1 Athlete burnout among highschool drill team members by TaylerJackson A thesis submittedinpartial fulfillment of the requirementsfor the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION with an emphasis in SPORTS COACHINGAND LEADERSHIP WEBER STATEUNIVERSITY Ogden,Utah August 25, 2025 Approved Chad Smith, Ph.D. Ryan Zimmerman, Ph.D. Nikki Wardle, Masters 1 Athlete burnout among high school drill team members Tayler J. Jackson Department of Education, Weber State University Thesis Proposal Defense August 25, 2025 2 Athlete burnout among high school drill team members Problem Statement High school drill team is a highly competitive, demanding, and rigorous sport (Norton, 2025). The drill season is year-round, with competition season lasting for over 3 months. With such a long season and with very few breaks, many athletes and coaches experience physical, mental, and emotional burnout during the competition season, as discussed in many post-season UHSAA drill team coaches meetings. Athlete burnout has been an ongoing discussion in the drill world for years, with many coaches proposing to shorten the competition season or postpone tryouts until the summer during these in-person meetings. For every proposed idea, there has been an obstacle in the way. For example, at the spring 2025 UHSAA drill coaches meeting, it was proposed to shorten the 20-hour practice maximum to under 15 hours to give athletes more time for rest and recovery, but it wasn’t approved as the UHSAA board wants drill athletes to perform at high school sporting events throughout their competition season (UDDA, March 8, 2025). Athlete burnout during the drill season is problematic because it can lead to athletes feeling stressed, overworked, loss of passion, injuries, and emotional distress. Dannis (2023) discusses in his article on athlete burnout among high school students that the burnout high school athletes endure can not only be harmful to their mental health but also cause them to pull back from their sport completely and lose the passion they once experienced through their sport. In a review done by Mainwaring and Finney (2017), the authors discussed the effect that psychological aspects can have on injury risk and injury recovery. The article identifies stress, psychological distress, personality, coping, and social support as psychological aspects that may increase the dancer's risk of injury or prolonged recovery time. A dance-specific study done by Russell (2013) on burnout among university dance students goes into depth on the dance season and the available recovery time for the athletes. The article discusses how the dance season does not allow for much recovery time compared to other sports, as they have to 3 juggle practice time with school requirements and often employment throughout their season. Athlete burnout is an understudied topic (Dannis, 2023), and dance is an even more understudied topic, with very few looking into burnout and injury prevention within the sport of competitive dance. While there are some studies addressing athlete burnout, there is very little research on athlete burnout specifically related to dance. There are currently no research articles on the topic of high school drill teams in the Rocky Mountain region. As a drill team coach, I want to ensure that I can best support my athletes in mitigating the effects of physical, mental, and emotional burnout. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to conduct an analysis of burnout among high school drill team athletes. To do this, I will be analyzing athlete burnout among high school drill team members through the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Through this survey, I will be able to collect data from participating drill teams in the areas of emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. With the data collected, I will be able to see what areas of burnout are having a greater effect on drill team athletes and compare this with other research done to find ways to lower the effects of burnout and share this information with the drill team community. RQ1: What levels of emotional and physical exhaustion are reported? RQ2: Do athletes report reduced accomplishment or sport devaluation? RQ3: What patterns emerge across different schools, team sizes, or levels of competition? Literature Review Introduction Athlete burnout in the sports science discipline is often defined as a multidimensional psychosocial syndrome (Woods et al., 2022) characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and devaluation of one’s sport involvement. (Dannis, 2023; Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Researchers define burnout as a psychophysiological and dysfunctional condition in 4 which athletes experience fatigue from training, competition, distress (Moseid et al., 2023), and an inability to meet personal goals (Raanes et al., 2019), ultimately leading to a loss of interest and care for one's formerly enjoyable sport (Gould et al., 2009). This phenomenon is particularly concerning with athletes in highly competitive sports as the sport involves intense physical demands with rigorous competition that pushes athletes to high limits of excellence (Grzelak & Langer, 2024). While burnout has been extensively studied in traditional sports, research specific to dance-based sports, such as high school drill teams, remains limited (McCabe et al., 2014). Burnout in dance sports is essential to study as burnout can have a detrimental effect on athletes' mental health and long-term participation, causing athletes to lose their sense of place within their sport (Dannis, 2023). In a study done by Quested & Duda (2011), dancers reported a reduced sense of accomplishment and dance devaluation as well as emotional and physical exhaustion using the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction (BPNS). Gustafson & Kentta (2007) reported that between 1% and 9% of athletes exhibit elevated burnout symptoms. Understanding the causes and prevention strategies for burnout in dance sport is crucial to enhancing athletes' success and longevity in their sport (Yang et al., 2023). Dance as a Sport To better understand burnout within drill, it is important to first consider dance as a sport. Dancers are increasingly being recognized as elite athletes (Bronner et al., 2015) and dance as an activity that combines both sport and dance (Liiv et al., 2014). Competitive dancers engage in long hours of intense training (Kolokythas et al., 2022), requiring high muscular strength and endurance, agility, coordination, motor control, and psychological resilience (Russell, 2013). Highly competitive drill teams perform and compete in a variety of dance styles that combine the art of dance with the strength of highly trained athletes. These athletes are expected to execute a diverse range of skills while performing with precision and synchronization within their team (Watson et al., 2017). Competitive drill teams face unique challenges similar to other high-performing sports that come from intense physical demands, 5 long training hours, high-pressure performances, and increased expectations from coaches (Grzelak & Langner, 2024). While some level of stress is inherent in competitive sports, chronic stress can be detrimental to athletes' well-being (Raanes et al., 2019). Dance sport athletes participate in year-round training as their competition has increasingly grown. This increased training load has led to limited recovery time and increased stress making chronic injuries (Grzelak & Langer, 2024) and burnout more of a risk to these athletes (Gustafson & Kentta, 2007). Physical factors Given the high physical intensity of drill, it’s important to examine the physical factors contributing to burnout. Overtraining and insufficient recovery time are issues within high-intensity sports (Crzelak & Langer, 2024) like competitive drill. This can lead to athlete burnout due to an inadequate amount of time for rest in between training sessions, causing fatigue, injuries, and high levels of stress. (Yang, et al., 2023). Overuse and fatigue have been shown to increase the likelihood of injuries, especially toward the end of the dance season as rehearsals get longer and performances become more intense (Russell, 2013). A study done by Debien et al. (2020) found that most gymnasts did not fully recover for over half of their competition season due to high training loads and little time for full recovery between competitions. Similarly, in dance-based sports, studies have indicated that there is a high injury prevalence among the sport, roughly 60%-76% of ballet and contemporary dancers suffer injuries (Kolokythas et al., 2022), breakdancers will suffer 1 overuse syndrome every 1847.5 hours (Kauther et al., 2009), and 48 female dancers reported 70 injuries over 3 years (Mendes-Cunha et al., 2022). Moseid et al. (2023) found that athlete burnout is significantly associated with injuries and illness burdens, with female athletes reporting a higher level of burnout compared to male athletes. Psychological factors Not only can overtraining and burnout create physical complications for athletes, it can create psychological complications as well. Athletes in high-pressure sports environments often experience 6 excessive stress ( Choi et al., 2020). This high level of stress is associated as a contributing factor to athlete burnout (Raanes et al., 2019). Psychological stress increases dancers' susceptibility to injury, particularly in athletes who lack social support or have negative self-confidence (Russell, 2013). However, athlete gratitude has been shown to decrease the effects of burnout and have a positive effect on athlete engagement (Guo et al., 2022). Perfectionism, performance anxiety, and athletic identity are also associated with higher levels of burnout (Eklund & DeFreese, 2015; Gustafsson et al., 2017). As athletes face public scrutiny and high expectations, they experience heightened performance anxiety (Grzelak & Langner, 2024). Research indicates that perfectionism is positively associated with burnout and suggests that controlling coaching behavior may contribute to athletes suffering from perfectionism and increases their risk of burnout (Barcza-Renner et al., 2016). An athlete's ability to regulate one's thoughts and behaviors affects athlete burnout (Raanes et al., 2019). The loss of intrinsic motivation over time is another factor in burnout. Athletes who feel competent are more likely to maintain adaptive motivation and goal-oriented behaviors (Quested & Duda, 2011). Burnout symptoms often resemble depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion (Koutsimani et al., 2019). Studies suggest that hope, optimism, and self-efficacy have a negative association with stress and may reduce burnout by promoting positive emotions (Gustafsson et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2023). Research also suggests that self-determined motivation reduces burnout (Lonsdale et al., 2009). Social and environmental factors Beyond individual stressors, social and environmental stressors can affect burnout. The social and environmental factors play a crucial role in athlete burnout, as external pressures, social interactions, and support systems can either decrease or increase the effects of burnout. Social media can amplify performance pressure through supporters or critics commenting on the athlete's 7 performance and can lead to cyberbullying and can cause depression among elite athletes (Crzelak & Langer, 2024). Athletes who experience low social support experience low motivation, powerlessness, and high levels of burnout (Dannis, 2023). As burnout progresses, athletes may decrease social interactions with their teammates and pull away from their sport (Marangoni et al., 2023), causing a recurring cycle of low social support and burnout. External pressures or major life events may increase the risk of burnout (Marangoni et al., 2023). Conversely, supportive coaches, inclusive team environments, and high-quality communication reduce burnout risk (Dannis, 2023; Gustafsson et al., 2017). Additionally, sport devaluation, a key component of burnout, is negatively associated with social support, suggesting that a positive team environment can help an athlete sustain their passion for their sport (Woods et al., 2022). Coach-athlete relationship Among the various social influences athletes encounter, coaches and teachers play a critical role in shaping both positive and negative experiences of athletes. Autonomy-supportive coaching, fostering self-initiated and self-controlled actions, helps athletes find a sense of personal autonomy and love for their sport (Quested & Duda, 2011). Autonomy-supportive coaches also have a positive impact on communication, developing a positive relationship between coach and athlete that leads to improved athlete performance and increased satisfaction, reducing the level of burnout (Choi et al., 2020). In contrast, controlling coaching styles have been linked to higher levels of burnout (Barcza-Renner et al., 2016; Woods et al., 2022). Effective coach-athlete relationships are essential in mitigating burnout, as strong bonds contribute to a lower risk of burnout (Rannes et al., 2019). A coach's ability to build healthy relationships with coaching staff, leaders, and athletes can have a positive effect on lowering the risk of burnout (Marangoni et al., 2023). High-quality coach-athlete relationships and promoting mastery-approach goals 8 mitigate burnout by reducing emotional and physical exhaustion and increasing athletes' sense of accomplishment and sport development (Isoard-Gautheur et al., 2016). Academic and life balance In addition to sport-specific challenges, athletes must juggle multiple responsibilities, including academics, work, practice, social and physical demands, along with emotional well-being. This constant balancing act often leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, resulting in high levels of burnout (Marangoni et al., 2023). The rigorous sport schedule can further exacerbate the issue, leaving little time for respite between events (Grzelak & Langner, 2024). Yang et al. (2023) indicated that many athletes lack the coping skills to effectively manage both academic and sport demands. The need for further research Despite the growing popularity of dance-based sports, not much research has been done on dance in general (McCabe et al., 2014), specifically among high school drill teams. While hip-hop, dance sport, and other competitive dance forms are recognized as physically and psychologically demanding, studies investigating injury prevalence, stress factors, and burnout are limited (Ursej et al., 2019; Outevsky & Martain, 2015). This lack of research highlights the need for further studies focusing on competitive dance, as their unique training intensity, team structure, and performance expectations may pose a high burnout risk among their athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine burnout among high school drill team athletes using the ABQ. This analysis will focus on emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. The findings will identify which aspects of burnout most affect drill team athletes. Methods Participants The participants in this study were high school drill team athletes who graduated in 2025. Eligible participants had completed at least one full season competing on their high school’s drill team. A 9 convenience sampling method was used, targeting all drill team athletes graduating in 2025 to ensure diversity in team size, region, competitive level, and coaching styles. Drill team coaches from 93 high schools across 23 counties were contacted through email (appendix A), with 34 agreeing to distribute the survey to their eligible athletes. The final sample included 59 female drill team athletes from 2A through 6A high schools located within the Rocky Mountain region. All participants graduated in 2025 and were, on average, 18.5 years old (± 3 months), with 1 to 4 years of drill team experience. Instrument The Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), developed by Raedeke and Smith (2001), served as the primary instrument for data collection. This tool conceptualized athlete burnout across three key dimensions: emotional and physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. The questionnaire consisted of 15 items divided into three subscales, with five items per subscale. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (“almost never”) to 5 (“almost always”). For the scoring of the ABQ questionnaires, each subscale was totaled using the sum of the 5 item scores divided by 5 to give the result for that subscale. Items 1 and 14 in the ABQ were reverse scored. At the end of the ABQ survey, participants were also given an open-ended question: "What would you say was the biggest factor that contributed to your degree of burnout?" This allowed respondents to share personal insights and context beyond the standardized survey items, making this a mixed methods design. Procedure High school drill team coaches were contacted and asked to assist in distributing the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) to their 2025 graduated athletes. Coaches received a prepared script that included a study overview (appendix B), a secure link to the online questionnaire (appendix C), and 10 informed consent information for participants (appendix D). Athletes completed the ABQ electronically, with responses submitted and collected via email. To maintain confidentiality, no identifying information was gathered, and all responses remained anonymous. Participation was entirely voluntary, and data were used solely for research purposes. Data Analysis Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize demographic variables and identify common burnout levels reported by participants. Alongside these, average scores and frequency distributions were examined to explore differences and recurring themes among the burnout dimensions assessed by the ABQ. To compare burnout levels across school classifications, a one-way ANOVA was conducted using a significance level of p < .05. Additionally, open-ended responses underwent thematic analysis, with two researchers independently coding the data to identify common patterns. Results ABQ Results The ABQ measures three dimensions of athlete burnout: emotional/physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each subscale to identify general trends in participant responses. Results showed that emotional/physical exhaustion had the highest reported levels among participants, with a mean score of 3.98 (SD = 0.78). This was followed by reduced sense of accomplishment, which had a mean of 2.55 (SD = 0.95), and sport devaluation, which had a mean of 2.46 (SD = 0.94) (appendix E). ANOVA Results A one-way ANOVA was conducted to examine whether levels of emotional/physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation differed among participants from different 11 school classifications (2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A). The analysis revealed no significant differences in all three categories across classification levels. These results suggest that the size or classification of the school did not have a statistically significant impact on reported levels of emotional or physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, or sport devaluation among drill team members. Table 1: Emotional & Physical Exhaustion ANOVA Source DF SS MS F-Ratio P-Value Between Groups 4 1.6177 0.4044 0.62953 0.643616 Within Groups 52 33.4055 0.6424 Total 56 35.0232 Table 2: Reduced Sense of Accomplishment ANOVA Source DF SS MS F-Ratio P-Value Between Groups 4 2.2404 0.5601 0.58531 0.674674 Within Groups 52 49.761 0.9569 Total 56 52.0014 Table 3: Sport Devaluation ANOVA Source DF SS MS F-Ratio P-Value Between Groups 4 4.31 1.0775 1.21385 0.316176 Within Groups 52 46.1588 0.8877 Total 56 50.4688 Qualitative Results In addition to the quantitative data collected through the ABQ, participants were invited to respond to an open-ended question asking what they believed contributed most to their experience of 12 burnout. Of the 59 total participants, 56 provided a written response. The qualitative feedback revealed two dominant themes: coaching issues, and workload/time demands accompanied by physical exhaustion. A significant portion of respondents (34%) identified their coaches as the primary contributors to their feelings of burnout. These responses commonly referenced issues such as lack of emotional support, poor communication, inconsistent or unprofessional leadership, and excessive pressure. One dancer recalled, “They ruined it for a lot of us because we didn’t have the leaders we needed,” while another described coaches “tearing apart a 17-year-old girl” and making her feel that “nothing I ever did was enough but when I did things, it was always too much.” Others noted feeling treated “like robots and not teenage girls” and frustrated by coaches who “never took accountability and constantly told us the coaches don’t affect how the team is, it’s the dancers.” Another frequent theme was the overwhelming time dedication required by drill team participation, with 28% citing it as the biggest contributor to their burnout. Athletes described balancing long hours of practice, schoolwork, and social obligations as physically and emotionally draining. One dancer shared, “Having early morning practice every day, then adding in night practices, and Saturday practices… made me so mentally and physically exhausted.” Others spoke of “constantly planning my social life, family life, and everything in between around drill practice” or “dancing for 20+ hours some weeks.” Competition season was particularly taxing, with one noting, “There was never a time for your body to heal… everyone’s getting sick along with having drill every morning at 6am.” Other less frequently mentioned factors included team dynamics, mental and emotional strain, competitive frustrations, and life balance challenges. Some athletes described “mean girls” and coaches who allowed bullying to occur, while others shared that “my drive to be the best and be perfect all the time caused a lot of mental anguish.” One athlete noted, “Our division in which we competed seemed 13 very unfair and it always felt we were getting scammed.” Another athlete recalled “I had no social life because of the time I spent on drill… when I did have time, I was too exhausted to go out.” Table 4: Burnout Themes Frequency Discussion This study is one of the first to explore athlete burnout among drill team athletes in the Rocky Mountain Region. The results reveal that these athletes are experiencing notable levels of burnout, particularly in the form of emotional and physical exhaustion. On average, participants reported elevated exhaustion levels, yet their sense of accomplishment and perceived value of the sport remained comparatively higher. This pattern suggests that many drill team athletes are in the early stages of burnout, experiencing fatigue while still maintaining motivation and sport appreciation. As Gould et al. (2009) noted, decreases in accomplishment and sport value typically emerge later in the burnout process, reinforcing the idea that these athletes may not yet be in the most severe stages. Prevalence of Burnout Of all respondents, 90% reported moderate to high burnout in at least one dimension of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ). Specifically, 83.1% experienced moderate to high emotional and physical exhaustion, 32.2% reported a reduced sense of accomplishment, and 28.8% exhibited signs of 14 sport devaluation. Notably, 8.5% of participants reported high burnout in all three categories, a figure that closely aligns with Gustafson and Kentta’s (2007) findings that 1–9% of athletes display elevated burnout symptoms. Burnout levels in this study were classified using the ABQ scale, where mean scores ≤ 2.9 indicate low burnout, 3.0–3.9 indicate moderate burnout, and ≥ 4.0 indicate high burnout. Emotional and Physical Exhaustion The most prevalent dimension of burnout was emotional and physical exhaustion, with a mean score of 3.98 (SD = 0.78) and 83.1% of participants experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout within this category. This quantitative finding aligns with the qualitative data, in which the most frequently cited contributing factors were the coach–athlete relationship and time demands. This aligns with existing literature suggesting that coach-athlete relationships are a critical factor in athlete well-being and burnout risk. Consistent with the work of Grzelak and Langer (2024) and Yang et al. (2023), participants described the cumulative toll of intense training schedules, early morning practices, and the challenge of balancing academics as major contributors to fatigue. Limited rest and recovery time exacerbated this exhaustion. Additionally, several participants reported low social support from both coaches and teammates, a factor previously linked to increased burnout risk in studies by Dannis (2023) and Gustafsson et al. (2017). Reduced Sense of Accomplishment & Sport Devaluation The second most common burnout dimension was reduced sense of accomplishment, with 32.2% of participants reporting moderate to high levels, followed by sport devaluation at 28.8%. These comparatively lower percentages suggest that while athletes are physically and emotionally fatigued, most still maintain pride in their performance and value their sport. This finding reinforces the idea that the majority of participants are in the early stages of burnout. If targeted preventative measures, such as rest opportunities, balanced training loads, and stronger social support systems, are implemented to address exhaustion, it may be possible to prevent further progression and allow athletes to thrive. 15 ANOVA Findings The lack of significant differences across classifications and burnout level may indicate that burnout is more strongly influenced by factors such as training intensity, coaching style, and recovery time than by school size or competitive level. This suggests that regardless of whether an athlete competes at a smaller 2A school or a larger 6A school, the intensity and structure of training, the quality of athlete–coach relationships, and the prioritization of rest and mental health may play a greater role in shaping athlete burnout experiences. Practical Implications The combination of quantitative findings and qualitative feedback from participants underscores that burnout in drill team athletes is not merely a product of competition level, but of the demanding training culture and interpersonal dynamics within teams. The high level of emotional and physical exhaustion reported in this study were strongly linked to time demands and strained coach–athlete relationships. Based on these findings, coaches should implement structured rest periods, reduce excessive training loads, and foster autonomy-supportive communication. These may include actively seeking athlete input in training decisions, offering constructive feedback instead of solely critical commentary, and promoting a team culture where athletes feel valued beyond performance outcomes. Administrators can use these findings to review and strengthen current policy guidelines by capping weekly practice hours, enforcing required moratoriums, expanding mental health resources for athletes, and offering targeted training opportunities for coaches. Limitations of the Study While this study provides important insight into burnout among drill team athletes, several limitations must be acknowledged. First, the sample size was relatively small. Out of 93 eligible high schools, responses were received from only 34, representing 36.6% of the target population. This limited response rate may have been influenced by a number of new coaches taking over programs who did not 16 have access to contact information for graduating athletes. Additionally, the distribution of participants across competitive classifications was uneven, which may explain the lack of statistically significant differences between classifications. Second, the reliance on self-reported survey data introduces the potential for response bias, as participants may have over- or under-reported burnout levels based on personal perceptions or a desire to portray themselves or their team in a certain way. Finally, the absence of comparison groups, such as current drill team athletes or dancers from studios and clubs, limits the ability to generalize these findings across all dance-based athletic contexts. Future Research Future studies should build on these findings through longitudinal research, tracking burnout levels across athletes’ drill team careers. Following participants from their first year through their final season would provide a clearer picture of how burnout develops over time and whether preventative measures are effective. Expanding the sample size and including athletes from different competitive levels, regions, and activity types would strengthen the generalizability of results. Future studies should also aim for a more balanced representation across all school classifications (2A–6A) to better understand whether competitive level plays a role in burnout. Including athletes from additional regions outside the Rocky Mountain area could help determine if the burnout trends found in this study are region-specific or part of a broader pattern. Additionally, future research should address how coaching behaviors influences burnout within drill team athletes. Additionally, adding comparison groups such as studio dancers or competitive cheerleaders could provide valuable insight into whether the causes and patterns of burnout in drill are unique or shared across similar activities. Lastly, future research should address how coaching behaviors influences burnout within drill team athletes. Conclusion 17 This study provides one of the first examinations of athlete burnout among high school drill team athletes in the Rocky Mountain region, offering valuable insight into the prevalence, contributing factors, and stages of burnout these athletes are experiencing. The findings reveal that while drill team athletes report elevated levels of emotional and physical exhaustion, their sense of accomplishment and perceived value of the sport remain high, suggesting that many are in the early stages of burnout. This pattern indicates an important window of opportunity for intervention before athletes progress to more severe stages where disengagement and sport devaluation become more prominent. Both the quantitative and qualitative data point to similar contributors to burnout, with time demands and the coach–athlete relationship emerging as the most common factors. These findings align with previous research highlighting the consistent role of workload management, rest, and supportive coaching practices in mitigating burnout risk. While the study’s limitations, including a smaller sample size and unequal classification representation, restrict the ability to generalize findings to all drill team athletes, the data still underscores the need for burnout prevention strategies within this sport. Ultimately, this research serves as a foundation for future work on drill team athlete well-being and provides coaches, administrators, and sport organizations with information to address burnout before it escalates. By prioritizing recovery, fostering positive coach–athlete relationships, and building supportive team cultures, the drill team community can better protect athlete health, preserve passion for the sport, and encourage long-term participation. 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My name is Tayler Jackson. I’ve spent the past two years as the head coach at Morgan Drill and am currently coaching at Pleasant Grove. I’m in my final semester of the Master’s in Coaching program at Weber State University, and my thesis focuses on athlete burnout in high school drill teams. As part of my research, I’m collecting survey data from recently graduated seniors. If you are willing, I’ll attach the study information for participating athletes to this email so you can forward it on to your 2025 graduated drill team members. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there’s a process I should follow for your school. I truly appreciate your time and help! Best, Tayler Jackson Appendix B Information sent to participating athletes Dear Former Drill Team Member, My name is Tayler Jackson, and I am currently a graduate student at Weber State University conducting research on athlete burnout among high school drill team members. As part of my master’s project, I am gathering insight from former drill athletes to better understand how their experiences may have contributed to feelings of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion during their time on the team. 24 You are invited to participate in this study by completing a brief questionnaire, which includes both demographic questions and items related to your experience on a high school drill team. The entire survey should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. Please be assured that all responses will be kept strictly confidential. ● No identifying information (such as your name, school, or email address) will be included in any part of the final research. ● All data will be de-identified and stored securely. ● Only generalized, anonymous data will be used in the final report. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may choose to skip any questions or stop the survey at any time. If you are willing to participate, please fill out the attached consent form and click the link below to begin the questionnaire. Consent Form Link: https://forms.gle/NZEEyfD7LXNNxYhRA Thank you for considering this opportunity to support research that could help improve the health and well-being of future high school drill athletes. Your perspective is incredibly valuable. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at taylerbentley@mail.weber.edu Sincerely, Tayler Jackson Appendix C Survey questions High school attended: Number of years on the drill team: ABQ Questionnaire: 25 How often do you feel this way? Almost Never Rarely Sometimes Frequently Almost Always 1 I'm accomplishing many worthwhile things in drill 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 2 I feel so tired from my training that I have trouble finding energy to do other things 3 The effort I spend in drill would be better spent doing other things 1 2 3 4 5 4 I feel overly tired from my drill participation 1 2 3 4 5 5 I am not achieving much in drill 1 2 3 4 5 6 I don't care as much about my drill performance as I used to 1 2 3 4 5 7 I am not performing up to my ability in drill 1 2 3 4 5 8 I feel "wiped out" from drill 1 2 3 4 5 9 I'm not into drill like I used to be 1 2 3 4 5 10 I feel physically worn out from drill 1 2 3 4 5 I feel less concerned about being successful in drill than I used to 1 2 3 4 5 I am exhausted by the mental and 12 physical demands of drill 1 2 3 4 5 It seems that no matter what I do, I 13 don't perform as well as I should 1 2 3 4 5 14 I feel successful at drill 1 2 3 4 5 I have negative feelings towards 15 drill 1 2 3 4 5 11 What would you say was the biggest factor that contributed to your degree of burnout? Appendix D Informed Consent Form IRB STUDY #IRB-AY24-25-409 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY INFORMED CONSENT 26 Athlete burnout among high school drill team members You are invited to participate in a research study on athlete burnout among 2025 graduated high school drill team members. You were selected as a possible subject because you are a 2025 high school graduate who participated in at least one season of drill. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study. The study is being conducted by Tayler Jackson, a graduate student at Weber State University with a focus on coaching and leadership. STUDY PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of burnout among high school drill team athletes. To do this, I will be analyzing athlete burnout among high school drill team members through the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Through this survey, I will be able to collect data from participating drill teams in the areas of emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. With the data collected, I will be able to see what areas of burnout are having a greater effect on drill team athletes and compare this with other research done to find ways to lower the effects of burnout and share this information with the drill team community. NUMBER OF PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: If you agree to participate, you will be one of 59 subjects who will be participating in this research. PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY: If you agree to be in the study, you will do the following things: Complete a single online survey through google forms answering questions on your demographics and answering 15 questions from the athlete burnout questionnaire with each item being rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always), followed by an open-ended question. RISKS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: The risks of completing the survey are being uncomfortable answering the questions. The risk of possible loss of confidentiality. BENEFITS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY You will not receive payment for taking part in this study. ALTERNATIVES TO TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: Instead of being in the study, you have these options: Do not answer the survey questions. COSTS/ COMPENSATION FOR INJURY 27 In the event of physical injury resulting from your participation in this research, necessary medical treatment will be provided to you and billed as part of your medical expenses. Costs not covered by your health care insurer will be your responsibility. Also, it is your responsibility to determine the extent of your health care coverage. There is no program in place for other monetary compensation for such injuries. However, you are not giving up any legal rights or benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you are participating in research which is not conducted at a medical facility, you will be responsible for seeking medical care and for the expenses associated with any care received. CONFIDENTIALITY Efforts will be made to keep your personal information confidential. We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. Your personal information may be disclosed if required by law. Your identity will be held in confidence in reports in which the study may be published. Organizations that may inspect and/or copy your research records for quality assurance and data analysis include groups such as the study investigator and his/her research associates, the Weber State University Institutional Review Board or its designees, the study sponsor, Chad Smith, and (as allowed by law) state or federal agencies, specifically the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [for FDA-regulated research and research involving positron-emission scanning], the National Cancer Institute (NCI) [for research funded or supported by NCI], the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [for research funded or supported by NIH], etc., who may need to access your medical and/or research records. CONTACTS FOR QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS For questions about the study, contact the researcher Tayler Jackson at 801-718-7788 or the researcher’s mentor Chad Smith at 801-626-7664 For questions about your rights as a research participant or to discuss problems, complaints or concerns about a research study, or to obtain information, or offer input, contact the Chair of the IRB Committee HYPERLINK "mailto:IRB@weber.edu" IRB@weber.edu. VOLUNTARY NATURE OF STUDY Taking part in this study is voluntary. You may choose not to take part or may leave the study at any time. Leaving the study will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future relations with Weber State. SUBJECT’S CONSENT In consideration of all of the above, I give my consent to participate in this research study. I will be given a copy of this informed consent document to keep for my records. I agree to take part in this study. 28 Subject’s Printed Name: Subject’s Signature: Date: (must be dated by the subject) Printed Name of Person Obtaining Consent: Tayler Jackson Signature of Person Obtaining Consent: Tayler Jackson Date: 6/13/25 Appendix E ABQ results Classification Emotional/physical Reduced sense of Sport exhaustion accomplishment devaluation 2A 4.2 3.4 2.2 2A 5 3.2 3.4 2A 4.2 2.4 1.8 2A 3.8 4.2 3.6 2A 3.8 1.6 3.2 3A 2.2 1 1.4 3A 3 1.4 1.2 3A 3.6 3.2 2.2 3A 4.4 2 1.8 3A 5 2.2 3.4 3A 5 4 3.2 3A 3.4 2 2.2 3A 2.2 2 1.4 3A 5 2.8 3.2 3A 2.8 1.2 2.4 3A 4.6 3.2 2.8 3A 4.2 1.8 3.2 4A 4.8 2.2 2.8 4A 4.6 3 3 29 4A 4 3 3.4 4A 5 3.8 4.2 4A 5 3 3.2 4A 4.2 3.4 3.2 4A 3.4 3 5 4A 3.6 1.6 2 4A 2.8 1.6 1 4A 4.8 2.2 2 5A 3.8 2.2 2.8 5A 4 2.6 1 5A 3.6 1.6 2 5A 3.6 4.4 2.6 5A 4 2.2 1.8 5A 2.8 4.2 1.4 5A 3 1.8 2 5A 3.8 2.2 2.2 5A 4.4 4 3.6 5A 5 2.8 3.2 5A 4 1.4 2.4 5A 2.8 1.6 1.2 5A 3 1 1 5A 4.4 2.6 2.8 5A 5 4.8 4 5A 5 3 2.6 5A 3.4 1 1 5A 4.8 3.6 3.6 5A 2.8 1.6 2 6A 5 3.4 3.4 6A 3.8 2 2.4 6A 3.8 1.6 1.4 6A 3.6 2.6 2.4 6A 4.8 3.8 3 6A 4.6 1.8 1 6A 4.8 3 3.2 6A 3.6 1.4 1.2 30 6A 3.6 3 3.6 6A 3.8 3.8 3 6A 3 2.2 1.2 Unknown 4.6 2.2 1.4 Unknown 4 2.4 2.2 Emotional/physical Reduced sense of Sport exhaustion accomplishment devaluation Total Mean 3.98 2.55 2.46 Total Standard deviation 0.78 0.95 0.94