| Popis: |
Past research has indicated that both the population and population density of an athlete's hometown can impact their chance of reaching the elite levels of their sport. Termed the birthplace effect, this phenomenon is sport-specific, with varying population parameters leading to elite performance across sports and cultures (Côté et al., 2006; Hancock et al., 2017; Imtiaz et al., 2014). Vierimaa, Hancock, and Budziszewski (2018) recently studied the birthplace effect in basketball, and found that cities with populations ranging from 100,000 to 999,999 and with population densities between 1,000 and 4,999 sq/km were especially adept at cultivating elite players. The present study aims to extend the existing literature by investigating the specific cities that fall within the optimal population and population density ranges defined by Vierimaa and colleagues (2018). Once these cities have been identified, distinct social (e.g., proximity to a professional/college basketball team) and environmental (e.g., availability of recreation centers, leagues, or popular sports in the area) factors will be explored using national datasets. Based on prior research (Eime, Charity, Harvey, & Payne, 2015) it is expected that socioeconomic status, prevalent cultural beliefs, and environmental factors such as climate may contribute to producing higher levels of elite basketball players in the identified cities. By investigating characteristics of "sweet spot" cities, a better understanding of the socio-environmental factors underpinning sport expertise can help to optimize talent development environments. Additionally, data from the present study may have practical implications for collegiate recruitment, potentially attracting coaches to "sweet spot" cities with a reputation for producing large numbers of talented athletes. |
