Abstract
Investigations of training history profiles of highly skilled athletes and the contextual factors associated with their pathway toward expertise are essential for providing recommendations for effective sport programming. However, several limitations in the sport expertise development literature restrict the application of current knowledge to practical settings. Results and recommendations from existing studies are inconsistent, with discrepancies likely related to a combination of small sample sizes and differences in measurement tools. Furthermore, the questionnaires and interview guides utilized are generally poorly validated. To begin to address these limitations the Developmental History of Athletes Questionnaire (DHAQ) was constructed and rigorously validated. Fifteen athletes, thirteen parents, and nine coaches participated in the validation process. Athletes completed the DHAQ twice, and all athletes, parents, and coaches participated in a semi-structured interview. Responses from athlete's time 1 completion of the DHAQ were compared to a) time 2 to assess test-retest reliability, b) the athlete interview to assess concurrent validity, and c) the parent and coach interviews to assess convergent validity. Percent agreement values and intraclass correlation coefficients were utilized to develop criteria for classifying the reliability and validity of each questionnaire item, resulting in a robust instrument for the collection of athlete developmental histories.
