Tinder for talent: Bridging the gap between coach intuition and standardised testing batteries in talent detection

This project will investigate how coaches make selection decisions in sport, combining youth athlete testing results with the intuition and experience coaches bring to their decisions. We will use retrospective testing data from athletes whose career outcomes are already known, allowing us to evaluate how accurately coaches predict future success and which factors, e.g., speed, height, inform their decisions. By collaborating with the University of Toronto, this research will strengthen evidence-based approaches to talent identification, providing insights that can improve selection processes and support the development of athletes. Participating institutions will benefit from shared expertise, access to new data and methodologies, and the opportunity to enhance international collaboration in sport science research.

Faculty Supervisor:

Joe Baker;Kathryn Johnston

Student:

Partner:

Australian Catholic University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: