Staff in high-performance sport face considerable workload challenges, including long and irregular hours, frequent travel, and demanding responsibilities. These demands reflect substantial professional time commitments within increasingly professionalized and resource-intensive environments, highlighting the need to understand how staff work and cope with demanding schedules. This study examined work hours, travel requirements, and schedule characteristics of staff from one National Basketball Association (NBA) team and one NBA G League team across a full year. A longitudinal, observational design captured preseason, competitive season, and off-season workloads across departments (e.g., coaching, medical, performance). Work hour estimates were derived from team schedules and structured interviews with 10 senior staff representing departments across both teams (7 NBA and 3 G League staff; age = 40.0 ± 8.0 [29–60] years, experience in NBA = 13.3 ± 7.2 [6–28] years). Travel data included number of trips, time zones crossed, hours traveled, and days away from home. Unconventional working hours and recovery time between consecutive days were also calculated. The NBA and G League preseason and competitive season phases spanned 28.6 and 25.5 weeks, respectively. During the competitive season, NBA games occurred every 2.1 ± 0.9 days and G League games every 2.8 ± 1.6 days, with an average of 15.1 ± 6.8 and 11.2 ± 6.0 days between ‘building closed’ days (i.e., non-work/travel days), respectively. NBA staff worked 44.2–66.7 h per week during the season and 37.1–49.1 in the off-season, with 41–49% of work occurring outside 09:00–17:00 in-season. G League staff worked 38.9–56.3 h weekly during the season. Staff spent 46% (NBA) and 42% (G League) of the competitive season away from home, averaging 9.7 ± 2.7 and 15.7 ± 6.4 travel hours per week away from home, respectively. NBA travel occurred mainly overnight on charter flights, while G League staff traveled mostly during the day via commercial flights or bus. These findings highlight prolonged hours, frequent travel, and limited recovery, underscoring the need for organizational strategies to optimize scheduling and support staff well-being.
MercerRAJRussellJLCouttsAJ, et al.Work demands, responses, and coping strategies for staff in high-performance sport: a scoping review. Sports Med2025; 55: 3001–3058.
2.
JoncherayHBurlotFJulla-MarcyM. Is the game lost in advance? Being a high-performance coach and preserving family life. Int J Sports Sci Coach2019; 14: 453–462.
3.
KeraiSWadeyRSalimJ. Stressors experienced in elite sport by physiotherapists. Sport Exerc Perform Psychol2019; 8: 255–272.
4.
LevyANichollsAMarchantD, et al.Organisational stressors, coping, and coping effectiveness: a longitudinal study with an elite coach. Int J Sports Sci Coach2009; 4: 31–45.
5.
GoodmanAMazerolleSMPitneyWA. Achieving work-life balance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting, part II: perspectives from head athletic trainers. J Athl Train2015; 50: 89–94.
6.
MazerolleSMBrueningJECasaDJ. Work-family conflict, part I: antecedents of work-family conflict in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A certified athletic trainers. J Athl Train2008; 43: 505–512.
7.
MazerolleSMBrueningJECasaDJ, et al.Work-family conflict, part II: job and life satisfaction in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A certified athletic trainers. J Athl Train2008; 43: 513–522.
8.
KnightsSRuddock-HudsonM. Experiences of occupational stress and social support in Australian Football League senior coaches. Int J Sports Sci Coach2016; 11: 162–171.
9.
OlusogaPButtJHaysK, et al.Stress in elite sports coaching: identifying stressors. J Appl Sport Psychol2009; 21: 442–459.
10.
EcclesDWGrettonTWHarrisN, et al.“Switching the mind off completely” - understanding the psychology of rest in coaches. Psychol Sport Exerc2023; 69: 102479.
11.
SingeSMTannebaumCCairnsAH. Work-family conflict: understanding workplace relationships for collegiate athletic trainers. Int J Athl Ther Train2023; 28: 315–321.
12.
OlusogaPButtJMaynardI, et al.Stress and coping: a study of world class coaches. J Appl Sport Psychol2010; 22: 274–293.
13.
WilsonVE. Burnout in coaching - part two: results from survey of national coaches. Sports: Sci Period Res Technol Sport1988; 8: 1–5.
14.
HighamAJRumboldJLNewmanJA, et al.Using video docuseries to explore male professional football head coaches’ well-being experiences throughout a season. Psychol Sport Exerc2023; 69: 102488.
15.
BakkerABDemeroutiE. The job demands-resources model: state of the art. J Manage Psychol2007; 22: 309–328.
16.
LazarusRS. Psychological stress and the coping process. New York, NY, US: McGraw-Hill, 1966.
17.
DixonMABrueningJE. Work–family conflict in coaching I: a top-down perspective. J Sport Manag2007; 21: 377–406.
18.
ZweigleKAMSingeSMMWinkelmannZK, et al.The workplace experiences of athletic trainers in the professional sports setting. Sport J2020; 23: 1–1.
19.
ChroniSAAbrahamsenFHemmestadL. To be the eye within the storm, I am challenged not stressed. J Appl Sport Psychol2016; 28: 257–273.
20.
MazerolleSMHunterC. A qualitative exploration of the professional commitment of athletic trainers employed in the professional sports setting. Int J Athl Ther Train2017; 22: 40–47.
21.
MazerolleSMEasonCM. Perceptions of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female athletic trainers on motherhood and work-life balance: individual- and sociocultural-level factors. J Athl Train2015; 50: 854–861.
22.
MazerolleSMFaghriPMarcinickM, et al.Athletic trainers’ workload in NCAA Division I athletic programs. Int J Athl Ther Train2010; 15: 34–37.
23.
MazerolleSMPitneyWACasaDJ, et al.Assessing strategies to manage work and life balance of athletic trainers working in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. J Athl Train2011; 46: 194–205.
24.
HjälmSKenttäGHassménanP, et al.Burnout among elite soccer coaches. J Sport Behav2007; 30: 415–427.
25.
MazerolleSMHunterC. Work-life balance in the professional sports setting: the athletic trainer’s perspective. Int J Athl Ther Train2018; 23: 141–149.
26.
RomeroMGPitneyWAMazerolleSM, et al.Role strain, part 2: perceptions among athletic trainers employed in the professional practice setting. J Athl Train2018; 53: 190–201.
27.
GriffinABaghurstTQuickS. Lived experiences of stress and the coping mechanisms of assistant coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Quest2025; 77: 101–121.
28.
EstevesPTMikolajecKSchellingX, et al.Basketball performance is affected by the schedule congestion: NBA back-to-backs under the microscope. Eur J Sport Sci2021; 21: 26–35.
29.
McLeanBDStrackDSRussellJL, et al.Quantifying physical demands in the National Basketball Association - challenges around developing best-practice models for athlete care and performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform2019; 14: 414–420.
CostaG. Shift work and health: current problems and preventive actions. Saf Health Work2010; 1: 112–123.
35.
HarringtonJM. Health effects of shift work and extended hours of work. Occup Environ Med2001; 58: 68–72.
36.
HuygheTScanlanATDalboVJ, et al.The negative influence of air travel on health and performance in the National Basketball Association: a narrative review. Sports2018; 6: 89.
37.
AlesinaAGlaeserESacerdoteB. Work and leisure in the United States and Europe: why so different?NBER Macroecon Annu2005; 20: 1–64.
38.
HofstraWAde WeerdAW. How to assess circadian rhythm in humans: a review of literature. Epilepsy Behav2008; 13: 438–444.
39.
HirshkowitzMWhitonKAlbertSM, et al.National Sleep Foundation's updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health2015; 1: 233–243.
40.
HirshkowitzMWhitonKAlbertSM, et al.National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health2015; 1: 40–43.
41.
DescathaASembajweGBaerM, et al.WHO/ILO work-related burden of disease and injury: protocol for systematic reviews of exposure to long working hours and of the effect of exposure to long working hours on stroke. Environ Int2018; 119: 366–378.
42.
LiJBrissonCClaysE, et al.WHO/ILO work-related burden of disease and injury: protocol for systematic reviews of exposure to long working hours and of the effect of exposure to long working hours on ischaemic heart disease. Environ Int2018; 119: 558–569.
43.
BentzenMLemyreP-NKenttäG. Development of exhaustion for high-performance coaches in association with workload and motivation: a person-centered approach. Psychol Sport Exerc2016; 22: 10–19.
44.
McCluneyENMcCullickBASchemppPG. Factors triggering pressure on basketball coaches’ in-game decision-making. Sport J2018; 21: 1–1.
45.
RussellSHalsonSLJenkinsDG, et al.Thinking about elite performance: the experience and impact of mental fatigue in elite sport coaching. Int J Sports Physiol Perform2023; 18: 878–884.
46.
KenttäGMellalieuSRobertsC-M. Are career termination concerns only for athletes? A case study of the career termination of an elite female coach. Sport Psychol2016; 30: 314–326.
47.
DehghansaiNPinderRABakerJ, et al.Challenges and stresses experienced by athletes and coaches leading up to the Paralympic Games. PLoS One2021; 16: e0251171.
48.
HillDMBrownGLambertT-L, et al.Factors perceived to affect the wellbeing and mental health of coaches and practitioners working within elite sport. Sport Exerc Perform Psychol2021; 10: 504–518.
49.
OlusogaPKenttäG. Desperate to quit: a narrative analysis of burnout and recovery in high-performance sports coaching. Sport Psychol2017; 31: 237–248.
50.
RossiterAComynsTMSherwinI, et al.Effects of long-haul transmeridian travel on physiological, sleep, perceptual and mood markers in Olympic team support staff. Chronobiol Int2022; 39: 1640–1655.
51.
ConwaySHPompeiiLAGimeno Ruiz de PorrasD, et al.The identification of a threshold of long work hours for predicting elevated risks of adverse health outcomes. Am J Epidemiol2017; 186: 173–183.
52.
ShanafeltTDWestCPSinskyCA, et al.At-risk work hours among US physicians and other US workers. Am J Prev Med2023; 65: 568–578.
53.
BaeS-H. Association of work schedules with nurse turnover: A cross-sectional national study. Int J Public Health2023; 68. DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605732.
54.
RiedySMFekedulegnDVilaB, et al.Shift work and overtime across a career in law enforcement: a 15-year study. Policing2021; 44: 200–212.
55.
DescathaASembajweGPegaF, et al.The effect of exposure to long working hours on stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Environ Int2020; 142: 105746.
56.
LiJPegaFUjitaY, et al.The effect of exposure to long working hours on ischaemic heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Environ Int2020; 142: 105739.
57.
PegaFNáfrádiBMomenNC, et al.Global, regional, and national burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to exposure to long working hours for 194 countries, 2000–2016: a systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Environ Int2021; 154: 106595.
58.
ShanafeltTDBooneSTanL, et al.Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med2012; 172: 1377–1385.
59.
ShanafeltTDHasanODyrbyeLN, et al.Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc2015; 90: 1600–1613.
60.
ShanafeltTDWestCPSinskyC, et al.Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2017. Mayo Clin Proc2019; 94: 1681–1694.
61.
ShanafeltTDWestCPSinskyC, et al.Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2020. Mayo Clin Proc2022; 97: 491–506.
62.
BalchCMShanafeltTDDyrbyeL, et al.Surgeon distress as calibrated by hours worked and nights on call. J Am Coll Surg2010; 211: 609–619.
63.
SinskyCARotensteinLHolmgrenAJ, et al.The number of patient scheduled hours resulting in a 40-hour work week by physician specialty and setting: a cross-sectional study using electronic health record event log data. J Am Med Inform Assoc2024; 32: 235–240.
64.
MazerolleSMEasonCMTrisdaleWA. Work-life balance perspectives of male NCAA Division I athletic trainers: strategies and antecedents. Athl Train Sports Health Care2015; 7: 50–62.
65.
WinterWCHammondWRGreenNH, et al.Measuring circadian advantage in Major League Baseball: a 10-year retrospective study. Int J Sports Physiol Perform2009; 4: 394–401.
66.
SamuelsCH. Jet lag and travel fatigue: a comprehensive management plan for sports medicine physicians and high-performance support teams. Clin J Sport Med2012; 22: 268–273.
67.
KraemerWJHooperDRKupchakBR, et al.The effects of a roundtrip trans-American jet travel on physiological stress, neuromuscular performance, and recovery. J Appl Physiol2016; 121: 438–448.
68.
LeatherwoodWEDragooJL. Effect of airline travel on performance: a review of the literature. Br J Sports Med2013; 47: 561–567.
69.
RaminCDevoreEEWangW, et al.Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors. Occup Environ Med2015; 72: 100–107.
70.
TrinkoffAGeiger-BrownJBradyB, et al.How long and how much are nurses now working?Am J Nurs2006; 106: 60–71.
71.
KellmannMAltfeldSMallettCJ. Recovery–stress imbalance in Australian Football League coaches: a pilot longitudinal study. Int J Sport Exerc Psychol2016; 14: 240–249.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
