Impact of Mental and Physical Challenges on Young Athletes’ Performance

Research on youth sport performance has increasingly underscored its multifactorial nature, shaped not only by physical capabilities but also by mental, social, and environmental influences. While maximizing talent and optimizing performance have traditionally been primary focuses in sport science, recent advances draw attention to the need for a holistic understanding of young athletes’ development and well-being. Progressive training regimes, heightened competition, and inadequate recovery can significantly affect physiological adaptation and stress mechanisms, contributing to complex psychophysical responses. Early sport specialization, though pursued for elite development, is now recognized as a major risk for mental health problems, burnout, overtraining, and premature dropout. Conversely, multi-sport participation during formative years has emerged as a protective approach, fostering broader motor and psychological development, resilience, and sustained involvement in sport. Despite these insights, the bidirectional interplay between mental and physical stressors—how psychological vulnerabilities interact with fatigue, injuries, and training demands—remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding different sport participation trajectories and their impact on long-term outcomes.This Research Topic aims to systematically investigate the interconnected mental and physical challenges that shape youth sport performance, with a special focus on how early specialization and multi-sport engagement differentially influence developmental trajectories. It seeks to identify the principal psychophysical stressors faced by young athletes and to explore evidence-based strategies for positive youth development, emphasizing mental health, holistic well-being, and sustainable performance. Additionally, this effort will highlight the complex interactions between psychological pressures (such as social and academic demands) and physical factors (like injuries and recovery), integrating perspectives from sport psychology, athlete development models, and advancements in training and monitoring technologies.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary research on children, adolescents, and developing young athletes. While the primary focus will be on the reciprocal relationship between psychological and physical factors affecting performance and well-being, studies addressing diverse sport participation experiences and evidence-based intervention strategies are highly encouraged. To gather further insights in the multidimensional challenges of youth sport performance and developmental well-being, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Psycho-physical stressors in young athletes (e.g., competitive stress, anxiety, perfectionism)• Early versus late sport specialization, athletic development, and sport success• Multi-sport participation and its impact on performance, injury risk, and mental health• Effects of performance pressure from coaches, parents, and sport environments, including motivational climate and social support• Overtraining, burnout, and dropout prevention in youth sport• Training load monitoring, fatigue, sleep, and recovery strategies• Psychological resilience, coping skills, and emotional regulation in young athletes• Motivation, enjoyment, and sustained sport engagement, including dual career pathways• Motor skill development and transfer across multiple sports Topic editors: Valerio Bonavolontà, Raluca Mijaica, Ludovica Cardinali Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77316/impact-of-mental-and-physical-challenges-on-young-athletes-performance