Refining Talent Identification and Development in Sports

In recent years, the field of sports has seen an increasing focus on talent identification and development, with researchers examining the effectiveness of various approaches such as test batteries, subjective assessments, and multidimensional models. Despite some multidimensional models demonstrating promising prognostic validity, there remains a significant gap in understanding how best to assess, support, and guide athletes throughout their development. Questions continue to circle around the consistency, applicability, and integration of different methods across sporting contexts and populations, challenging researchers to refine existing models.

This Research Topic aims to gather high-quality empirical studies that contribute to refining talent identification and development practices across different sports and genders. The goal is to critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of current assessment tools, explore the integration of cognitive and psychological components, and investigate how talent development systems can be optimized for greater effectiveness and inclusivity. By deepening the understanding of the broader talent development process, this Research Topic seeks to examine how different stages of athlete development are connected, how transitions between stages can be more effectively supported, and how development systems can reduce dropout rates and foster long-term progression.

To gather further insights in enhancing talent identification and development, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The validity of test batteries and subjective assessments
• The robustness and applicability of multidimensional models across diverse contexts
• The role of cognitive and psychological aspects in talent evaluation
• The dynamics between different stages of athlete development
• Strategies to reduce dropout and ensure the integrity of the development process

Keywords: Talent Identification, talent development, multidimensional assessment, youth sports, sport talent pathways

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.