Sport specialization and burnout symptoms among adolescent athletes
Specializing in a single sport may contribute to athlete burnout. The aim of this study was to compare adolescents who specialized in a sport and those without specialization in terms of athlete burnout. Furthermore, potential gender differences and the association between burnout and well-being wer...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2025.2460626 |
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| Summary: | Specializing in a single sport may contribute to athlete burnout. The aim of this study was to compare adolescents who specialized in a sport and those without specialization in terms of athlete burnout. Furthermore, potential gender differences and the association between burnout and well-being were investigated. Using a cross-sectional survey, 169 adolescent athletes (Mage = 16.29 years) were asked about sport specialization, athlete burnout symptoms, and psychological well-being. Non-specialized athletes reported significantly lower scores in the burnout dimension emotional/physical exhaustion (p = .030,d = -0.34), and significantly higher scores in the devaluation (p = .008,d = 0.42) and reduced sense of accomplishment dimension (p = .036,d = 0.33) than specialized athletes. Females generally showed higher burnout scores, but no significant specialization*gender interactions were found. Athlete burnout was negatively related to psychological well-being. Early warning signs should be monitored in athletes who specialize in a single sport to prevent burnout-related exhaustion; independent of this, female athletes should be particularly aware of burnout symptoms. |
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| ISSN: | 0267-3843 2164-4527 |