Passion and Burnout in Soccer: The Mediating Role of Motivation in University-Level Players

Background: This study explores the impact of different types of passion, harmonious and obsessive, on burnout among university-level soccer players, with a focus on how motivation mediates these relationships. Understanding how passion influences burnout through motivation can help in developing strategies to improve athlete well-being. Methods: Data were collected from 164 university-level soccer players from Calicut University. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 software to examine the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, motivation, and burnout dimensions including physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, and sports devaluation, as well as types of passion such as harmonious and obsessive. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate both direct and indirect effects among these variables. Results: The analysis demonstrated that harmonious passion is negatively related to burnout, emphasizing its protective role. Motivation was identified as a significant mediator in this relationship, suggesting that while passion influences motivation, it does not directly impact burnout. Higher motivation levels were associated with lower burnout, indicating that increasing motivation can help manage burnout effectively. Conclusion: The findings underscore the crucial role of motivation in mediating the relationship between passion and burnout. Harmonious passion reduces burnout primarily by boosting motivation. Enhancing motivation could be a key strategy for managing burnout among athletes, with harmonious passion supporting this process. These findings have practical applications for sports psychologists and coaches in developing motivation-based interventions to reduce athlete burnout.