TEAM SPORTS AND THE THEORY OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE

Two studies tested the theory of deliberate practice (Ericsson. Krampe , & Tesch-Romer. 1993) and contrasted results with the sport commitmen t model (Scanlan, Carpenter. Schmidt. Simons, & Keeler, 1993a. 1993b). In Part I. international, national, and provincial soccer and field h ockey players recalled the amount of time they spent in individual and team practice. sport-related activities. and everyday activities st t he start of their career and every 3 years since. In Part III these ac tivities were rated in terms of their relevance for improving performa nce, effort and concentration required, and enjoyment. A monotonic rel ationship between accumulated individual plus team practice and skill level was found. In contrast with Ericsson et al.'s (1993) findings fo r musicians. relevant activities were also enjoyable, while concentrat ion became a separate dimension from effort. The viability of a genera lized theory of expertise is discussed.