O1012: Changes in Sports Participation, Specialization, and Burnout from 7th to 11th Grade

Background: To examine changes in sports participation, specialization, and burnout in students followed longitudinally from 7th through 11th grade. Prior studies have shown alarming rates of burnout and dropout from sports participation and physical activity in the youth population.

Methods: The same class (graduating class of 2023) at an elite private school was surveyed in the fall of each school year from 7th to 11th grade as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. 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/week in which students engaged in at least 60 minutes of strenuous exercise was significantly lower in grades 10 and 11 (2.7-3.3 days) compared with grades 7-9 (3.6-4.2 days, p≤0.05). The percentage of students participating in sports also decreased temporarily in 10th grade during the COVID-19 pandemic (59% vs. 70-82%, p< 0.03). More students stopped participating in a sport (38% vs. 21-29%), quit a sport to focus on a single sport (60% vs. 46-49%), or reported that one sport was most important to them (71% vs. 54-67%) in 9th grade although the percentage of athletes spending at least 75% of their time in a single sport did not differ significantly across grade level (65-75%, p>0.13). Burnout in sports did not differ significantly by grade level (16-29%) but was greater than 25% in all grades, with the exception of 10th grade during the pandemic. In contrast, burnout in school was significantly more common in high school (21-36%) compared with middle school (17%, p≤0.001).

Conclusion: Youth often drop other sports to focus on a single sport in 9th grade when entering high school and students in high school experience school-related burnout at a significantly higher rate than in middle school. As students transition to a time involving more opportunities and responsibilities in school and sports, burnout is steady or increasing, which can contribute to elevated rates of mental health illness. This phenomenon needs to be explored further.