The path to the national level in sports in Sweden

Many Swedes are very successful in sport during their early teens. Some also reach the national level later in life. How can their success be explained? A group of national team members in 7 sports was compared with a group of youngsters who were very successful up to about 15 years of age. The national team athletes had been able to develop motor, mental and social skills and to integrate the dominant value systems of competitive sport with their own lifestyle in an optimal way. The behaviour of coaches proved more important for a child's favourable athletic development than did demands for skill. With the exception of swimming, future athletic success was favoured by a varied and multi-sport involvement.