Burnout Among Badminton Athletes Amid Competition Schedule Uncertainty Following Flash Floods in Aceh

Abstract

This study aims to describe the level of mental burnout among badminton athletes participating in the Pre-Pora competition as a result of schedule uncertainty following the flash floods in Aceh. Schedule uncertainty has the potential to cause psychological stress that can affect athletes' mental readiness, motivation, and performance. This study used a descriptive quantitative approach with total sampling technique on 15 badminton athletes who were undergoing Pre-Pora preparation. The research instrument used the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) with a 1–5 Likert scale covering indicators of emotional exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and devaluation of sports. Data analysis used mean calculations and level categorization based on Azwar's formula. The results showed that the average mental fatigue score of athletes was 34.06, which was in the low category. In percentage terms, 53% of athletes were in the low mental fatigue category, 47% were in the moderate category, and no athletes were in the high category. These findings indicate that despite the uncertainty of the competition schedule, the psychological condition of the athletes was generally still within controllable limits, but almost half of the respondents began to show symptoms of moderate mental fatigue.