Examining sports talent in Turkiye from the perspective of Ecological Systems Theory and Matthew Effect

Abstract

The focus of research on gifted education primarily on academic giftedness represents one of the significant challenges in the development of this field. In recent years, alongside the strengthening of discourses around world peace, interest in international Olympics showcasing athletic talent has also increased. This study represents a first in examining athletic talent in Turkiye through the lens of the Matthew Effect and the Ecological Systems Theory. Weightlifting has been chosen as the field of athletic talent. The research employs qualitative methods, including document analysis and discourse analysis techniques. A comparative analysis of Turkiye's success scores in various categories with those of EU countries was conducted. Additionally, 31 posts related to weightlifting, shared between 2020 and 2024 on the official Twitter (X) account of Turkiye's Ministry of Youth and Sports (@gencliksporbak), were identified and analyzed. The results of the in the European Championships, Turkiye ranked 2nd in women's team Olympic scoring and 4th in men's team Olympic scoring. Despite team success, individual athletes did not achieve a top-10 world ranking within the four-year period, and therefore could not secure the desired Olympic quotas. While there are 64 countries in Europe, 28 athletes from 16 European countries were invited to the Olympics, reflecting a 22% representation rate. Countries like Armenia, Bulgaria, Italy, and Georgia achieved notable success in weightlifting in Europe. In the Ministry of Youth and Sports' social media posts on X, themes such as “the excitement of lifting weights,” “pride,” “the second most successful branch after wrestling,” “desire to learn about weightlifting,” “introducing weightlifting in two words,” “congratulations from the Minister,” and “evoking new excitement for the country” were prominent. Other posts focused on medals won and successes achieved. These themes were found to include elements such as “national pride,” “ministerial appreciation,” and “social enthusiasm.” According to the Ecological Systems Theory, these findings can be interpreted as the sport of weightlifting functioning as a macro-system influence by linking gifted individuals to “social values” and “political structures.” Additionally, the sharing of posts featuring the names of successful athletes, in the context of the Matthew Effect, can be seen as a support mechanism for increasing the “social recognition” of successful athletes. However, no posts were found related to supporting early achievements in weightlifting, providing educational and financial support, or offering opportunities for emerging talents in this field.

Keywords

• Sports talent
• superior talent
• ecological systems theory
• matthew effect
• weightlifting

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