This was a two-phase mixed methods research project that analyzed the level of burnout among 108 athletes at a small NCAA Division II university, as well as the causes that led an athlete to feeling burned out from his or her sport. The first phase of this study examined the extent to which NCAA Division II collegiate softball, baseball, and soccer athletes reported burnout using the Raedeke and Smith (2001) Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. This questionnaire measured the level of burnout the athletes felt based on either their feelings of reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation of the sport, or physical and psychological exhaustion. The second phase of this study focused on exploring the possible primary causal factors for burnout within Division II college softball, baseball, and soccer athletes by using semi-structured interviews. The study found an insignificant difference in burnout levels between in-season athletes and out-of-season athletes. This study did discover a difference in burnout levels when comparing male athletes versus female athletes. Female athletes reported higher scores of physical and psychological exhaustion based on the results of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire as compared to their male counterparts.
