Coach and Athlete Burnout - West Virginia University

Burnout 83
stress occurs from the appraisal of mismatch between the demand, and the lack of or
abundance of coping resources. When stress occurs the third stage of the model is
initiated. The harm or danger emanating from the appraisal is suggested to cause
physiological responses in the athlete, including anxiety, tension, anger, and fatigue. It
should be noted that at this stage, the physiological responses provides feedback to the
athlete about the situation and contributes to a positive or negative re-appraisal of the
situation. The physiological response(s) will lead the athlete to the fourth stage of the
model, which is an overt coping behavior. These could include decreased performance,
communication problems, and/or withdrawal from the sport itself.
Some have praised this model for its interactional approach to understanding the
nature of burnout (Dale & Weinberg, 1990) and for the usefulness it has in delineating
targets for intervention (Rotella, Hanson, & Coop, 1991). The model not only
incorporates situational, cognitive, physiological, and behavioral components, but
suggests that personality and motivational aspects act upon each of the stages as well.
Another strength of the model lies in its ability to differentiate between those who
withdraw from sport due to burnout (a result of stress explained by the model) and those
who withdraw for other reasons. Despite this intuitive appeal, little research attention has
been given to this model in explaining burnout in athletes (Gould, 1996). However, some
research has used this model in explaining coach burnout.
Vealey et al. (1992) utilized this model to examine cognitive, dispositional, and
situational predictors of coach burnout. Cognitive appraisal factors of interest were
perceived stress and meaningfulness of work. Intrapersonal factors included gender, the
presence of a partner, and coaching experience. The dispositional factor of interest was