Addressing our biases within talent identification - A conversation with Professor Joe Baker
Joe Baker is a professor at the school of kinesiology and life sciences at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is one of the most respected and well published researchers in the field of expertise, talent development and lifelong physical activity.
In 2013 Joe was a key player in contributing to a the creation of a consensus statement on talent for English Rugby. This document went on to become a central pillar in bringing about a lot of change throughout the talent system for young rugby players in England.
It's fair to say that Joe knows a thing or two about talent!!
In this fascinating conversation we cover a lot of ground including...
Joe's take on the 10,000 hours of deliberate practice debate.
His theory that deliberate practice may assist in the talent identification process.
How 'confirmation bias' can affect our decision making and leave talented athletes deselected.
His surprising research that shows that experienced coaches aren't necessarily better than ordinary people at identifying talent.
Why he doesn't have much time for coaches that think that they "know a player when they see one".
Why he thinks professional leagues should stop throwing money away at talent ID and start investing in intellectual capital to make people better at it.
Joe can be found on Twitter at @bakerjyorku
As always, you can listen to the episode in the player below or subscribe in itunes here.
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