2. Dominant aspects of sport selection

The combination of several external and internal factors are required to achieve a successful sport career. The social environment, the supportive attitude of the parents and the mates promote success significantly. Moreover, financial background and possessing the required equipment is also inevitable to achieve a sport at a high level and let alone that inborn, genetically determined biological aspects. The combination of several factors seem to be required to achieve a professional sport career. Sport selection seem to have a significant effect on a sportsperson’s success as in case of inadequate selection dropout or burnout is very common that leads to giving up a sport.

To achieve a high level of performance a sportsperson is required to possess skills and abilities that are inevitable to a particular sport. They must be well motivated to many years of trainings and must be benefited from their trainer’s support. Their environment and lifestyle must fit to competitive sports (Istvánfi, 2006). Although the formula seems to be more complicated that this as the favourable conjunction of several factor is demanded that will be presented in details in the followings (Brown, 2001). The first step to achieve success is to select the appropriate sport available to the psychological and social background of the youth (Sallis and co-workers, 2000). Parents and physical education teachers who form the immediate environment of a youth have key roles as they are the ones who are required to recognize correctly to what direction a youth’s abilities indicate in respect of motivation and the requirements of sport. Sport selection determines significantly the selection of sportspersons. Therefore, it specifies the quality of a talent management process as well as the achieved success in a sport. (Baumgartner and co-workers, 2005; Géczi and co-workers, 2005). The parents’ behaviour and values have a significant effect on establishing the youth’s level of demand and attitude as their primary social environment. Besides parents’ support a school also holds a particular role in forming a child’s attitude, values and norms. (Pál and co-workers, 2005). In the 1980’s several researchers were interested in the topic of why the youth do sports and what sports habits they have and what psychological factors affect them. (Harsányi, 2004; Kerr and co-workers, 2004; Murányi-Hamar, 2005; Pál and co-workers, 2005). Researches indicate that the primary aim of doing sporting activities is individual interest and the gratifying nature of sport. Although the amount of time spent by a sport and its financial background are also significant. (Young, 1998). Sit and Lindner (2005) determined 7 factors as the summary of empirical research results that provide the background of a sportsperson’s motivation. These are the followings:

Status as social appreciation and award, the feeling of acceptance and importance.
Being a member of an excellent companionship, the joy of teamwork, spending time with friends.
Challenges that are included in sports. Doing an activity involved in competition although it also provides success and entertainment.
Relieving stress, releasing energy, moving out of the average environment, directing attention to something else.
Aesthetic aspects that are resulted by a physical activity, good condition and maintaining a good shape.
Social factors like sympathy with a trainer, meeting the parents’ requirements by participating, opportunities for the use of gyms.

The above listed factors indicate that motivational environment holds a significant impact on attaining goals and doing some sports activities. A sportsperson’s psychological, biological, social and ethical characteristics have an impact on the motivational basis. (Nagykáldi, 1998). There seems to be significant individual differences among the level of children’s achievement motivation that are determined primarily by genetics and social and educational differences (Freedman-Doan and co-workers, 2000).

2.1. Dominant factors of sport selection

In sport selection it seems to be an inevitable fact what information or orientation is provided to the youth about a specific sport and who provides all that to them. As it has already been pointed out parents hold an outstanding role in selection moreover, physical education teachers and mates also have significant roles in it. It seems to be very common that parents wish their own dreams come to true by their children or they intend to recall their own past through the youth’s sporting (Oberschneider, 2002). Children in sports very often do not feel to be capable of going the way that their parents determined to them. Furthermore they do not feel to be able to meet the high expectations related to this (Lindner-Johns, 1991). The degree of parental influence is appointed by the parents’ experience in sport and their commitment to a sport and their love of the specific sport. In case the parents are strongly dedicated to football and adore this sport and often watch football matches in their free time and even they used to be footballers it seems to be obvious that they would intend their children to play football. Physical education teachers may have the ability to influence these resolutions slightly by suggesting a sport for a child that fits their physical and mental characteristics after measuring these aspects and the child’s abilities and skills too. If a sport occurs as an enjoyable activity in a child’s life it generates a greater opportunity to achieve a more successful sport career and they will be less likely to be the one who will be dropped out. (Szatmári, 2009). Furthermore, the impact of media and mess communication must be mentioned too. As they may have some influence sport selection and sport careers due to transmission of values. Finally the analyses of social and economic circumstances may not be avoided in regard to sport selection. As the environmental conditions, the financial backgrounds that is available equipment, gymnasiums, both the number and quality of professionals influence the youth who are facing sport selection.

The consequence of inadequate sport selection

The reasons of dropout were examined by Bussmann (1999) and he listed numerous factors as the background of giving up a sport which are the followings:

stress at school, performance anxiety,
Sport injuries,
Insufficient free time,
Conflicts with the coach, team mates, section managers
Inappropriate family support or the total lack of it,
Lack of motivation,
Negative attitude to competitive situations.

Dropouts may be reduced the most efficiently by both selecting an appropriate sport and insuring supportive sport environment. If the youth feel good in their environment and possess adequate motivation and stamina they are more likely to be successful in other field of their lives that confirm the personality-developing character of sport..

2.2. Sports talents

Sports talents form a special group in related to talents as a sport activity is implemented in a typical environment and situation. Therefore, our aim is not focused on discussing the theoretical approaches of different talents but to reveal the characteristics of sports talents. In the centre of researches on sports talents are to learn and reveal physical capacities, mental factors and emotional features. According to Brown (2001) in most of the sports these factors play a crucial role: ideal body parameters, speed, muscular effort, joint mobility, fitness, coordination skills and the visual field characteristics. Moreover, these factors are complemented with the sportspersons’ high level of motivation, their dedication to a sport, emotional stability. The possession of mental strength and stamina, their positive attitude to a sport and concentration ability. According to Fleishman (1972) sports talents must be applied differently on the basis of a sport as they release at specific areas. According to Gabler-Ruoff (1979) a sports talent is required to possess the age-appropriate physical features and psychological characteristics at above-average level. According to Nádori (1981) talented sportspersons retain better regenerative capacity than their mates. They endure strain better and acquire technical elements in shorter period of time. Nagy (1973) emphasizes the coordination skills in related to identifying a sports talent. While Harsányi (2000) interprets a sports talent in its complexity as he takes into account the state of health, as well as psychical, physiological, anthropometric, motoric and socialization attitudes and skills too. Gombocz (2004) emphasizes the intentional pedagogical preparation of a sportsperson too and he claims that discussing this topic has a top priority.