Abstract
When appropriately implemented, sport participation can provide youth with a supporting environment to develop positive assets that enable desirable performance and long-term personal developmental outcomes. Training and competing at an elite level may introduce different contexts and conditions for youth athletes that challenge or underpin positive engagement and youth development, although it is unclear how. Thus, this study explored and characterized the key factors influencing positive engagement and developmental outcomes in sport among elite youth athletes.
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published in English that considered the factors influencing positive developmental outcomes for athletes under 18 y competing at a national and/or international level. The search returned 549 articles, of which 43 met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies used a qualitative approach, 14 collected quantitative data, 2 adopted mixed methods, and 11 were reviews. Seven articles involved athletes competing in absolute elite contexts (i.e., against the best athletes of any age), while the majority involved athletes competing in relative skill contexts (i.e., against the best of their specific age/stage). The selected studies described the athletes’ personal characteristics, patterns of training, relationships with others, social and physical environments, and/or their overall developmental pathways.
The extant research on positive engagement in elite youth sport aligned with established frameworks of positive youth development in sport more generally. Thus, while elite-level youth athletes may demonstrate extraordinary performance capabilities, they are still children who benefit from similar developmentally appropriate and supportive activities, relationships, and environments.
