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This paper offers a theoretical reflection on the role of digital and virtual technologies in sports education, with a particular focus on their potential to promote inclusive processes. Although the topic of inclusion through sport is widely discussed at both institutional and scientific levels, studies that systematically analyse the effects of digital technologies in sports education environments remain limited (Mittler, 2005a, 2005b; Magnanini et al., 2018; Kozikoglu & Onur, 2019). Nevertheless, numerous educational projects and policies, particularly at the European and international levels, highlight a growing interest in technological innovation as a lever for ensuring equal opportunities for access, participation, and learning in sport. Inclusion is understood here as a process of social justice aimed at creating accessible, safe, and respectful sports environments that foster the active participation of all individuals, regardless of age, social background, or physical, motor, or cognitive abilities. From this perspective, sports education is required to adapt rules, spaces, and tools to promote active and collaborative learning experiences and counter stereotypes and prejudices, thereby strengthening empathy, communication, and awareness of both self and others.

The literature review indicates that e-learning platforms and mobile applications are the most widely used technologies in sports education, particularly for fostering content sharing and interaction between students and teachers. Exergames and gamification practices emerge as effective tools for enhancing motivation, movement, and interdisciplinarity, whereas monitoring devices, immersive technologies, and generative tools remain less commonly used, mainly due to economic, technological, and educational constraints. Despite their potential to support body awareness, personalised learning, and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, these technologies are often employed in fragmented ways that are not fully aligned with educational objectives. The study also reveals a strong prevalence of cognitively oriented teaching approaches, to the detriment of interactionist, sociocultural, and hybrid methodologies, which appear more suitable for enhancing the relational, socio-environmental, and motivational dimensions of sports education (Geisen, Fox, & Klatt, 2023; Willaert et al., 2020; Petrini, 2025). In conclusion, the study highlights the need for a more informed, integrated, and pedagogically grounded use of digital technologies, identifying future research priorities focused on exploring the relational, motivational, and physical effects of digital and virtual learning environments from a longitudinal and inclusive perspective.