Introducing Grow to Gold – Understanding the Role of Growth and Maturation in Athletics

Athletics is a sport where young people progress at different rates. During adolescence, performance can be influenced by differences in growth and maturation, rather than long-term athletic potential. Grow to Gold is a research and athlete development initiative within the NSW Athletics Pathway, developed in partnership with the University of Sydney to better understand differences in growth and maturation and their implications for athletes, families, coaches and the sport.

Purpose

Two athletes of the same age can be at very different stages of development. Athletes who develop earlier may have a temporary performance advantage, while those who develop later can be overlooked despite strong long-term potential. These differences are normal, but they can affect how athletes perform, how they feel about their progress and whether they remain in the sport.

Grow to Gold is a long-term investment in understanding how athletes develop, progress and stay engaged in athletics across New South Wales. Because competition results are only part of the picture, the initiative aims to explore factors such as growth, maturation, training age, opportunity and coaching environment alongside athlete retention, pathway progression and long-term outcomes, so decisions across the pathway are informed by more than results alone.

Aims

The Grow to Gold research aims to:

·       Strengthen long-term athlete development models

·       Better support athletes during critical stages of growth and maturation

·       Improve retention and reduce dropout across the pathway

·       Improve education and alignment for coaches and other key stakeholders

·       Build more connected systems that support both performance and wellbeing

Meet the Researcher

Grow to Gold is led by PhD researcher Ella Manso-Vukovich.

Ella holds a First-Class Honours degree in Psychology from The University of Western Australia and has worked in research focused on child and youth mental health and wellbeing. She chose to undertake a PhD to better understand how young athletes develop, what influences their experiences in athletics, and how they can be supported throughout their development.

Ella was part of the Little Athletics pathway as a young athlete, giving her firsthand insight into youth sport participation and athlete development pathways.

Want to know more? Get in touch with Ella here