Objectives: Talent identification traditionally relies on the knowledge and perceptions of expert coaches to identify and predict potential future elite athletes. Experiential coach knowledge is a valuable source of information to guide research in this ill-defined and under-researched area. This review aims to synthesize current empirical understanding of coach knowledge as it relates to decision making in talent identification. Design: This systematic review and meta-synthesis used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to identify relevant literature. Methods: Eligible studies were critically appraised for quality, and key findings from the 14 studies were integrated to allow for thematic analysis. Results:The meta-synthesis revealed the key theme of `instinct` as the primary contributor to coach decisions during talent identification. Subordinate themes informing coach instinct were `drive and ambition`, `game intelligence` and `physical and technical skills`. Conclusions: Coaches appear to make decisions about talent based on their tacit knowledge or instinct. Understanding how coaches develop these instinctual `feelings` may guide future research into talent identification and enhance our understanding of how experiential coach knowledge is developed and utilised in the daily training environment. Volltext siehe auch: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333168900_Coach_knowledge_in_talent_identification_A_systematic_review_and_meta-synthesis
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