“Why fit in when you’re born to stand out?”: exploring athlete-environment fit using an implementation science approach

There has been a considerable amount of research in sport that stresses the importance of the individual and environment interaction, but little amounts of attention have focused on the fit between the two. While some coaches and researchers have suggested the athlete-environment fit to be an important area of research, this has yet to be explored empirically. This dissertation explored a novel approach to athlete development by investigating athlete fit conceptually, empirically, and practically. To illustrate, we used a combination of mixed-method designs and an implementation science (IS) approach to: (1) summarize peer-review articles using IS as a vehicle to share sport science findings; (2) describe the relationship between personality indicators and athlete-environment fit; (3) explore essential elements related to athlete-environment fit; (4) create a tool for decision-makers to evaluate athlete-environment fit; and (5) evaluate the implementation of an athlete-environment fit tool. This dissertation resulted in the development of the Athlete Fit Tool (AFT), which is designed to assess perceptions of athlete fit from the coach and athletes’ perspective. Overall, this dissertation can serve as a steppingstone for future research to build upon in areas of implementing evidence-informed practices (EIPs) and athlete-environment fit research. Future research should consider exploring the psychometric properties of the AFT and expanding how it may support individuals work with athlete development (e.g., mental performance consultants).

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Health Sciences

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• McLaughlin, Bryan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wattie, Nick

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2055

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2055