Rethinking Athlete Pathways: Innovations and Insights in Long-Term Athletic Development
A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 657
Special Issue Editor
Interests: measurements in sport and exercise; health risk assessment; biomechanics; sport psychology; training load; public health; heartrate and mortality; scientific methods and the philosophy of science; training-load management and its impact on young athletes’ general health; strength and conditioning; exercise and sport science; exercise physiology; exercise and performance; physical activity assessment; physical education; data analysis; higher education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Continuous training is the foundation of athletic progress, but injuries and illnesses can disrupt even the most dedicated efforts, and every session missed due to preventable setbacks not only halts improvement but can also lead to a decline in performance. However, minimizing these risks can ensure uninterrupted training, allowing for steady adaptation, skill refinement, and the potential for significant long-term gains. This optimistic outlook highlights the significance of work on sports performance and, consequently, this Special Issue seeks contributions that explore the theory, research, and applied practice of athletic development that emphasize age- and stage-appropriate training, competition, and recovery across an athlete’s lifespan—from early childhood through elite performance to lifelong physical activity.
With growing attention to physical literacy, youth sports reform, athlete burnout, and equity in access to sports, this Special Issue aims to critically examine and advance our understanding of athletic development across disciplines, sectors, and cultural contexts. We welcome submissions that explore athletic development from theoretical, empirical, and practical perspectives and encourage interdisciplinary approaches that bridge science, education, and sports practice. Research fields of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- The development of movement skills and early engagement;
- School- and community-based interventions that support athletic development;
- Training strategies, coaching practices, and talent pathways;
- The balance of multi-sport participation and early specialization;
- Considerations surrounding trainability and growth;
- Growth, maturation, and individualization in long-term planning;
- Elite athlete development;
- Risk management, injury prevention, and psychological readiness;
- Addressing gender, socioeconomic, and disability disparities in athlete development;
- Inclusive training programming and culturally relevant applications;
- The implementation of success stories and program evaluations;
- Practitioner insights and tools for coaches, educators, and sport leaders;
- Athlete retirement and transitioning to "Active for Life".
Dr. Shaher A.I. Shalfawi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- physical health
- sports performance
- injury prevention
- recovery
- nutrition
- mental health
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