Write a critical essay that compares and contrasts the effectiveness of early specialisation and sampling in youth sport.
Your essay will consist of an introductory section, a main section critiquing the evidence, and ending in a conclusion detailing the implications for practice and pointing towards future study directions. The guidance below indicates what is expected within each of these sections and provides a suggested word count for each section.
Introduction (300 words)
In this introductory part you are setting out the foundation for your work. First you need to define precisely what the focus of your answer will include, your interpretation of the topic area and clarification of terms where appropriate. For example, it is important that you define how you will begin to approach the word ‘effectiveness’ within the essay.
Main section: critiquing the evidence (1300 words)
In this main section you are demonstrating your familiarity with arguments in the academic literature and any underpinning background knowledge needed to discuss, compare and contrast and critique the topic area, including any debate or controversy that makes it a contemporary issue.
Ensure you include key academic research as well as more contemporary academic research, as discussed in the guidance above. This means that you will have to search for information beyond what is presented in the study topic to ensure you cover any academic developments since the time of writing in 2015.
You should also address non-academic evidence – media representations for instance, though you should always make clear your awareness that this is not academic material and is secondary to it. You may choose to do this mainly in one subsection or distribute throughout your narrative. It is recommended that you consider the credibility of different media sources. Once again it is important that you extend the media sources beyond those presented in the study guide to ensure that your answer considers any new developments/perspectives.
Conclusion and implications for practice (900 words)
In this final section you should clearly state the conclusions you have drawn based on the evidence presented, and discuss the implications of this conclusion for applied sport and fitness.
It might help when thinking about this section to consider these three prompts:
What does the evidence point to in relation to the study topic area (the conclusion)?
How is this information of any value to those working in sport and fitness? (The implications for practice).
Are there any future research directions proposed that would further evolve the subject area?
