Talent Search

Talent Search is all about providing opportunities to those “unsuspecting individuals."

It involves the screening of students using selected tests of physical, physiological, psychological and skill attributes in order to identify those with potential for success in a designated sport. Previous involvement in the sport is not a pre-requisite for detection.

There is also an opportunity at this stage for PE staff to recommend that students that they feel should go forward to Stage 2. These nominations are restricted to a certain number for each school and are there to give those that the teachers feel have talent and were:

• injured/ill during the testing,
• not suited to the tests run at schools but have demonstrated their potential in school,
• late in developing.

This facility is in place to ensure that everybody with talent regardless of when they develop and where their talents lie are given the same opportunities to excel as any other student/athlete.

Following the talent detection and identification process the athlete must be provided with a structured programme to enable them to develop to their full potential. This includes the provision of appropriate coaching, training and competition programmes along with access to facilities, equipment, and sports science/ medicine support.

For a sport to become a Talent Search sport, the sport must first satisfy the Peter Snell Institute of Sport that it can meet these requirements. The Peter Snell Institute will then be in the position to support that sport by way of a partnership in its Talent Development programme.

The Institute provides the testing programme and all relevant information at no cost. Schools can return test results to the Institute for analysis or use the levels supplied by the Institute to collate a list of suitable candidates. After analysis of the test results, by the schools or the Institute, those young athletes with “above average sporting aptitude are invited to participate in further testing at a Sports Science New Zealand accredited facility.

The sports are then provided with the testing data to select and invite those young athletes that have shown potential in their sport. The young athletes are 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 Scholarship holders.

For more information please contact: ken@petersnellinstitute.org.nz