Debate in Sports Science and Skill Acquisition

Current debates in sports science and skill acquisition exhibit a division where researchers on opposing sides fail to engage or address each other's findings. Many studies lack the explanatory power needed to advance the field and often do not provide actionable insights. The reliance on retrospective interviews with players, for example, is considered unconvincing and uninformative by some researchers. The discourse resembles historical astronomy debates, where data collection and analysis eventually led to new theoretical frameworks. In skill acquisition, there is a pressing need for comprehensive data-driven research that can critically evaluate and challenge existing theories, as this would facilitate the development of robust new concepts in the field.