The conglomerate of small communities known as “La Paloma Grande,” located in the Rocha department of Uruguay, encompasses approximately 20 kilometers of coastline, which serves as the center for various social and economic activities. In recent years, with population growth and anthropogenic intervention activities in the territory, socio-environmental conflicts have been increasing, highlighting tensions and dilemmas regarding the role of the coast and its economic direction, both for the Municipality in particular and for the Rocha department in general. In this context, nautical sports have become a focal point of discussion and conflict over coastal uses, whether for their tourist appeal or as a lifestyle choice for both long-time and new residents, and their role in shaping the identity of the place. Thus, the idea of sports as a development tool supports policies and actions that involve a diverse array of actors from different sectors, ranging from the State to civil sports and social organizations. The work underpinning this presentation aims to investigate the notions of "development" linked to sports in their practice and promotion, in tension with the various meanings and significances that different actors involved in sports policies and those practicing nautical sports on the Rocha coast attribute to them. In this regard, a systematization of the development categories at play in discussions about nautical sports on the coast will be presented, placing them in relation and dialogue with the diverse implications from each of the actors involved in the conflicts arising in the future management of the territory. The findings presented here emerge from ongoing ethnographic fieldwork, comprising three distinct levels: sports practice on the coast, the dynamics of the coastal urban territory, and the political-administrative level.