Navigating the athlete development pathway: A multi-perspective analysis of decisions, challenges, and support for aspiring athletes

We examined the decisions, challenges, and support systems influencing aspiring athletes (aged 15–17) navigating the dual-career pathway. Addressing an important gap in pre-elite research and drawing on multi-perspective data from interviews and focus groups with athletes, parents, coaches, and educators in WA, we used a reflexive thematic analysis approach to develop three overarching themes. These themes integrate to explore: the overwhelming demands and financial sacrifice of intense sporting commitments; navigating the dual-career pathway through structured management and coping mechanisms; and stakeholder perceptions of system-level supports. Our findings indicate this developmental journey is characterized by difficult decisions regarding areas such as early sport specialization and geographic relocation to access elite pathways, both of which intensify demands and risk. Our findings highlight that managing the dual-career creates significant psychological, logistical, and financial tension for both aspiring athletes and their families. This forces athletes who predominantly prioritize an athletic identity to adopt strict routines and make substantial sacrifices regarding their social lives, while heavily relying on their family’s financial capacity to remain on the pathway toward an athletic career. A central finding is the fragmentation of support systems, described as a decentralized “tug of war” between sporting and educational mandates. This work contributes an improved understanding of these gaps, demonstrating that supporting the dual-career reality requires a systemic shift from individual advocacy toward centralized, cross-sector coordination, such as integrated athlete management systems, to protect the “whole-person” development of aspiring athletes. In this study, we found that aspiring athletes face immense pressure balancing elite sport goals with school, leading to significant personal sacrifices. Their pursuit often depends heavily on family financial support. Coaches, parents, and teachers agree that better coordination between schools and sporting clubs is urgently needed to support these young athletes effectively. Sporting organizations and educational institutions could consider implementing centralized athlete management systems to bridge the current decentralized “tug of war.” These systems could integrate academic, athletic, and wellness data to help all stakeholders (athletes, parents, and coaches) navigate critical, difficult decisions, such as specialization and relocation, while maintaining a focus on holistic athlete well-being.Governing bodies could address the “funding lottery” by providing consistent financial support and accessible grants for athletes in the critical 15–17-year-old age range. Reducing high entry costs for specialized equipment and interstate travel would help ensure that the high-performance pathway does not function as a socioeconomic filter but rather remains accessible to athletes based on talent rather than family financial capacity.Access to professional support services, such as sport psychologists and dietitians, could be expanded beyond senior teams to include aspiring athletes earlier in their developmental journey. This expansion could be paired with formalized coach education that shifts the focus from “winning” to “whole-person development,” empowering coaches with the interpersonal skills required to facilitate collaborative “triad” support models (athlete, parent, and coach) and navigate the psychological tensions inherent in the dual-career pathway. Sporting organizations and educational institutions could consider implementing centralized athlete management systems to bridge the current decentralized “tug of war.” These systems could integrate academic, athletic, and wellness data to help all stakeholders (athletes, parents, and coaches) navigate critical, difficult decisions, such as specialization and relocation, while maintaining a focus on holistic athlete well-being. Governing bodies could address the “funding lottery” by providing consistent financial support and accessible grants for athletes in the critical 15–17-year-old age range. Reducing high entry costs for specialized equipment and interstate travel would help ensure that the high-performance pathway does not function as a socioeconomic filter but rather remains accessible to athletes based on talent rather than family financial capacity. Access to professional support services, such as sport psychologists and dietitians, could be expanded beyond senior teams to include aspiring athletes earlier in their developmental journey. This expansion could be paired with formalized coach education that shifts the focus from “winning” to “whole-person development,” empowering coaches with the interpersonal skills required to facilitate collaborative “triad” support models (athlete, parent, and coach) and navigate the psychological tensions inherent in the dual-career pathway.