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Youth sport burnout research is limited however sport specialization may factor into burnout. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine female athletes 'sport motivations and athletic burnout, according to whether or not they specialized in one sport. Seventy-seven female high school athletes (M age = 15.81, SD = 1.27) were surveyed on their practice habits, peer satisfaction, sport motivation (Sport Motivation Scale-II, Pelletier, Rocchi, Vallerand, Deci, & Ryan, 2013), and burnout (Athlete Burnout Questionnaire, Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Separate MANOVAs examining sport motivations and burnout across self-reported specialization status were not significant (p > .05). Regression results on burnout using sport motivation, practice habits, and peer satisfaction as predictors indicated athletes' amotivation was a predictor of burnout (F(l, 76) = 31.64, p < .001, R2 = .30), yet overall perceived burnout was low. Results indicate that in female non-elite youth athletes, specializers and non-specializers are similar in sport motivations and do not experience elevated burnout perceptions.
Within the United States, over 40 million youth participate in organized sports (Vealey & Chase, 2016) yet while participation has increased in recent decades (Telama, Yang, Hirvensalo, & Raitakari, 2006), more youth are now specializing in one sport due to parental pressure and the lure of potential future success, financial reward, and recognition (Carson, Landers, & Tjeerdsma-Blankenship, 2010; Côte, 1999). Sport specialization involves exclusive focus on one sport, which youth train for and compete in year-round (Gould, Carson, Fifer, Lauer, & Benham, 2009; Wiersma, 2000) and a contentious issue is whether specialization is a prerequisite for later athletic success (Baker, 2003). While there are notable examples of specialization success (e.g., Tiger Woods), concerns associated with specialization include limited motor skill development (Wiersma, 2000), heightened stress (Gould, 2010), overuse injuries (Kaleth & Mikesky, 2010), burnout (Gould et al., 2009) and dropout (Wall & Côte, 2007).
Support for early specialization comes from Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer (1993) who posited that early specialization via "deliberate practice" (effortful practice lacking inherent enjoyment and for the sole purpose of improving one's current performance levels) was essential to developing sport expertise. Deliberate practice examples include rote sport skill practice or sport-specific physical conditioning drills. Ericsson et al. (1993) noted that one constraint with deliberate practice was that because it is not...