This study provides insights regarding the critical approaches for sports talent development. Data were collected in seven secondary schools in Tanzania through a survey completed by 427 participants. The findings revealed that for the successful reform of the development of sports talent, games and sports performance assessment tools, training and visits, early investment in focused intensive training, and examining the developmental trajectories of students should be used in secondary schools. The findings imply that the type of approach applied determines how sports talent develops. As a result, secondary schools ought to be creative enough to employ approaches that consider the needs of the school and the surrounding circumstances when developing sports talent. The study concludes that the government should hire more sports teachers as well as deploy material resources to strengthen the process of developing sports talent. Additionally, school administrators should work closely with the community to improve access to resources.