Building on a large volume of recent research in talent identification and development, this paper future directions for research and practice. We suggest that strategic coherence become a greater point of emphasis in both, with the Performance, Outcome and Process framework holding the potential to signal various markers of effectiveness. Secondly, greater recognition of the need to deploy limited resources where they promote movement toward these markers of effectiveness. Finally, we make recommendations for the operationalising of strategy in talent and performance systems by considering the integration of top down and bottom-up strategic processes. The last 20 years have seen a significant growth in talent development (TD) practice and research (Baker et al., 2020). Such interest has grown beyond the realm of practice and research, with significant media attention being placed on the pathways of elite athletes and the systems through which they develop. This attention has not always presented TD systems in a positive light (Calvin, 2017), with the suggestion that some talent systems have been built around the principles of industrialization, forcing conformity in athletes (Rothwell et al., 2018). Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on how talent systems can positively influence sporting culture beyond performance (Collins et al., 2012) and prevent harm coming to athletes (Bergeron et al., 2015). This has presented talent systems, and high-performance systems more broadly, with the challenge of understanding their ends beyond ultimate elite performance (cf. De Bosscher et al., 2015).
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