The questionnaire was repeated with fans of teams playing in the Helenic Football Federation in Greece, this data is yet to be analysed.There is a current surge of interest in punk. These results concur with uncertainty reduction theory, which indicates that people identify more strongly with groups of high entitativity when they are feeling uncertain this may be an efficient and immediate way of reducing self-conceptual uncertainty. However, fans of teams facing uncertain outcomes rated their identification with their fellow fans significantly higher than the fans of the teams facing certain outcomes, suggesting that fans of teams with an uncertain future come to identify more strongly with their fellow fans. It is thought that this type of ‘positive illusion’ allows fans to maintain the positive outcomes of allegiance to their team, but reduces the potential discomfort of losing. There were no differences between the certain and uncertain groups. All fans also rated their team kits, aspects of their home stadiums (view, comfort, atmosphere, facilities, attractiveness), and match-day catering, significantly higher than those of all other teams. All fans rated their fellow fans as significantly more supportive, loyal, emotional, and passionate than fans of other teams. 357 highly identified fans were questioned towards the end of the season, from clubs facing either certain (already promoted, relegated, or due to finish mid-table) or uncertain (possible promotion or relegation) outcomes in the English football league. 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.įootball fans’ perceptions of their role in the home advantage were obtained by questioning fans from supporters clubs using a paper and pencil questionnaire. 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.
A series of personal reflections then illustrate how these areas are operationalised in rugby league based on the first author’s experiences. The paper presents current talent development literature in respect to common features that have emerged from this domain.
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. Many research theories and frameworks have been proposed to describe the talent development environment in a variety of sports and other high-performance domains. Although acceptance of the need and important role of DACPs has increased significantly in recent years, the implementation of programs in a sustainable manner remains problematic and there has been a general lack of systematic evaluation of these efforts. Therefore, this paper seeks to reestablish the main benefits associated with participation in DACPs, and combines this with an attempt to summarize international or regional efforts in DACPs development in order to assess current trends and acknowledge future challenges.
Since 1985, when the first organized DACPs appeared, there has been a rapid increase in the attention paid to such programs, and as a result, a worldwide overview of the current situation can help show their evolution while also uncovering problems and limitations. Research shows that participation in DACPs may elicit several benefits not only for athletes themselves but also for society and other stakeholders. Dual Athlete Career Programs (DACPs) have the potential to target and alleviate a number of retirement-related issues, thus serving as a powerful tool in the lives of thousands of athletes. Given the growing interest in holistic athlete development, the opportunity of building a bridge between high-performance athletes and the professional/academic world is greater than ever.