attributes in athletes' development and performance has been highlighted in the scientific literature, there is a growing interest in understanding the role played by environmental factors(2), in different outcomes and across different levels and contexts. The Research Topic "Environmental Determinants of Athletes' Development and Performance" aimed to investigate the relationship between the environment and sport, from athlete development through to peak performance.Across the nine studies included in this research topic, evidence reinforces the multifactorial nature of athlete development by highlighting the dynamic interaction between psychological, social, environmental, and training-related factors. From a psychosocial perspective, the psychological components, such as mental skills and perceived stress, were shown to influence both performance and well-being. In this sense, a structured mental training program implemented in elite female ice hockey players significantly reduces burnout and perceived stress, while improving decision-making and tactical execution efficiency (Sun et al., 2026). The study of Müller et al (2025) adds evidence to these findings, highlighting the importance of organizational structure, personal interactions, and standardized processes for the successful implementation of mental skills development programs. On the other hand, limited financial and human resources were considered important barriers, while improved interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g., between teachers, coaches, parents, and sports psychologists) was reported to be a key factor to optimizing resource allocation and facilitating the development of mental skills (Müller et al., 2025).In the context of training environments, experimental studies showed that different training strategies can effectively enhance specific athletic capacities. Both block and undulating periodization improved sprint performance in young American football players; however, block periodization yielded superior gains (Prioul et al., 2025). Similarly, in a group of 40 male players competing at the college level, the manipulation of task and environmental constraints proved effective in enhancing individual creativity, with combined approaches producing the most substantial improvements (Orangi et al., 2025). Technological advancements were also explored, particularly through the application of deep learning techniques to basketball performance analysis (Xiao et al., 2025). This approach enabled the identification of distinct playing styles across leagues and revealed that certain player profiles adapt more consistently to different competitive contexts.At the same time, the interest in understanding how the social environments, including the availability and source of social support, emerged as key determinants of mental health (Luo et al., 2025). Results showed that social support plays a vital role in enhancing athletes' mental health, particularly through close interpersonal relationships. Precisely, the overall social support correlated positively with well-being and negatively with anxiety, depression, and stress. The support from family and friends showed a significantly stronger negative association with depressive symptoms than team-based support (Luo et al., 2025). In a similar study, Dongoran et al ( 2025), emphasized the importance of supportive and developmentally appropriate environments in shaping athletes' long-term trajectories.Beyond the social environment, external physical and contextual factors further influence athlete experiences and performance. Exposure to air pollution affected subjective perceptions of effort in a group of elite female soccer players, while prior exposure suggested possible adaptive responses (Beavan et al., 2025). Technological approaches further illustrated how performance is context-dependent, with differences in competitive environments influencing playing styles and adaptation across leagues. Together, these findings highlight that athlete development and performance cannot be understood in isolation from the environments in which athletes are embedded, underscoring the need for integrated, context-sensitive approaches in both research and practice. This body of evidence aligns with the general idea behind the study of Simonti et al (2025), in which cultural factors may shape attitudes toward sport psychology services. In this perspective, the authors emphasize the importance of culturally nuanced research to enhance global dialogue and collaboration among sport psychology professionals.In conclusion, the contributions of this Research Topic provide compelling evidence that athlete development and performance emerge from a complex, dynamic system in which environmental factors are not merely contextual, but a central agent. Psychological support structures, training design, technological innovation, and social and cultural contexts interact continuously to shape athletes' trajectories across all stages of development. These findings reinforce the need to move beyond reductionist perspectives and adopt holistic, interdisciplinary approaches that recognize the athlete as embedded within multiple, overlapping environments. Future research should continue to explore these interactions using integrative and ecologically valid methodologies, while practitioners are encouraged to design context-sensitive interventions that account for the specific environmental demands and resources available. Ultimately, advancing our understanding of environmental determinants will be essential to fostering sustainable athlete development, optimizing performance, and promoting well-being in sport.
Thuany et al. (Tue,) studied this question.