National strategy for athlete development: Enhancing skill acquisition for female (and male) athletes in Olympic Sports - Schedule 46

Project objectives:

The aim of this project is to develop a skill acquisition framework for the Australian Olympic sporting system. The project will achieve this aim through addressing the following objectives: (a) identifying coaches and athletes’ current access to, and understanding of, skill acquisition, (b) determining the skill acquisition needs of individual and team sport athletes, and (c) defining the role and function of the skill acquisition specialist in supporting sports. Through addressing these objectives, the Australian Olympic system will have a framework to guide the prioritisation and implementation of skill acquisition support leading into and post the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Project outcomes and deliverables:

1. To identify coaches’ and athletes’ current access to, and understanding of, skill acquisition, by addressing the following questions:
• Which skill acquisition principles do coaches and athletes already understand?
• Which skill acquisition principles are coaches and athletes keen to explore in further detail within their Sports?
• Do coaches and athletes have access to skill acquisition support, and if so, how often and in what format do they access this support? How does this match with what they are after from skill acquisition support?
An understanding of the specific skill acquisition principles that coaches and athletes do and do not understand can provide important information to inform performance support.

2. Determining the skill acquisition needs of individual and team sport athletes
• What are the skill development priorities of sports?
• What are the skill development challenges of sports?
• How do these priorities and challenges differ across different genders and sports?
Understanding the skill development priorities and challenges of individual athletes and sports is important for ensuring that skill acquisition initiatives and support is strategically aligned and targeted to areas of high need. Providing a mechanism for sports to share their goals and challenges will also foster self-determination, supporting buy-in and engagement.