Sports-triggered · Element Reorganization · System Evolution: Construction of a Synergistic Development Model for Rural Sports to Boost Rural Revitalization

The in-depth advancement of the rural revitalization strategy provides policy opportunities for the development of rural sports, but the intrinsic mechanism by which sports contribute to rural revitalization remains to be systematically revealed, and the coordinated development of the two still faces structural predicaments such as fragmented governance, insufficient resource supply, and inefficient collaboration among multiple subjects. Based on systems theory and synergy theory, this paper constructs a synergistic development model of rural sports for rural revitalization and proposes an analytical paradigm of “sports trigger - element recombination - system evolution”. The model consists of four levels: the target level, the subject level, the element level, and the mechanism level, forming a closed-loop operation structure of “target traction - subject drive - element support - mechanism guarantee - feedback optimization”; Through the coordinated operation of the four-dimensional mechanism of “government guidance, market operation, social participation, and farmer subjectivity”, the transformation from static structural design to dynamic governance practice is achieved. At the application level, the model provides a systematic analytical tool and practical guide for formulating development plans, evaluating development outcomes, promoting deep integration, and facilitating experience promotion. Research shows that the systematic involvement of sports elements has a significant positive impact on all dimensions of rural revitalization, especially in the dimensions of cultural revitalization (revitalization of intangible cultural heritage) and governance revitalization (degree of organization). This model repositions sports from a traditional “service provider” as a “catalyst for systemic change”, revealing the intrinsic mechanism by which sports trigger a paradigm shift in rural development through activating latent resources, reconstructing relationship networks, and innovating organizational forms, providing a theoretical framework and practical path for the deep integration of rural sports and rural revitalization.