LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one’: the talent development journey
1
School of Life, Sport & Social Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Submission date: 2021-09-20
Acceptance date: 2022-06-04
Publication date: 2022-07-04
Hum Mov. 2023;24(1):1-3
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This article used the popular poem of Ithaka by C.P. Cavafy to create an analogy aiming to provide a theoretical analysis of the journey of talent development within sport. Concepts discussed include the similarities between elements of the poem and talent development literature. Elite level can be perceived as the ‘Ithaka’ for athletes while Cyclops and other mythical monsters can be viewed as the obstacles in the pathway of development towards elite level. Therefore, athletes need to be prepared for those potential challenges throughout their journey. As highlighted by ‘Ithaka’ and as shown in the literaturę within the last decade, the development and learning experiences appear to be more important than the destination. The analysis concludes that the approach from practitioners and organizers needs to be focused on appropriate, holistic, and longterm development to facilitate to the ‘craft’ of better people through sport.
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