Understanding High Achievement: The Case for Eminence

Area of Science:

• Sport Science
• Motor Skill Acquisition
• Talent Development

Background:

• The study of sport expertise has advanced significantly over the past two decades.
• Sophisticated research designs are increasingly employed to understand athlete development.
• Even among elite performers, distinct levels of superiority exist, such as Most Valuable Player (MVP) awardees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and define a new developmental stage in athletic achievement termed "eminence."
• To differentiate between the stages of expertise and eminence in athletes.
• To explore the implications of this distinction for understanding skill acquisition throughout an athlete's career.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis and synthesis of existing research on sport expertise.
• Examination of evidence supporting a distinction between elite expertise and superior achievement.
• Literature review focusing on factors contributing to peak athletic performance.

Main Results:

• A theoretical framework is presented to delineate "eminence" as a level of skill surpassing established expertise.
• Converging evidence supports the division between the expert and eminent stages of athletic development.
• The study highlights observable differences in skill and achievement between elite experts and eminent athletes.

Conclusions:

• Eminence represents a distinct and higher level of athletic development beyond expertise.
• Recognizing eminence offers new avenues for researching lifelong skill acquisition and talent development.
• Further investigation into the characteristics and pathways to eminence is warranted.