Background: Previous studies show alarming rates of burnout and dropout from sports participation and physical activity in the youth population. Early sports specialization may increase the risk of injury, burnout, and eventual dropout from sports.
Hypothesis: Sports participation will decrease, specialization will increase, and burnout will increase from junior high to high school.
Study design: Prospective longitudinal study.
Level of evidence: Level 2b.
Methods: The graduating class of 2023 was surveyed longitudinally in the fall of each school year from 7th to 12th grade (n = 35-77 from middle to high school based on new enrollment participants and attrition). Survey questions asked about sports participation, specialization, and burnout. Responses were analyzed by grade level using mixed effects linear and logistic regression accounting for repeated measures.
Results: The number of days per week in which students engaged in at least 60 minutes of strenuous exercise progressively decreased from 7th through 12th grade from 4.0 to 2.3 days per week (P < 0.01). The percentage of students participating in sports also decreased from 7th to 12th grade from 82% to 39% (P < 0.01). More students stopped participating in a sport (38% vs 22% to 29%, P = 0.04), quit a sport to focus on a single sport (60% vs 46% to 49%, P = 0.01), or reported that 1 sport was most important to them (71% vs 54% to 67%, P = 0.06) in 9th grade. Burnout in sports did not differ significantly by grade level (19% to 23%, P > 0.99). In contrast, burnout in school was significantly more common in high school (54% to 69%) compared with middle school (36%, P < 0.01). Burnout in school was higher in female students compared with male students (68% vs 38%, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Organized sports participation and general physical activity decreased from middle to high school, with the entry into high school at 9th grade being a time at which a significant number of students dropped other sports to specialize in a single sport or stopped participating. Burnout in sports did not appear to increase with age; however, there was an increase in school-related burnout as students transitioned from middle to high school.
Clinical relevance: Our results highlight the need for continued research into sports participation, specialization, and burnout in adolescents. In addition, health professionals and the community (parents, coaches, teachers) supporting youth athletes may consider positive interventions during the periods of transition from middle to high school to include facilitating different tracks of sports participation (including a developmental or recreational model of play) to reduce dropout from sport and supportive measures to lessen burnout from sports and from school.
Keywords: burnout; specialization; youth sports.