Increasingly more school coaches today run practices different than years past, with the most noticeable changes being before school morning practices (now the norm), and involuntary “voluntary” practices that go year-round. As a result, student athletes have to decide if they are committed to this new level of intensity that requires them to be at the school super-early to train, as well as remain close to the team by practicing year-round — even when those practices are supposedly voluntary. Are we placing too many expectations on kids today, or are these changes that are appropriate for the times?
Student athlete life today
Competing for a school sports team is a big deal, as the expectations that come along with interscholastic sports require that student athletes prioritize their schedule with their team as a top priority. Sport seasons no longer end, but essentially go year-round, creating opportunities and expectations that student athletes experience differently today than when their parents played school sports. In fact, with so many sports today going year-round, it has created conflicts between sport teams, and new challenges for kids when trying to decide what practice to attend? Coaches from each sport expect kids to attend all practices, but what do you do when 2, or even 3 teams all expect participation at the same time?
Student athletes are not just challenged by intense sport schedules, but remember, they are also encouraged to participate in additional school activities and clubs to look good for college selection committees. If you are keeping score, this means that many student athletes today begin their days well before you (i.e. 5:30AM), then complete a full school day, then go to another practice and/or club or activity. And then when it would ordinarily be time for a break, many coaches today offer “voluntary” practices that are only voluntary in name, as kids are absolutely expected to be there!
With all this sport intensity, one question remains: Why? If we do all of this to better prepare kids to make college sports, it is important to know that, regardless of training, only a mere 5% of all high school student athletes will ever participate in college athletics — and most college student athletes are on partial-athletic scholarship (or walk-on) status. If we are instead pushing kids harder today not to make it to college athletics, but to instead build character, then we should also weigh into the equation the negatives of over-training, including staleness, sport burnout, and increased mental health stress for kids when trying to successfully schedule all responsibilities. To simply add more into a student athlete’s plate without thinking through all consequences is not healthy or wise, and can lead to unexpected and unintended future mental health problems.
Final thoughts
Being a student athlete today is not a passive endeavor, but instead a big commitment that includes practicing year-round, and regularly working out well before school starts each day. While some kids might embrace these changes, other kids struggle keeping up with school, sleep, actively attending other clubs and activities, and still finding time for friends. Sports are certainly important in a kid’s life, but when mental health issues arise from being overloaded with responsibilities and commitments that are near impossible to live up to, it might be time to revisit the expectations we are placing on kids in this moment.
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