The road to expertise: Is practice the only determinant?

The role of practice is considered in view of two models: Ericsson's framework of Deliberate Practice and Scanlan's Sport Commitment Model. As tests of the model of Deliberate Practice several studies are reviewed that examine career progress in accumulated practice, amount of practice per week and relative importance and demand of various practice and everyday activities in: wrestling, figure skating, field hockey and soccer. A series of studies on the ≪microstructure≫ of practice question whether practice activities really are optimized for the athlete to acquire the most/best forms of practice. Finally, the article examines coaches' perception of ≪talent≫ Data are presented that suggest that much of what coaches term early talent may be explained by relative age effects.