Features of successful high-performance sport environments: Stakeholder insights

This study explores features of high-performance sport environments (HPSEs) that support athletes to thrive. Situated in the Danish elite sport context and informed by a holistic ecological approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with 13 stakeholders, including coaches, performance directors, sport managers, and sport psychologists, representing a range of Olympic and non-Olympic sports. The study is situated within a qualitative interpretivist paradigm,and draws on reflexive thematic analysis to identify features that stakeholders perceived to be important for supporting the joint pursuit of performance and well-being. Seven interconnected features were identified across micro- and macro-level levels of the environment. At the micro level, stakeholders highlighted competitive cohesion, structure and flexibility, psychological safety and compassion, and a whole-person focus as central to supporting athlete thriving At the macro level, thriving was perceived to be shaped by transparent communication and collaboration, integration of short- and long-term vision, and strategic resource use. . Together, these findings demonstrate that thriving may be supported by factors distributed across the broader sport environment rather than solely within the immediate training context. The study extends understanding of thriving in HPSEs by identifying features that may facilitate the sustained pursuit of both high performance and well-being and encourages practitioners to adopt a holistic perspective when designing and evaluating high-performance sport environments, with attention to the environmental features that shape athletes’ opportunities to thrive over time