude are invited to participate in further testing at a Sports Science New Zealand accredited facility.

Any young athlete that is "detected" as talented via the Talent Search progrmme is then invited to take part in an “induction” development programme. The top performers will eventually become part of an elite development programme.

The Peter Snell Institute of Sport envisages that as the Talent Search programme develops, those individuals that are detected through the initial testing, and after development and consequent success will become the future Peter Snell Institute Athlete Award holders.