Alternative environments and young relocated athletes

Investigates the relocation of 'elite' young male athletes and the environment they need to be housed in when moved from their original home to new surroundings.. Sport for Australians can mean many different things. For some it is a favourite recreational pursuit but for a small percentage of the Australian population sport represents a way of life or a career. It has become increasingly beneficial for the skills and talent of our athletes to be utilised as a natural resource (Woodman, 1985) and to be exported overseas, thus generating an international reputation via sport for Australia. To pursue the dream of 'eliteness', many individuals may often need to relocate to reach their goals. This often means moving away from their family and home and being housed in an environment unknown to them. This research was concerned with investigating the environment that relocated athletes need to be housed in, while also identifyng the issues that arise from the process of relocating an individual from their original home environment to 'new' surroundings. Two phases were employed in the research. The first phase was to identify the elements perceived necessary when establishing a suitable relocation environment for young male athletes. The second phase explored the participants' views on the identified elements and issues. It was not the focus ofthis research to study the effect of the environment on athletic ability but to determine a suitable relocation environment for young male athletes. By achieving this, a small step may be made towards enhancing the influence of environment on the development ofathletic talent.