Wilkinson, S., Palmer, C. and Grecic, D. (2020) Exploring the dynamics of the talent development environment in professional rugby league academies. Presentation: 6 th International Health and Wellbeing Research with Real Impact Conference, Sustainable Development Goals. Tuesday 18 th February. Email: Stuart Wilkinson: SGWilkinson@uclan.ac.uk Exploring the dynamics of the talent development environment in professional rugby league academies Stuart Wilkinson, Clive Palmer, David Grecic School of Sport and Health Sciences Faculty of Health and Wellbeing Research Focus – eye on the ball Despite the importance of the Academy Manager within professional Rugby League, there remains a paucity of evidence on the what, how, and why of their practice. This research will investigate the factors that determine the impact these Academy Managers have upon the transition of talent from academy into the Senior Squads with in professional Rugby League. More specifically, an overview of the ‘talent development challenge’ will be provided first to set the scene; in short, what is the Academy Manager dealing with and trying to achieve? Secondly, the ingredients that are needed for players to make a successful final transition into the first team will be considered. Finally, a more specific and detailed discussion will be presented on the role of the Academy Manager in supporting this transition, including the skills and processes that they need to best ‘chef’ their system. To widen the horizons on these central aims the nature of the challenge for Academy Staff involved in the development of young talent in rugby league will be identified. The MPhil stage of the research has explored the ingredients for successful coaches, players and Managers within professional rugby league. During the PhD Phase the research will investigate the interplay of the biopsychosocial pressures which empower and equip the individual with effective resources to navigate and negotiate these talent development challenges in a rugby league academy. Research Aims: Aim 1: Identifying the nature of the challenge for Academy Staff involved in the development of young talent in rugby league. Aim 2: Explore the ingredients for successful coach/player/manager within professional rugby league. Aim 3: Investigate the interplay of the biopsychosocial pressures to empower and equip the individual with effective resources to navigate & negotiate these talent development challenges in a rugby league academy. Wilkinson, S. (2018): S-NQ/TD Self-Navigation Questionnaire in Talent Development: In Rugby League. PhD Research, UCLan Stuart Wilkinson: currently Coaching Serbia Other National Appointments: Great Britain, British Lions, Scotland, Wales, France, Russia Bibliography Wilkinson, S.G. and Palmer, C. (2010) What am I doing and why? Philosophy to practice - personal observations about coaching rugby. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 4, 1, 57-64. Wilkinson, S. and Grecic, D. (2019) Talent development for professional rugby league: observations and analysis from a career in rugby’s high-performance environment. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 13, 1, 153-174. Zuch, N.A., Palmer, C., Wilkinson, S. and Olsson, C. (2017) Rediscovering the warrior within: the warrior archetype in elite English football academies. Presentation at the BASES – FEPSAC Conference: British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences - European Federation of Sport Psychology. University of Nottingham, UK. 29th November. Wilkinson, S. (2014) Chicken soup out of chicken poop: not battery farming for champions (Chapter 21, pp. 161-168). In, Palmer, C. (Ed.) The sports monograph: critical perspectives on socio-cultural sport, coaching and Physical Education. SSTO Publications, Preston, UK. ISBN:978-0-9566270-6-3 Wilkinson, S. and Ellis, L. (2014) Is talent development a matter of design or desire? (Chapter 20, pp. 151-160). In, Palmer, C. (Ed.) The sports monograph: critical perspectives on socio-cultural sport, coaching and Physical Education. SSTO Publications, Preston, UK. ISBN:978-0-9566270-6-3. Wilkinson, S. (2019) A new pattern of life in coaching Rugby League. The Qualitative Bazaar - A Bizarre Marketplace of Research in Sport. Post-Graduate Research Symposium. Sport and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, UCLan. 20th November.