GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 35 – October 6, 2015 | Page 38

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Emphasise the process, not the outcome - Burnout gets fuelled by an overemphasis on outcome. If you
over stress the importance of winning and instil a fear of
losing, you will distract your athletes, tighten them up and
interfere with them performing to their potential. Furthermore, the pressure that comes from overemphasizing
winning will kill your athletes’ enjoyment of the sport and
contribute to them burning out. Instead, teach the importance of the process. This means that you want to stress
proper execution, technique, strategy, etc. If you spend
more energy on these process elements, the outcome will
take care of itself.
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Encourage your athletes to engage in other sports
- If you are working with athletes under 14 years of age,
it’s in your best interest to allow them, if they so desire,
to participate in other sports. Overspecialization at too
young an age contributes to getting stale later on. Forcing
a young athlete to give up additional sports that they love
so that they can practice and compete all year long is a BIG
mistake on your part. Participating in other sports during
the off season keeps the athlete’s interest and enthusiasm
high. Sometime during early adolescence the athlete may
need to choose just one sport. However, you should never
force a younger athlete to make this choice.
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Schedule breaks! During practices, and between
competitions, give your athletes an opportunity to regroup
and relax a little. Applying this idea to an entire season: it
is important to provide athletes with a transition period
where they can escape the sport environment.
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Lastly, be aware of burnout and staleness. Do what
you can to create an environment that does not generate
negative (i.e., counter-productive) attitudes. If you know
someone that is in a bit of a slump, be aware of the fact
that it could be burnout. In helping such individuals, be
sensitive and compassionate; it is not entirely their fault
that they are burning out!

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REFERENCES
Gould, D., Udry, E., Tuffey, S., & Loehr, J. (1996). Burnout in
competitive junior tennis players: I. A quantitative psychological assessment. The Sport Psychologist, 10, 322-340.
Henschen, K.P. (1998). Athletic Staleness and Burnout: Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. In J.M. Williams (Ed.), Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance
(3 rd ed., pp. 398-408). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Shank, P.A., (1983). Anatomy of burnout. Parks and Recreation, 17, 52-58.
Shaufeli, W.B., Maslach, C., & Marek, T. (1993). Professional
burnout: Recent developments in theory and research. Washington DC: Taylor & Francis.
Smith, R. (1986). Toward a cognitive-affective model of athletic burnout. Journal of Sport Psychology, 8, 36-50.

Hannah van Buuren has worked with international, national and developmental athletes, in the UK, Australia
and South Africa. She provides research and sport science
support to athletes to enhance sports performance, by monitoring training loads, education to manage athlete commitments, sport science testing, and strength and conditioning
services. Some of the well-known teams that Hannah has
worked with include SA Proteas (Cricket), Kaiser Chiefs,
British Triathletes, Warratahs, Manly Sea Eagles Rugby
League, and various British Olympic Athletes.