Back to the Future – In support of a renewed emphasis on generic agility training within sports-specific developmental pathways

Liefeith, Andreas Karl, Kiely, J. orcid iconORCID: 0000-0001-9817-0224, Collins, D., orcid iconORCID: 0000-0002-7601-0454 and Richards, J. orcid iconORCID: 0000-0002-4004-3115 (2018) Back to the Future – In support of a renewed emphasis on generic agility training within sports-specific developmental pathways. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36 (19). pp. 2250-2255. ISSN 0264-0414

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1449088

Abstract

Perhaps as a consequence of increased specialism in training and support, the focus on engendering and maintaining agility as a generic quality has diminished within many contemporary sports performance programmes. Reflecting this, we outline a rationale suggesting that such a decreased focus represents an oversight which may be detrimental to maximising the potential of performers. We present an evidence-based argument that both generic and specific elements of agility performance should be consistently emphasised within long-term performance-training programmes. We contend that prematurely early specialisation in athlete development models can diminish focus on generic movement skill development with a subsequent detriment in adult performance. Especially when this is coupled with poor primary physical education and limited movement experiences. More speculatively, we propose that generic agility can play a role in operationalising movement development through facilitating skill transfer: thereby enabling the learning of new skills, reduce incidence of injury and facilitating re-learning of old skills during rehabilitation and Return-to-Play processes.


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