Coach and Athlete Burnout - West Virginia University

Burnout 79
A popular definition came from research conducted by Maslach and Jackson
(1981). They contended burnout could be identified as a syndrome characterized by
emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a lessened sense of personal
accomplishment. Although commonly seen in the sport burnout literature, this definition
has received some criticism. Kallus and Kellman (2000) stressed that too much emphasis
was placed on the cognitive components of burnout while overlooking physiological,
emotional, and behavioral characteristics. Perlman and Hartman (1982) presented a
similar definition based on their summary of early burnout literature which depicted the
phenomenon as including “emotional and/or physical exhaustion, a lowered job
productivity, and overdepersonalization” (p.293).
Another common definition of burnout stems from Smith’s (1986) theoretical
work, and is believed to be the most accepted definition for sport purposes thus far
(Raedeke, 1997). Smith introduced a stress-based explanation asserting burnout should
be considered a multidimensional experience that includes emotional, psychological, and
occasionally physical withdrawal from a previously enjoyable activity due to extreme and
persistent stress.
Schmidt and Stein (1991) presented an alternative definition that countered
Smith’s (1986) description. Using a commitment perspective, they suggested burnout
occurs when athletes remain in sport for some other reason outside of enjoyment. The
phenomenon can occur when the costs of participation rise along with an athlete’s
investment, with no concurrent rise in rewards, and a perception of nonexistent or few
alternatives.