The aims to examine the views of professional athletes on burnout in sports. In line with this objective, the sample group of the study consists of 6 athletes engaged in sports professionally. The research is conducted in the phenomenology model, which is a type of qualitative research design. In order to explore the athletes' views on burnout, a semi-structured interview form consisting of 7 questions was prepared by Sabah and Derelioğlu (2021). The collected data were transferred to the Nvivo program and analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. In the study, it is determined that participants mainly focus on strength, speed, and technique training in their training programs, and the programs are organized and planned according to periods, often resulting in limited social life during this process. Additionally, participants describe sports as health, power, discipline, necessity, planned living, value, center of life, and character development, and it is found that in case of failure, the majority of participants do not face external pressure. Furthermore, it is identified that most participants experience burnout; they tend to quit sports due to factors such as loss of motivation, injury, interpersonal conflicts, and not receiving the rewards for their efforts. When symptoms of burnout syndrome are observed in athletes, early intervention and appropriate treatment methods can help overcome burnout syndrome without negatively affecting skill development. Simultaneously, the content of training programs prepared by coaches should be planned to enhance not only athletes' physical endurance but also their psychological resilience.
Professional athlete, sports, burnout