Excellence in sport: a study centered on the life story of 14-time world champion Thierry Gueorgiou

Authors

  • Tadeu Celestino Agrupamento de Escolas de Nelas, ESE-IPV Centro de Estudos em Educação e Inovação (CI&DEI) – IPV Viseu, Portugal
  • Levi Leonido https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6603-034X
  • Elsa Gabriel Morgado Centro de estudos Filosóficos e Humanísticos Universidade Católica Portuguesa & Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Braga, Bragança, Portugal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3653-7876
  • Antonino Pereira Escola Superior de Educação de Viseu, ESE-Viseu Centro de Estudos em Educação e Inovação (CI&DEI) – IPV Viseu, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14571/brajets.v17.n4.1299-1309

Keywords:

elite, development factos, athlete development, sport excellence, life history

Abstract

This paper seeks to identify the factors and characteristics that determine the development and maintenance of excellence in orienteering, by examining the life of an athlete who has been a world champion 14 times. "Life Stories" were used as a method to collect data. The data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and an analysis of various documents. This data was then analyzed using the content analysis method. The results highlight the need for successful interaction between socio-contextual and socio-personal factors over time. Therefore, achieving excellence in orienteering is a multidimensional process that must be understood using a bio-psycho-socio-axiological perspective.

Author Biographies

Tadeu Celestino, Agrupamento de Escolas de Nelas, ESE-IPV Centro de Estudos em Educação e Inovação (CI&DEI) – IPV Viseu, Portugal

TADEU FERREIRA DE SOUSA CELESTINO - University of Beira Interior, Faculty ofSocial and Human Sciences Portugal, Center for Studies in Education and Innovation,Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. Special Education teacher at Agrupamento deEscolas de Nelas. He completed his PhD in Sports Sciences in 2015 at the University ofTrás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, his Master's Degree in Sports and Physical Activity in 2011at the Viseu School of Education, and his degree in Physical Education for PrimarySchool Teachers in 1998.

Levi Leonido, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6603-034X

LEVI LEONIDO FERNANDES DA SILVA - PhD in Education (University ofSalamanca) and in Artistic Studies (University of Coimbra). Post-doctorate inPerformance Studies (University of Minho). Aggregated Professor by Fernando PessoaUniversity, Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. Researcher atthe Portuguese Catholic University - CITAR, Porto. Director of the European Review ofArtistic Studies. – Portuguese Catholic University - CITAR, Porto, Portugal. School ofHuman and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quintado Prados 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal. Email: levileon@utad.pt

Elsa Gabriel Morgado, Centro de estudos Filosóficos e Humanísticos Universidade Católica Portuguesa & Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Braga, Bragança, Portugal

ELSA MARIA GABRIEL MORGADO - PhD in Education Sciences. Adjunct Professorat the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança. Researcher at the Portuguese CatholicUniversity, CEFH - Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, Braga. ResearchCenter in Basic Education (CIEB), Center in Basic Education, Instituto Politécnico deBragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal. Research inEducational Sciences, Inclusion, supervision, teacher training and professional insertion.Portuguese Catholic University, CEFH - Centre for Philosophical and HumanisticStudies, Braga, Portugal. Center in Basic Education, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança,Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal. Email: elsa.morgado@ipb.p

Antonino Pereira, Escola Superior de Educação de Viseu, ESE-Viseu Centro de Estudos em Educação e Inovação (CI&DEI) – IPV Viseu, Portugal

ANTONINO PEREIRA -He completed his Aggregate Degree in Sports Science in2019/06/18 by the University of Porto Faculdade de Desporto, PhD in Sports Science in2001/09 by the University of Porto Faculdade de Desporto, Master in Sports Science in1996 by the Faculdade de Motricidade Humana ¿ Universidade Técnica de Lisboa andDegree in Physical Education in 1989 by the Instituto Superior de Educação Física ¿Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. He is a Coordinating Professor at the PolytechnicInstitute of Viseu - School of Education of Viseu. He has published 39 articles in specialistjournals. He has 15 book chapter(s) and 8 book(s). Supervised 6 PhD thesis(s) and cosupervised 6. Supervised 25 Master's thesis(s) and co-supervised 2. Received 6 prize(s)and/or honours. He participates and/or has participated as investigator in 3 project(s) andinvestigator-in-charge in 2 project(s). He works in the field(s) of Medical and HealthSciences with emphasis on Health Sciences with emphasis on Sports Sciences. In hisprofessional activities he has interacted with 153 collaborator(s) in co-authorship ofscientific papers. In his curriculum Vitae Science the most frequent terms in thecontextualization of scientific, technological and artistic-cultural production are: Sportfor all, social inclusion, training des; School, inclusion, special educational needs; Soccer,Coaching, Mixed Methods, Performance.; Perceptions; Physical Education; Teachers;Study of; refereeing; soccer,; qualitative methodology; sports ethic; elite sport; criticalmoments; Portugal; qualitative research; Adapted sport; development of athletes; sportingexcellence; paralympic talent; Sport for all; social inclusion; sports training; sportexcellence; Athletes; Athletic Performance; Humans; Male; Personality; Soccer;Aptitude; Football; Perceptions; Physical Education; Case Study; Teachers; Perceptions;Physical Education; Teachers, Case Study; Representations; Physical Education;Teachers; Case Study; School; inclusion; special educational needs; Training; Expertise;Coach; Developing athletes; Sport excellence; Aged population; Physical activity;Evaluation; Learning; Students; Physical Education; Evaluation; Student; Teachers;Physical Education; Aprendizaje; Evaluación; Student; Sport; Social inclusion;Ethnography; Case study; 796(043); Water aerobics; Cardiovascular system; Respiratorysystem; Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive; 797(043); 612. 1(043); 612.2(043);Coaching; Mixed Methods; Performance; Athletes; Development; Talent; Life histories;796.015(043); Team sports; High performance; Institutional support; Academic training;371.38(043); Curricular enrichment activities; Parents; Coordinators; Parents' parents; 37.064(043); Soccer; Football; Youth; Ethics; Values in sport; 796.33(043); 17.02(043);37.03(043); Physical education; Teaching; Learning; School sport; Disciplinary groupdelegate; Performance evaluation; 371.13(043); Tutoring; 796.034(043); 371.21(043);Basketball; 796. 32(043); Disability; Training; 796-056.3(043); Active video games;Exergames; Consoles; Leisure Activities; Professional Training; Leisure Activities;Professional Training; Ethics; Coaching; 796.33.071(043); expertise; influencing factors;athlete development; coaching. ; Study; High performance training; Difficulty;796.42.015(043); Obesity; Representations; 796.035-053.6(043); 613.25-053.6(043);Values; Futsal; Sports ethics; Fair play; 174(043); Practices and aspirations; Socialrepresentations; Academic success; President Pedagogical Council; Appreciation;371(043); School headmasters; Padagogical supervision; Educational community; 371.11(043); Health sciences; Education; Physical education; Physical education; Physicaleducation; (dis)satisfaction; Perceptions; Students; physical education; (in)satisfaction.Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade - CampusPolitécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal. Email: apereira@esev.ipv.pt.

References

Abernethy, B., Baker, J., & Côté, J. (2005). Transfer of Pattern Recall Skills May Contribute to the Development of Sport Expertise. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19(6), 705–718. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1102

Atkinson, P. (2005). Qualitative Research—Unity and Diversity. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-6.3.4

Baker, J., & Horton, S. (2004). A review of primary and secondary influences on sport expertise. High Ability Studies, 15 (2), 211-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813042000314781

Baker, J., Côté, J., & Albernethy, B. (2003). Sport-specific practice and the development of expert decision-making in team ball sports. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 15(1), 12-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200305400

Bardin, L. (2008). Análise de conteúdo. Edições 70.

Barreiros, A., Côté, J., & Fonseca, A.M. (2013). Sobre o desenvolvimento do talento no desporto: um contributo dos modelos teóricos do desenvolvimento desportivo. Revi. Psic. Deport., 22(2), 489-494.

Bloom, B. (1985). Developing talent in young people. Ballantine.

Borg, E. (2005). Thierry Gueorgiou: I want to be better the next day. O-zine, 3. Retrieved on May, 19, from http://orienteering.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ozine 03 05.pdf.

Burgess, D. J., & Naughton, G.A. (2010). Talent development in adolescent team sports: A review. Intern. Jour. Spor. Physi. Perfor., 5(1), 103-116. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.5.1.103

Calvo, A. (2003). Detección o desarrollo del talento? Factores que motivan una nueva orientación del proceso de detección de talentos. Apunts. Educación física y deportes, 1(71), 23-28.

Celestino, T., & Pereira, A. (2012). The sport of orienteering: Performance of physically active people who partake in leisure activities but have no experience in this modality. Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte, 7(19), 45-52.

Celestino, T., Leitão, J. C., & Pereira, A. M. (2019). Determinants for excellence in Orienteering: the representation of elite coaches and athletes. Retos, 35, 91-96. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v0i35.59118

Côté, J. (1999). The influence of the family in the development of talent in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 13(4), 395–417.

Côté, J., & Hay, J. (2002). Children’s involvement in sport: a developmental perspective. In J. Silva & D. Stevens (Eds.), Psychological Foundations of Sport (pp. 484-502). MA Benjamin.

Côté, J., Baker, J., & Abernethy, B. (2003). From play to practice: A developmental framework for the acquisition of exper-tise in team sports. In J. L. Starkes & K. A. Ericsson (Eds), Expert performance in sports: advances in research on sport expertise (pp. 89-110). Human Kinectics.

Côté, J., Ericsson, K. A., & Law, M. P. (2005). Tracing the development of athletes using retrospective interview methods: A proposed interview and validation procedure for reported information. Jour. Appli. Spor. Psyc., 17(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200590907531

Durand-Bush, N., & Salmela, J. (2002). The development and maintenance of expert athletic performance: perceptions of world and olympic champions. J. A. Spor. Psy., 14(3), 154-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103473

Eccles, D.W., Walsh, S. E., & Ingledew, D.K. (2002). A grounded theory of expert cognition in orienteering. Jour. Sport Exer. Psych., 24(1), 68-88. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.24.1.68

Ericsson, K. A. (1996). The road to excellence: The acquisition of expert performance in the arts and sciences, sports and games. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Hillsdale, New York, USA.

Ericsson, K. A. (2020). Towards a science of the acquisition of expert performance in sports: Clarifying the differences between deliberate practice and other types of practice. Jour. Sport. Scien., 38(2), 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1688618.

Ericsson, K.A., Krampe, R., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363-406.

Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: the DGMGT as developmental theory. High Abili. Stud., 15(2), 119-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813042000314682

Gagné, F. (2007). Ten commandments for academic talent development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(2), 93-118. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698620629666

Gagné, F. (2021). Differentiating giftedness from talent. The DMGT perspective on talent development. Routledge.

Ghiglione, R., & Matalon, B. (2001). O Inquérito: Teoria e prática. (4ª ed). Celta Editora.

Güllich A., Barth, M., Hambrick, D.Z., & Macnamara, B. N. (2023). Participation patterns in talent development in youth sports. Front. Sport. Act. Livi, 5, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1175718

Holt, N.L., & Dunn, J.G. (2004). Toward a grounded theory of the psychosocial competencies and environmental conditions asso-ciated with soccer success. Jour. Appli Spor. Psyc., 16(3), 199-219. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200490437949

Jones, R., Armour, K., & Potrac, P. (2003). Constructing expert knowledge: A case study of a top-level professional soccer coach. Spor. Edu. Socie., 8(2), 213-229. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573320309254

Kocbach, J. (2007). Gueorgiou’s story - Part I. Retrieved on May, 18, 2014, from http://news.worldofo.com/2007/11/27/gueorgious-story-part-i/.

Leite, N., Baker, J., & Sampaio, J. (2009). Paths to expertise in Portuguese national team athletes. Jour. Sport. Scien. Medic., 8(4), 560-566.

Lessard-Hébert, M., Goyette, G., & Boutin, G. (1990). Investigação qualitativa: Fundamentos e práticas. Instituto Piaget.

Lorenzo, A., & Sampaio, J. (2005). Reflexiones sobre los factores que pueden condicionar el desarrollo de los deportistas de alto nivel. Aputs E. F. Depot., 2(80), 63-70.

MacNamara, A., Button, A., & Collins, D. (2010). The role of psychological characteristics in facilitating the pathway to elite per-formance. Part II: Examining environmental and stage-related differences in skills and behaviours. Sport Psycho., 24(1), 74–96.

MacNamara, Á., Button, A., & Collins, D. (2010). The role of psychological characteristics in facilitating the pathway to elite per-formance part I: Identifying mental skills and behaviors. The Sport Psychologist, 24, 52-73.

Matos, D. (2014). A excelência no desporto: estudo da arquitetura psicológica de atletas de elite portugueses. Coisas de ler.

Matos, D. S., Cruz, J. F., & Almeida, L. S. (2017). Excelência no desporto: a importância de fatores pessoais e contextuais no percurso de campeões portugueses. Rev. Iberoameri. Psic. Ejerci. Dep.,12(2), 287-295.

Matos, D. S., Cruz, J. F., & Almeida, L.S. (2011). Excelência no desporto: para uma compreensão da “arquitectura” psicológica dos atletas de elite. Motricidade, 7(4), 27-41. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.7(4).87

Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Oliveira, F., & Duarte, A. (2005). A tomada de decisão na orientação. In D. F. Araújo (Ed.), O contexto da decisão: Acção táctica no desporto (pp. 285-310). Visão e Contextos.

Orlick, T. (2009). Em busca da excelência: como vencer no exporte e na vida treinando a sua mente. Artmed.

Orlick, T., & Partington. J. (1998). Mental links to excellence. Spor. Psyc., 2, 105-130.

Ottosson, T. (1998). Map-reading and wayfinding. Scient. Jour. Orient., 4, 47-53.

Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Sage Publications.

Pereira, A., Leitão, J. C., Celestino, T., Sarmento, H., & Silva, M. I. (2023). Determinants for sporting excellence: study centered on Brazilian physical education teachers. Retos, 49, 54-60. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v49.97929

Ramadas, S., Serpa, S., & Krebs, R. J. (2012). Psicologia dos talentos em desporto: Um olhar sobre a investigação. Revis. E.F., 23(3), 331-345. https://doi.org/1 0.4025/reveducfis.v23i3.18564

Redding, E., Nordin-Bates, S. M., & Walker, I. J. (2011). Passion, pathways and potential in dance: An interdisciplinary longitudinal study into dance talent development. Laban London

Rugg, C., Kadoor, A., Feeley, B.T., & Pandya, N. K. (2018). The effects of playing multiple high school sports on National Bas-ketball Association players’ propensity for injury and athletic performance. Americ. Jour. Sport. Med., 46(2), 402-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546517738736

Sands, R. (2002). Sport ethnography. Human Kinetics.

Sarmento, H., Anguera, T., Pereira, A., & Araújo, D. (2018). Talent identification and development in male football: A systematic review. Sport. Med., 48(4), 907-931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0851-7

Seiler, R. (1994). Recent trends and future directions of research in orienteering. Scient Jour. Orient., 10, 3-23.

Seiler, R. (1996). Cognitive processes in orienteering. Scient. Jour. Orient., 12, 50-65.

Vallerand, R. J., Blanchard, C. M., Mageau, G. A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C., Leonard, M., Gagné, M., & Marsolais, J. (2003). Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Jour. Perso. Soci. Psyc., 85(4), 756- 767. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.4.756

Vallerand, R. J., Salvy, S. J., Mageau, G. A., Elliot, A. J., Denis, P. L., Grouzet, F. M. E., et al. (2007). On the role of passion in performance. Jour.Perso. Soci. Psyc., 75(3), 505- 533. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2007.00447.x

Vallerand, R., Geneviève, M., Elliotb, A., Dumaisc, A., Demersd, A., & Rousseaue, F. (2008). Passion and performance attainment in sport. Psyc. Spotr. Exer., 9(3), 373-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2007.05.003

Downloads

Published

2024-12-29

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2024)

Section

Article

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Elsa Gabriel Morgado, Tadeu Celestino, Levi, Antonino Pereira

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The BRAJETS follows the policy for Open Access Journals, provides immediate and free access to its content, following the principle that making scientific knowledge freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge and provides more international democratization of knowledge. Therefore, no fees apply, whether for submission, evaluation, publication, viewing or downloading of articles. In this sense, the authors who publish in this journal agree with the following terms: A) The authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right to first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the sharing of the work with recognition of the authorship of the work and initial publication in this journal. B) Authors are authorized to distribute non-exclusively the version of the work published in this journal (eg, publish in the institutional and non-institutional repository, as well as a book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal. C) Authors are encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (eg, online repositories or on their personal page), as well as to increase the impact and citation of the published work.

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

> >>