BURNOUT IN COMPETITIVE JUNIOR TENNIS PLAYERS .1. A QUANTITATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL-ASSESSMENT

This study reports results from the first phase of a large-scale resea rch project designed to examine burnout in competitive junior tennis p layers. Thirty junior tennis burnout and 32 comparison players, identi fied by U.S. Tennis Association personnel, voluntarily completed a bat tery of psychological assessments. A series of discriminant function a nalyses and univariate t-tests revealed that burned out, as contrasted to comparison players, had significantly: (a) higher burnout scores; (b) less input into training; (c) were more likely to have played high school tennis; (d) more likely played up in age division; (e) practic ed fewer days; (f) were lower in external motivation, (g) were higher in amotivation; (h) reported being more withdrawn; (i) differed on a v ariety of perfectionism subscales; (j) were less likely to use plannin g coping strategies; and (k) were lower on positive interpretation and growth coping. It was concluded that in addition to a variety of pers onal and situational predictors of burnout, perfectionism plays a part icularly important role.