Structural analysis of environmental factors of sports talent development

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2024-02, Vol.43 (7), p.6516-6532
• Main Authors: Xiang, Changqing, Dong, Wenting, Kamalden, Tengku Fadilah Tengku, Ismail, Normala, Luo, Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Athletes; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Psychology; Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04803-x

As interest in competitive sports continues to grow, the demand for sports talent also increases. Talent development is not only a social and cultural process, but also one of mutual adaptation between talent and environment. The key elements of the macro environment of talent development are the social environment and the values and customs of the athletes’ own culture, while the key elements of the micro environment of talent development are the athletes’ interpersonal relationships and support elements provided through parents, coaches, and peers. To cultivate elite athletes, the influencing factors of the sports talent development environment must be analyzed. Thus, using relevant theories from the existing literature, the current study proposes a hypothesis of the influencing factors and structural equation model of sports talent development environment. A total sample of 352 athletes ( M  = 13.96 years, 63.35% male) was gathered from the national sports reserve talent base, college sports teams, and professional sportsmen. Data was collected using the Likert six-level scale of the sports talent development environment, which was then analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The results show that the athlete’s training environment, support network, family characteristics, communication, and team conditions were all factors which had a positive and significant impact on the construction of sports talents’ development environment. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical foundation for the enhancement of the sports talent development environment in China, the cultivation of high-quality sports talent, and the promotion of healthy and stable sports development.