Relation between burn out, motivation and performance among elite handball players

The purpose of this study was to find out the relation between burnout, motivation and performance in professional handball players. Subjects were handball prime league male players (N=148) of twelve teams. For data collection we used Athletic Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). Also for measuring performance among teams, two different ways were used, first the each two teams’ versus game, and second the final ranking of teams was used in a way that the six upper teams were considered as good performing teams and the other six teams were considered as weak performing teams. The Pierson correlation index was used for studying the relation between variables and the t test was used for comparing the results of good and weak performing teams. The results showed that there was a positive and significant relation between total burnout with intrinsic motives and motiveless. But there wasn’t a significant relation between burnout and extrinsic motives. Also there was a significant relation between burnout subscales (reduced sense of accomplishment, emotional/physical exhaustion, devaluation) and motiveless. The relation of players’ motivations and team performance was not statistically significant. These results can be used as a mean for helping to the managers and coaches in order to develop their knowledge, in better programming for athletes and solving their problems. Also these results are useful in proofing the importance of motivation as an effective factor in producing burn out among athletes.