Abstract
There is some evidence that participating in a broad range of sporting activities can reduce the number of hours of sport-specific training required to reach elite level performance in sport (Baker, Côté, & Abernethy, 2003). However, research investigating the influence of mainstream sport experience on parasport athletes' development is scarce. Therefore, we examined the training and sporting histories of 36 wheelchair basketball players with acquired disabilities to better understand the relationship between sporting experiences in mainstream sport and eventual success in parasport (i.e., competing nationally or internationally). Athletes completed a modified version of the Developmental History of Athletes Questionnaire (Hopwood, 2013). Nineteen athletes participated in organized sports prior to disability acquisition, 13 of which were mainstream sport high-performance athletes (HPA; national=8, international=5). The most common sports reported were basketball (n=7), volleyball (n=7), and soccer (n=7). Further, 12 of the 13 HPA were competing in team sports at the elite level prior to disability acquisition. The 13 HPA continued their success in wheelchair basketball, competing at the national or international level. Compared to athletes competing provincially or lower, HPA did not invest significantly more hours to training at the initial stages of their wheelchair basketball career, however, they currently devote significantly more hours to deliberate training. Although additional research is needed, preliminary findings from this study suggest a relationship between athletes' previous training and sporting experiences in mainstream sport and athlete development in parasport, which may have implications for talent identification and development programs.Acknowledgments: Mike Frogley and Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Academy