Athlete burnout

Question 1

Athlete burnout

Answer 1

Between 1-12% of athletes.

Impact:
- Performance decrements
- Decreased motivation
- Troubled social relations that negatively impact team climate - - health issues

Question 2

Theories explaining it

Answer 2

Reaction to chronic stress
- Overtraining and psychosocial stress as cause for burnout. Eg Smith’s model

A motivational phenomenon
- Examined within self-determination & entrapment framework. Eg empowerment or investment model

Question 3

Factors associated

Answer 3

Overtraining/staleness (precursors)

Early specialization

Personality (perfectionalism/anxious traits, coping)

Motivation

Coach behaviour (critical coach/parents)

Social and logistical issues (travel grind, time)

Question 4

Smith’s Cognitive Affective model

Answer 4

Four stages of stress, paralleled by four stages of burnout

1. High or conflicting demands, low resources/social support
2. Cognitive appraisal of demands/resources worsen, overload and lack of control. helplessness
3. Physical arousal activation, tension and anger/anxiety/fatigue/insomnia
4. Coping behaviour: Decreased performance, withdrawal, inappropriate behaviour.

Coping resources become insufficient. Likely to occur if athletes perceives imbalance betw. demand and ability

Question 5

Improving burnout

Answer 5

Autonomy in training
Social support
Lowering demands
Increasing resources

Question 6

Investment model of burnout

Answer 6

Burnout occurs if athlete perceives costs of commitment are greater than reward

If commitment is based on enjoyment, rewards will outweigh cost. If based on entrapment, burnout very likely

Question 7

Empowerment model

Answer 7

Burnout is social and organisational problem caused by over controlling and constraining social structure.

Desire to develop identity outside sport and feel personal control over live are not realised: causes burnout and withdrawal.