ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on an ecological approach to understanding high performance sport and explores new research surrounding Positive Youth Development (PYD) and its role in elite sport contexts. It shows the opportunities and threats within high performance youth sport and how the promotion of PYD within this context could help create an optimal sport experience. As such, the chapter draws upon Bronfenbrenner's Process Person Context Time (PPCT) model to discuss high performance sport as a context for PYD. At the foundation of Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory are two key propositions related to the processes of development. High performing athletes' development through proximal processes is also contingent upon various supporting contexts. Bronfenbrenner suggested that in order to show that development has indeed occurred, research designs need to take place over an extended period of time. The chapter concludes by outlining potential areas of future research that may further enhance understanding of the complementary objectives of PYD and high performance among youth athletes.
