Athlete Development
Theme Lead
Dr Vicky Gottwald
Senior Lecturer in Skill Acquisition
Bangor University
Athletic development is the systematic process of improving an athlete’s physical, technical, tactical, and psychological capabilities to support performance in a specific sport.
It is fundamental to sporting success, as it provides the essential foundation athletes need to perform, adapt to the demands of training and competition, and consistently progress throughout their development.
The Athletic Development theme aims to ensure that all athletes within Welsh sporting performance pathways have the knowledge, capability, and opportunity to develop the physical and psychological qualities required to reach their full sporting potential. To achieve this, the Sport Science and Medicine team and WIPS work in close partnership with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to identify and support the specific developmental needs of each sport and its athletes.
Together, we focus on delivering six core components of athletic development:
- Fundamental movement skills
- Strength qualities
- Energy system development
- Nutritional strategies and behaviours
- Testing and monitoring practices
- Psychological skills development
Related: Athlete Development
Resources & Publications
Here are the recent resources that have been created and studies that have been published following WIPS research studies conducted with sport, business and academia.