S3.7.2 Achieving Eminence: What’s Known? What Needs to Be Known? Does it Matter for Our Field?

Most of those who identify with major G&T organizations focus on intellectually and academically gifted children in school or in summer or after school programs. A parallel universe of educators and psychologists works to develop the abilities of individuals in elite sport, leadership, or visual and performing arts. Still others, those working more exclusively in the post-secondary world, seek talent and potentially interested young adults in domains that are not an integral part of the youth curriculum, such as medicine, psychology, or politics. This session incorporates these three arenas with a view of talent development across domains and developmental levels. The panel of researchers associated with this proposal have explored longitudinally or retrospectively the path to eminence in various domains including leadership, sport, theatre arts, law, medical science, social work, business management, politics and athletics. Two of the presenters focus more exclusively on eminent women, exploring through interviews and surveys variations in the support received and the success achieved by domain, including passion, resilience, optimism, persistence, gender resistance, and sense of purpose. A third, using biographical sources, discusses how achieving eminence requires productive giftedness: motivation, preparation and supportive conditions as key factors for success. A final paper explores the expression of eminence or great creative productivity across domains.

The session will explore some of the following questions: What aspirations for eminence do we hold for the children, youth, and young adults that we work with? The answer may vary depending on the domain and the level of participant. For example, sports psychologists and coaches who work with gifted teenage gymnasts will encounter those with varying amounts of ambition for competing at the highest levels. If we switch to the domain of music or mathematics, should we expect that programs will incorporate insider knowledge to prepare participants who strive towards notable achievements? Should even elementary school specialists be familiar with optimal out of school programs and reputable secondary schools for mathematically or musically talented students? Concurrently, what psychosocial and other skills need to be developed to prepare for the next level of talent development in a domain? Who should be responsible for providing coaching or mentoring for these skills? Finally, how much choice should students have about what domain they choose to pursue?

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