Coach and Athlete Burnout - West Virginia University

Burnout 96
depersonalization subscale. Similar results have been mirrored by other studies regarding
the emotional exhaustion subscale (Kelley, 1994; Kelley, Eklund, & Ritter-Taylor, 1999;
Pastore & Judd, 1993; Vealey et al., 1992). However, Pastore & Judd (1993) and Vealey
and colleagues (1992) failed to demonstrate any gender differences regarding the
personal accomplishment subscale. Where these studies have found no gender
differences regarding the depersonalization subscale of the MBI, others have suggested
males experience greater levels of depersonalization than females (Dale & Weinberg,
1989). It can be concluded that gender differences in burnout among coaches needs
further examination to help clarify the inconsistent findings of the previous research.
Leadership Behavior and Burnout
A line of athlete burnout research of particular interest to the present investigator
has inspected the role coaches play in the occurrence of burnout among athletes. Vealey
et al. (1998) examined the influences perceived coaching behaviors had on athletes’
burnout. Through their investigation of 149 female collegiate athletes and 12 coaches,
authors found several coaching behaviors relating to athlete’s burnout. Results suggested
that those athletes scoring higher on the negative self-concept, emotional and physical
exhaustion, devaluation, and psychological withdrawal dimensions perceived coaching
behaviors to be less empathetic, stressing winning more than development, and using
more dispraise and an autocratic coaching style. These results were complimented by
research conducted by Price and Weiss (2000). These authors discovered that female
varsity soccer players experiencing low perceived sport competence and pleasure along
with higher anxiety and burnout levels reported coaching behaviors that were
characterized by less instruction or training, social support, positive feedback and more