Determinants, reasons and indicators of dropout from sport: A systematic review (1985–2026)

Sports offer substantial physical and psychosocial benefits, yet sports organizations face an alarming, age-related decline in adolescent retention rates. This systematic review explored the determinants, interpersonal/structural motives, and career indicators that explain the sport dropout process, synthesizing the core theoretical frameworks underpinning athletic persistence. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) for empirical studies on sport dropout published between 1985 and 2026. Twenty-eight studies (N = 21,933 athletes) were considered for analysis and subjected to a methodological quality assessment. Academic obligations and conflicts of interest emerged as primary cross-sectional motives. Team sports dropouts were driven by coach leadership dissatisfaction, lack of cohesion, and uneven playing time. Individual sports dropouts were shaped by physical exhaustion, intense competitive pressures, and gender-based asymmetries. Theoretical models (SDT, HMIEM, AGT) demonstrated that coach autonomy support and task-oriented climates directly shield athletes from attrition by satisfying basic psychological needs, whereas ego-oriented climates increase premature withdrawal. Long-term athletic success requires task- and mastery-focused contexts that shield athletes’ perception of competence and foster autonomous motivation.