Talent development for professional rugby league: observations and analysis from a career in rugby’s high-performance environment

Many research theories and frameworks have been proposed to describe the talent development environment in a variety of sports and other high-performance domains. None of these, however, have suitably described the context the first author had experienced in high level rugby league during a career that has spanned 40 years as professional player, club and international coach / manager and more recently as a consultant and researcher. The paper presents current talent development literature in respect to common features that have emerged from this domain. A series of personal reflections then illustrate how these areas are operationalised in rugby league based on the first author’s experiences.What transpires is a clear mis-match between theory and practice and a glaring lack of appropriate support for those who lead in this domain. The paper therefore proposes the need for a new rugby league specific framework which can guide and support those who operate within the rugby league talent development environment

What am I doing and why Philosophy to practice -personal observations about coaching rugby

This paper is a reflective account about a personal approach to coaching rugby by the first author, Stuart Wilkinson. His ongoing academic research in 2010 has prompted a fresh consideration of his coaching style which is shared interactively with his players and staff in the world of professional rugby league. This has brought about some deeper questioning of the reasons behind his approach to coaching which has led to a formulation of his coaching philosophy. His coaching philosophy; „a caring guide to athlete self-discovery and self-improvement‟ may be regarded as a summative statement of his beliefs and values at this moment in time, to coach others in order that they might play the game well. The paper is written largely in first person, a trait of its reflective nature and incorporates some data from an interview with a player. The paper concludes that if players are equipped with the confidence and knowledge to question their own actions they may be able to self-correct their errors on the field of play and see more options to act independently instead of relying upon directives from the coach at the sideline

Exploring the dynamics of the talent development environment in professional rugby academies

This thesis aims to investigate the factors that determine the impact that Academy Managers in Rugby League have upon the youth-to-senior transition of talent in an elite professional academy. Various methods, models, and processes for supporting national strategies have been identified in previous research, which has informed the success of an academy talent pathway. However, relatively little is known about how academies develop their players and coaching staff in these challenging professional environments. Therefore, this research further develops knowledge in this area, specifically concerning the growth and development of academy staff. The actions of these Academy Managers and their key stakeholders are a major area of interest within this research project with explicit attention paid to those in charge of the day-to-day player-coach interactions, especially the Academy Manager. Talent development research to date has not yet determined the impact the Academy Manager has on these stakeholders and there remains a paucity of evidence on ‘the what, the how, and the why’ of their practice. Therefore, a more specific overview of the ‘talent development challenge’ needs to be provided. In short, the intricate, dynamic environments in which the Academy Manager exists and what they are working to achieve, will be described through a series of empirical studies illustrating how these are operationalised within the academy context. Various phased qualitative data collection methods were deployed in this investigation, allowing an exploration of the environment, the considerations, and the experiences of the stakeholders within the Academy Manager’s domain. Critical Realism is adopted as the underpinning conceptual lens which in turn led the researcher to cross a threshold of understanding, by identifying with the concept of Embodied Pedagogy in physical decision-making, opening a new way of thinking around investigatory research. Notably, creating an innovative, cogent, and supportive bond between Embodied Pedagogy methods and the Critical Realism paradigm. Indeed, this research has been exploratory and aimed to develop and assess this theory-driven partnership by using methods, such as reflective narrative, narrative interviews, focus groups, case studies, and narrative inquiry, all of which elicit further understanding within the lived experiences and rich insights of the target demographic. In addition, these methods made evident some of the various barriers and enablers that influenced the agency in the Academy Manager’s daily interactions between the stakeholders and the environment. The findings from this sequence of studies identified the need for a practical tool with structures that might better enable Academy Managers to recognise and deal with the mixed influences of the social milieu on informal learning. This resulted in the design of a new and ground-breaking multidimensional model called the Talent Development Self-Navigation Framework (TDSNF). National Governing Bodies and Academy Managers can use this new model to facilitate and encourage a critical approach to collaborative learning within an Academy workforce. Amongst the key findings, was a disconnect between the skills that Academy Managers require for the role and the reality of what they felt confident and competent in. Therefore, resources developed within the TDSNF tasks displayed results that were a positive social validation of the framework and that the associated tools have merit. Looking to the future, discussing the bio-ecological role Academy Managers have in their environment is essential. This research yielded results that demonstrate it is imperative to examine the Academy Manager’s interplay with the rest of the stakeholders from a pathway that needs perspective. Consequently, these Academy Managers will be able to offer more practical ways of presenting the Academy’s foundational wants and the stakeholders’ fundamental needs. These are relevant considerations for all people involved in the talent development system including the Academy’s Chief Executives, National Coach Developers, National Academy Leads, and National Governing Bodies. The key messages around the impact of bespoke strategies on developing talent in a professional academy highlight the need to continue to explore these relationships. The results of this research tentatively indicate how future research directions could assist professional clubs or governing bodies and academic institutions to work together to disseminate knowledge on relevant topics and theories in the development of an Academy Manager. The most obvious finding to emerge from this study is that Academy Managers (in Rugby League) can best learn to perform their difficult work of navigating the chaotic academy environment, while in parallel, helping to inform how National Governing Bodies might best optimise outcomes for their sporting communities

An investigation into the talent development knowledge and practice of a rugby high-performance coaching team

The purpose of this study was to investigate Talent Development environments (TDE) within the transition stage of professional rugby. The aim was to explore the knowledge and application of best practice concepts by the coaching teams that work specifically with Academy players to facilitate transition to the first team playing squads. A focus group was established in order to explore TDEs more fully following a series of talent development workshops delivered by the authors, that presented a range of recognised academic theories and concepts. Data were collected and analysed thematically. Findings suggest that those currently working in professional rugby’s talent development transition stage have a series of ‘gaps’ in their theory to practice which are limiting the successful creation and operation of the most conducive TDE for their players. These especially relate to the generated themes of organisational connectivity, philosophical alignment, psycho-social nurturing, workforce development, and legacy building. The paper concludes by recognising the fundamental role that education and training has in any aspiration to create effective TDEs. It also recognises the over-arching responsibility the Academy Manager has in how best to proceed and fill the gaps, not just within this transition stage but throughout the talent pathway

A case study exploration into the professional duties of a Super League Academy Manager: Creating an individualised learning plan using the Talent Development Self Navigation Framework (TDSNF)

This study investigated the professional duties of a professional rugby league Academy Manager (AM) with the explicit aim of identifying bespoke development needs through the operation of the Talent Development Self Navigation Framework (TDSNF). This study adopts an original embodied pedagogy approach grounded in a critical realist view of the participant’s Talent Development domain. The paper presents a full description of the framework’s application as a case study example of the TDSNF in practice. Findings acknowledge how the facilitated TDSNF helped the AM reflect more fully on his ‘real world’ and ‘foundational wants and needs’ to co-create both an individual learning plan for himself and a TD development plan for his Academy team. Feedback on the framework’s content, structure, process and outputs was extremely positive. Significant implications in adopting this approach more widely for coach education and learning are then presente

Effect of multiple impacts on protective properties of external hip protectors

A variety of external hip protectors are available on the market but no standards for their performance exist and it is unknown if their properties change after repeated fall impacts. The purpose of this study was to determine if protective properties change in different types of new (unused) hip protectors after repeated, simulated falls. Five hip protector brands were chosen to represent different products available on the market and the two mechanisms employed in reducing the force of an impact (shunting or absorbing). Ten pairs of each type (20 pads for each brand) were tested using a 1.8-m Instron Dynatup 9250 HV vertical impact testing tower. The impact testing system was specifically designed for this study by creating a simulated trochanter to provide more accurately a impact area similar to that of a real hip bone. The hip protectors were impacted once a day for 3 consecutive days. Repeated impacts demonstrated the pads’ decreased ability to either absorb or shunt force in all types of hip protectors. However, the mean forces were still in the protective range (force below fracture threshold of 3100 N) for 3 of the 5 brands tested after 3 impacts. The protective properties of external hip protectors do degrade after repeated impacts. The degree of degradation differs from brand to brand. Regardless of type, most pads were still able to bring the force of impact below the fracture threshold of 3100 N. Future studies need to address the issue of durability of different types/brands of hip protectors after repeated laundering and fall impacts to determine when should they be replaced. Additionally, a national or international standard needs to be developed against which the performance of different brands of hip protectors can be compared

Replication of Associations of Genetic Loci Outside the HLA Region With Susceptibility to Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide-Negative Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE: Genetic polymorphisms within the HLA region explain only a modest proportion of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP)-negative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) heritability. However, few non-HLA markers have been identified so far. This study was undertaken to replicate the associations of anti-CCP-negative RA with non-HLA genetic polymorphisms demonstrated in a previous study. METHODS: The Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium International densely genotyped 186 autoimmune-related regions in 3,339 anti-CCP-negative RA patients and 15,870 controls across 6 different populations using the Illumina ImmunoChip array. We performed a case-control replication study of the anti-CCP-negative markers with the strongest associations in that discovery study, in an independent cohort of anti-CCP-negative UK RA patients. Individuals from the arcOGEN Consortium and Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium were used as controls. Genotyping in cases was performed using Sequenom MassArray technology. Genome-wide data from controls were imputed using the 1000 Genomes Phase I integrated variant call set release version 3 as a reference panel. RESULTS: After genotyping and imputation quality control procedures, data were available for 15 non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 1,024 cases and 6,348 controls. We confirmed the known markers ANKRD55 (meta-analysis odds ratio [OR] 0.80; P = 2.8 × 10(-13) ) and BLK (OR 1.13; P = 7.0 × 10(-6) ) and identified new and specific markers of anti-CCP-negative RA (prolactin [PRL] [OR 1.13; P = 2.1 × 10(-6) ] and NFIA [OR 0.85; P = 2.5 × 10(-6) ]). Neither of these loci is associated with other common, complex autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP-negative RA and anti-CCP-positive RA are genetically different disease subsets that only partially share susceptibility factors. Genetic polymorphisms located near the PRL and NFIA genes represent examples of genetic susceptibility factors specific for anti-CCP-negative RA

A systematic review of strategies to recruit and retain primary care doctors

Background There is a workforce crisis in primary care. Previous research has looked at the reasons underlying recruitment and retention problems, but little research has looked at what works to improve recruitment and retention. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate interventions and strategies used to recruit and retain primary care doctors internationally. Methods A systematic review was undertaken. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and grey literature were searched from inception to January 2015.Articles assessing interventions aimed at recruiting or retaining doctors in high income countries, applicable to primary care doctors were included. No restrictions on language or year of publication. The first author screened all titles and abstracts and a second author screened 20%. Data extraction was carried out by one author and checked by a second. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity. Results 51 studies assessing 42 interventions were retrieved. Interventions were categorised into thirteen groups: financial incentives (n=11), recruiting rural students (n=6), international recruitment (n=4), rural or primary care focused undergraduate placements (n=3), rural or underserved postgraduate training (n=3), well-being or peer support initiatives (n=3), marketing (n=2), mixed interventions (n=5), support for professional development or research (n=5), retainer schemes (n=4), re-entry schemes (n=1), specialised recruiters or case managers (n=2) and delayed partnerships (n=2). Studies were of low methodological quality with no RCTs and only 15 studies with a comparison group. Weak evidence supported the use of postgraduate placements in underserved areas, undergraduate rural placements and recruiting students to medical school from rural areas. There was mixed evidence about financial incentives. A marketing campaign was associated with lower recruitment. Conclusions This is the first systematic review of interventions to improve recruitment and retention of primary care doctors. Although the evidence base for recruiting and care doctors is weak and more high quality research is needed, this review found evidence to support undergraduate and postgraduate placements in underserved areas, and selective recruitment of medical students. Other initiatives covered may have potential to improve recruitment and retention of primary care practitioners, but their effectiveness has not been established

A 'real puzzle': the views of patients with epilepsy about the organisation of care

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how individuals who have a diagnosis of epilepsy have experienced healthcare services or their views about how they should best be organised to meet their ongoing needs. METHODS: Focus group interviews. Individuals with epilepsy were identified in 5 practices in Wales: 90 were invited, 40 confirmed attendance and 19 individuals attended interviews in 5 groups of size 6, 5, 4, 3 and 1 (Table 2). Inclusion criteria: individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy, aged between 18–65. The exclusion criteria were learning disability or an inability to travel to interview locations. RESULTS: The individuals in these group interviews were not 'epilepsy activists' yet they remained critical in extended discussions about the services encountered during their patient careers, wanting more information and advice about how to adapt to problems, particularly after initial diagnosis, more involvement in decision making, rapid access to expertise, preferably local, and improved communication between clinicians. A central concern was the tendency for concerns to be silenced, either overtly, or covertly by perceived haste, so that they felt marginalised, despite their own claims to own expert personal knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Users of existing services for epilepsy are critical of current systems, especially the lack of attention given to providing information, psychosocial support and the wishes of patients to participate in decision making. Any reorganisation of services for individuals with epilepsy should take into account these perceived problems as well as try to reconcile the tension between the distant and difficult to access expertise of specialists and the local but unconfident support of generalists. The potential benefit of harnessing information technology to allow better liaison should be investigated

Mantle heat drives hydrothermal fluids responsible for carbonate-hosted base metal deposits: evidence from 3He/4He of ore fluids in the Irish Pb-Zn ore district

There is little consensus on whether carbonate-hosted base metal deposits, such as the world-class Irish Zn+Pb ore field, formed in collisional or extensional tectonic settings. Helium isotopes have been analysed in ore fluids trapped in sulphides samples from the major base metal deposits of the Irish Zn-Pb ore field in order to quantify the involvement of mantle-derived volatiles, that require melting to be realised, as well as test prevailing models for the genesis of the ore fields. 3He/4He ratios range up to 0.2 Ra, indicating that a small but clear mantle helium contribution is present in the mineralising fluids trapped in galena and marcasite. Sulfides from ore deposits with the highest fluid inclusion temperatures (~200°C) also have the highest 3He/4He (> 0.15 Ra). Similar 3He/4He are recorded in fluids from modern continental regions that are undergoing active extension. By analogy we consider that the hydrothermal fluids responsible for the carbonate-hosted Irish base metal mineralization circulated in thinned continental crust, undergoing extension, and demonstrates that enhanced mantle heat flow is ultimately responsible for driving fluid convection