Continuous and persistent participation in sport has a pivotal role in supporting the physical, mental and social health of the individuals (Eather et al., 2023; Eime et al., 2015). Therefore, focusing on the topic of sport persistence and dropout has multifaceted benefits regarding public health (Kovács & Szakál, 2024). However, although the prevalence of regular physical activity is relatively high in childhood, further participation in sporting activities decreases with age (Silva et al., 2022). Therefore, nowadays, one of the key issues in youth sports is what methods and tools can be used to keep the athlete in his chosen sport in the long term and how to prevent or reduce the chance of early dropout from the sport.

Dropout has two meanings. According to the first interpretation, dropout in elite sports means that the sports career ends before the athlete can reach the peak of their performance. This type of dropout is a typical phenomenon among child and adolescent athletes (Mittermeier et al., 2024). In contrast, according to the other interpretation, ending a career after reaching peak performance is called retirement. In general, retired athletes are older than those who dropped out from the same sport, according to this first interpretation (Back et al., 2022). If we examine dropouts from recreational sports, in this case, the concept means that the individual stops exercising for their own entertainment or to satisfy their needs, for example, in a club or fitness centre. In health-related sports, dropout means that an individual leaves an exercise or rehabilitation program for any reason before the end of the program (Vella et al., 2020). In this sense, dropout can occur at any age and is characteristic of the premature termination of any supervised physical activity.  Unlike elite sports, the latter two organizational levels participants did not exercise for a sports career or to achieve their peak performance. In the present case, we would like to examine the emphasis by focusing on the first report.

This presentation seeks to examine previous research focusing on dropout from sports. Our investigation intends to delve into the various factors that affect dropout among student-athletes, applying Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, which encompasses intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental influences. A core premis of Bronfenbrenner’s model is the articulation of human beings and their environment and the interplay such have. In more detail, understanding behaviour of the individual is a four dimensional process based on micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro systems according to Bronfenbrenner. In the concentric rings of the model, the central circle is referred to as the self. The microsystem is inclusive of a web of close people defining the participant’s world including family, friends, work and school environments. The mesosytem is the second layer and illustrates situations, where the components of the microsystem interact and surroundings that connect those different microsystems. The exosocial system, which is the third layer, deals with peripheral relation where the individuals are more of observers than participants. In relation to sports participation, exosystem elements include the institutional and physical features of the sporting context like the community, parks, recreation and sports centers (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The macrosystem represents the fourth and largest layer in Bronfenbrenner’s model which encapsulates an overall uniformity of society pertaining to the previously established systems (micro, meso and exo). To achieve our aim, we have formulated the following research question: What sort of factors can be identified to have a significant effect on the dropout from sport regarding the individual, micro-, meso-, and macro system levels among athletes younger than 25 years?

In our study, we aimed to conduct a narrative synthesis for several reasons. First, we hypothesised that we would experience a significant heterogeneity in the included studies. The diverse methodological background applied in the papers makes it challenging to assess the results quantitatively. Also, we also believed that the number of studies will be low. In cases with few studies, especially if each has a small sample size or limited statistical power, a meta-analysis may lack robustness while A narrative synthesis can offer a clearer understanding by focusing on themes or trends without requiring statistical aggregation. Lastly, our aim of identifying research gaps also supported using the methodology of narrative synthesis (Cherry et al., 2024). The systematic literature review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (Page et al., 2021). Systematically searches were conducted in EBSCO Discovery Service Search Engine, which contains 85 databases. The keywords we used for searching were ("sport dropout" OR "dropout from sport" OR "discontinuation of sport") AND ("influential factors" OR "individual factors" OR "intrapersonal factors" OR "Interpersonal factors" OR "environmental factors"[Abstract] OR "institutional climate"). Searches were conducted in English on 16 December 2023, resulting in a total of 512 records. After a double filtering process, 51 of these records were excluded, leaving 461 records. Abstract and title screening removed an additional 389 records, leading to 72 papers that underwent full-text screening. Ultimately, 11 papers were included in the qualitative synthesis. The following inclusion criteria were set: • population: age below 25 years (due to focusing on children and adolescents, more specifically students learning in primary, secondary or tertiary education) and participating in any kind of sport (competitive or recreational); • intervention: original empirical research published in a peer-reviewed journal; • comparison: manifestation of dropout from sport and factors influencing it determined by any levels of Bronfenbrenner’s model; • outcomes: any kind of intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental factors contributing to the dropout from sporting activity of the child and/or adolescent; • written in English language; and • in disciplines of education, psychology, health, social sciences and humanities and sports sciences. We performed a multistage screening process to select studies which met the inclusion criteria. After removing the duplicate studies, a multistage screening process was applied to select those studies which met the inclusion criteria:

In certain circumstances, particular sports may experience higher attrition rates among one gender due to a variety of cultural and societal influences. For instance, girls may encounter distinct barriers when participating in certain sports in contrast to boys. Regarding individual non-psychological variables, the type of sport should be mentioned first that can have a significant impact on dropout. Regarding intrapersonal factors, the relevance of positive psychological variables must be mentioned as preventive factors in dropout from sport. Also, the level of competitiveness in a sport can be a factor. Other priorities must be also mentioned. It is important to note that different results can also be assumed for academic performance at different levels of sport participation. On the border of intra- and interpersonal variables, resources are also important. Certain sports require specific facilities, equipment, or coaching expertise that may not be readily available to everyone. If a sport is expensive or not accessible in a particular area, individuals interested in that sport may be more likely to drop out. Team sports may have unique social dynamics. If an athlete doesn't feel comfortable or connected with their team members, they may be more likely to drop out. The role of the coach and their leadership style was also presented. Young people’s experiences, both positive and negative, with a coach’s leadership style and the team’s motivational climate can have a determining influence on their lives. Coaches often serve as role models for young athletes. Regarding methodological concerns, it is important to note that only cross-sectional studies were identified, with the exception of one interview study. No randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials or cluster randomized trials were found on the topic, indicating a lack of research on the development and assessment of programs aimed at improving and maintaining sports persistence.

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