Great British medallists: A commentary based on a developmental systems theory perspective

Abstract

In their target article, Hardy and colleagues outline some psychosocial factors that were proposed to underpin the development of serial sporting champions. In this commentary, we suggest that the psychodynamic compensatory mechanisms model described by Hardy et al. is limited by its failure to consider the role of the broader developmental systems in which an individual exists (including funding structure, community, culture, and historical niche). We suggest that any workable talent development model needs to consider the bidirectional relationships between individuals and their contexts, and as such, should be guided by a more dynamic, developmental systems theory approach.