In this chapter, we discussed an ecological dynamics rationale for understanding how learning design in practice can be implemented to exploit processes of general and specific transfer in athlete development. The interaction of specific practice experiences in a given sport, with earlier, variable, non-specific practice experiences, could benefit long-term development of excellence. We highlighted how processes of general and specific transfer during athlete development should involve the design of affordance landscapes in learning programs, using examples from elite and sub-elite sports practice. We discussed different roles played by specifying and non-specifying information in learning designs to enhance athlete dexterity during skill acquisition. Future research should investigate the timing and interplay of general and specific transfer processes in learning designs supported by an ecological dynamics rationale.
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