Data-driven approaches have been promised to eliminate the biases that have traditionally challenged talent identification in junior sports, such as children's relative age and coaches' personal preferences. However, digital data is not a silver bullet. While it can improve the processes of talent identification, it also introduces new and often unforeseen ethical challenges. The PARADOX project examines how talent is defined, measured, and produced at the macro- (e.g., national high-performance sports policies), exo- (e.g., sports clubs), and micro-levels (e.g., junior athletes and their coaches) in both team and individual sports. Furthermore, the project develops principles for ethically sustainable data-driven talent identification in junior sports in collaboration with sports federations and national umbrella organizations.

2025

2028