Symptoms and consequences associated with three dimensions of burnout in junior tennis players

Abstract

Raedeke (1997) conceptualized athlete burnout as the enduring existence of three dimensions: physical and emotional exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced sense of athletic accomplishment. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which Raedeke's conceptualization is efficacious within the context of junior tennis in the United Kingdom by exploring burned out players' perceptions of key symptoms and consequences associated with each dimension. Six former national junior tennis players who were identified as burned out underwent a structured interview exploring their experiences of burnout. Content analysis identified symptoms and consequences specific to each burnout dimension, but also considerable overlap and interrelationships among dimensions. In more severe cases of burnout, consequences continued after departure from the sport and were salient in non-athletic domains. Considerable significance was attached to reduced sense of athletic accomplishment, diverging from work-related literature where this burnout dimension is considered of limited importance (Cox, Tisserand, & Taris, 2005).