Self-Determination Theory & Burnout in Sports

Burnout in sport isn’t just about being tired. It’s a complex mix of emotional exhaustion, loss of motivation, and even questioning why you play or coach in the first place. For athletes, coaches, and even young kids in sport, burnout can lead to illness, injury, or simply walking away from the game they once loved.

So how do we understand burnout, and more importantly, how can we prevent it? One of the most useful frameworks is Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by Ryan and Deci.

What SDT Says About Motivation

SDT suggests that humans are driven by three core needs:

• Autonomy: the sense of control and choice in what we’re doing.

• Competence: feeling capable and effective at the task at hand.

• Relatedness: feeling connected and valued by others.

When these needs are met, motivation is more likely to be intrinsic: driven by enjoyment and growth. When they’re not met, motivation can become extrinsic: driven by outside factors, or even slip into amotivation, where you’re going through the motions without purpose.

And here’s the key: research shows that intrinsic motivation is linked with lower burnout, while amotivation is strongly associated with higher burnout (Cresswell & Eklund, 2005).

Burnout for Coaches

Coaching can be just as demanding as competing. Long hours, constant pressure to perform, and dealing with athletes and parents can take its toll. Studies have found that coaches who feel driven by their own internal standards and passion report higher job satisfaction and less burnout (Vealey et al., 2020).

On the flip side, coaches who feel pressured by outside forces, or who experience amotivation, are more likely to burn out. Supporting coaches’ sense of autonomy and competence isn’t just good for them, it’s good for their athletes too.

Burnout in Youth Sport

Youth athletes are particularly vulnerable. They’re still developing socially, physically, and mentally. Stressors like parent pressure, fear of failure, and too much focus on winning can quickly drain their motivation.

One of the biggest predictors of whether kids stay in sport? Fun. Research by Visek et al. (2015) shows that fun is the number one reason kids play, and the lack of it is the number one reason they quit. So, what makes sport fun?

• Positive team dynamics: (feeling connected → relatedness).

• Trying hard: (seeing effort as success → competence).

• Positive coaching: (encouragement, support, and autonomy).

When kids feel like they have choice, support, and a sense of growth, they’re far more likely to stick with sport and avoid burnout.

Burnout at the Elite Level

You might think professional athletes, with their resources and success, are immune to burnout. Not true. Elite athletes face constant external pressures: media, fans, sponsors, coaches, and can lose their sense of autonomy or joy in the sport.

Research on elite athletes shows that when their needs for autonomy and competence aren’t met, burnout symptoms like exhaustion and devaluation rise sharply (Lonsdale et al., 2009). Even at the top, SDT’s three needs remain crucial.

How to Prevent Burnout

Across all levels, coaches, kids, and pros, the message is clear: when people’s needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met, motivation thrives and burnout drops.

Practical strategies:

• For coaches: Create autonomy-supportive environments. Let athletes have a voice in training, and celebrate effort as much as results.

• For parents: Focus on enjoyment, development, and encouragement, not just winning.

• For athletes: Check in with yourself. Are you playing for the love of the game, or just because you feel like you have to?