Joseph Baker & Damian Farrow 
Developing Sport Expertise [PDF ebook] 
Researchers and Coaches Put Theory into Practice

The athlete development process spans from initial sport engagement to elite-level performance to effective career transition out of sport. This is a long and complicated process. Identifying and nurturing talent, fine-tuning sport skills, and maintaining high levels of performance over the course of a career requires many thousands of hours of training and, increasingly, the input and support of expert coaches and sport scientists. In this fully revised and updated new edition of the leading student and researcher overview of the development of sport expertise, a team of world-class sport scientists and professional coaches examine the fundamental science of skill acquisition and explore the methods by which science can be applied in the real-world context of sport performance. This book surveys the very latest research in skill acquisition, provides a comprehensive and accessible review of core theory and key concepts, and includes an innovative "Coach’s Corner" feature in each chapter, in which leading coaches offer insights from elite sport and critique contemporary practice in sport skill development. The third edition of Developing Sport Expertise will be invaluable reading for all researchers and students in the areas of expertise in sport, skill acquisition, motor control and development, sport psychology, or coaching theory and practice.