Savoring Sport: Connections with Athlete Passion and Burnout

Abstract

Athletes can respond to positive experiences in sport by engaging in savoring – that is, by attempting to prolong or amplify their positive feelings (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). In this research, we tested if savoring was predicted by levels of harmonious or obsessive passion for sport, and if savoring was associated with symptoms of burnout. In Study 1 (n = 499) we found that savoring was positively associated with harmonious passion and negatively associated with obsessive passion. In addition, savoring predicted lower levels of burnout and played an indirect role in the relationship between both passion types and burnout. We replicated these findings in Study 2 (n = 298), with collegiate-level athletes prospectively over the course of a season. Overall, athletes with strong levels of harmonious passion appear to be most likely to engage in savoring, a response that may protect them from experiencing higher levels of burnout.