Tracing burnout during adolescence to past sports experiences: a retrospective analysis of sport-specific antecedents among alpine ski racers

Introduction: Previous theoretical frameworks focusing on burnout have identified numerous antecedents and psychosocial risk factors; however, the influence of early sport-specific experiences on burnout in developmental athlete populations remains less understood. Objectives: We explored the associations between burnout and prior sports engagement (ie, milestones, practice time, performance, injury history) in a sample of subelite academy alpine ski racers in the United States (N = 169, M age = 15.82 ± 1.80). Methods: Participants completed retrospective practice history profiles (milestones, practice time, injury), while their respective performance data were collected using an online national ranking registry. Simple and mixed-effect regressions were implemented to assess the associations between these measures and subscales of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that greater participation in the coach-led group and individual practice during adolescence mitigated burnout responses (ie, greater sense of accomplishment, less sport devaluation), whereas more play earlier in development was associated with greater devaluation. Furthermore, poorer performance and more injury incidences were associated with increased burnout (ie, reduced sense of accomplishment). Conclusions: The structure of training and past experiences during early career years appear to influence burnout among alpine ski racing during their adolescent years, the implications of which are discussed in relation to sport developmental pipelines.