Ethical paradoxes of data-informed talent identification in junior sports

Digital data has become an integral part of talent identification and development in contemporary sports, including at the junior level.Data-informed methods are frequently promoted as a means to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of talent identification by mitigating biases introduced by the "human factor," such as children's relative age or coaches' 1 and scouts' subjective preferences.However, data-informed talent identification is not a panacea.While it can address several persistent issues in traditional talent pathways, it simultaneously generates new, and often unforeseen, challenges.This position paper conceptualizes these challenges as ethical paradoxes, recognizing that multiple -even contradictory -dynamics, such as empowerment and exploitation, may emerge concurrently in data-intensive sporting environments.Specifically, the paper outlines four ethical paradoxes that arise when digital data practices intersect with talent identification in junior sports.By framing these tensions as paradoxes, the paper invites a more nuanced ethical reflection on the promises and pitfalls of data-driven approaches to youth athlete development