Using established theoretical frameworks in talent development a survey was developed to better understand what factors female athletes identify as important in the development of their athletic talent. Exploratory factor analysis of this survey yields a six factors solution accounting for 66% of the variance. The six factors were: (a) performance when stressed/tired, (b) teammate support (c) sport importance, (d) sport training support, (e) perceptions of body, and (f) performance when sick/injured. The second phase of this project used confirmatory factor analysis to better understand if this six factor solution could reliably predict factors identified as important to female athletes in the development of their athletic talent. Data from a sample of 377 female athletes competing at major Division IA universities (N = 377), representing basketball (n = 16), field hockey (n = 20), golf (n = 22), soccer (n = 44), softball (n = 37), swimming (n = 76), tennis (n = 22), track and field (n = 112), and volleyball (n = 28) was used in this analysis. Three models were fit to the data: (a) one first-order factor with all items loaded on a single factor, (b) a multidimensional representation of talent development using six first-order factors in which each item was allowed to load on only one factor (six factors listed above) with correlations between the six factors freely estimated, and (c) one higher order factor in which correlations between two factors (performance when sick/injured and performance when stressed/tired) were hypothesized to reflect one higher order factor representing performance challenges within talent development. Findings for the one first-order factor showed poor overall fit to the data. Improved fit was observed in the six first-order factor model when compared to the one first-order factor model, Δ Χ²(16, N = 377) = 1886.42, p < .001, NFI = .97, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .09. The final model, using one higher order factor, did fit the data though failed to provide a significant improvement in fit over the six first-order factor model. The Δ Χ² was significantly larger than the six first-order factor model, and the goodness-of-fit indices did not show improvement. The results demonstrate that both the six first-order model and the higher order model provide reasonable fit to the data, however the fit indices indicate less support for the higher order factor model than the six factor multidimensional model of female athlete talent development.Keyword(s): college level issues, measurement/evaluation, research