Developing Sport Expertise: Researchers and Coaches Put Theory Into Practice

In this revised new edition of the leading student and researcher overview of the development of sports 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.

Damian Farrow is the Umpiring Coaching & Innovation Manager for the Australian Football League. He is also a Professor of Skill Acquisition in the Institute of Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia. His current roles are typical of Damian’s career, being situated both in the high-performance sport industry and academia. His research and practical interests centre on the development of sport expertise with a particular focus on practice methodology and decision-making skill. Damian is the author/editor of 7 books and over 150 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.

Joseph Baker is Professor and head of the Lifespan Health and Performance Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, at York University, Canada. He has also held visiting researcher/professor positions in the Carnegie Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, Victoria University and the Australian Institute of Sport in Australia, and the Institute of Sport Science at Westflische Wilhelms-Universit Münster in Germany. His research considers the varying influences on optimal human development, ranging from issues affecting athlete development and skill acquisition to barriers and facilitators of successful aging. Joe is Past President of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology and the author/editor of 10 books and over 200 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.

Clare MacMahon is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Graduate Research at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. With a particular focus on talent development in sport and expertise in sports officiating, Clare’s research brings together cognitive psychology and human movement. Clare is active in skill acquisition in Australia and internationally, having co-established the Australasian Skill Acquisition Network, which brings together researchers and practitioners, and as the Oceania representative for Sport Psychology to the International Association of Applied Psychology.