Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Rest is a Big Key & Helps Athletes Reach their FULL Athletic Potential

Rest is a Big Key & Helps Athletes Reach their FULL Athletic Potential

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Apr 29, 2014

No Comments

resting

In this day and age of hyped up new sport science technology, athletes might need reminded that one of the most important contributors to athletic success is likely something most take for granted — rest.  While it is true that the advances we are seeing in sports today have lead to bigger, faster, stronger athletes, our bodies also need proper rest in order to reach our full potential.  Of course, this is especially true for young athletes.

Over-training can lead to countless physical and mental issues, and most sport psychologists and athletic trainers would agree that “more” isn’t always “better” when it comes to sports training.  When athletes regularly play with pain they can lose their mental toughness, motivation, and resiliency — factors that essentially hold them back from playing their best.

Physical concerns relating to lack of rest

When athletes train and compete without taking breaks they run a greater risk for physical injury, as well as delaying a proper injury recovery if they are rehabilitating from an injury.  These days it is not uncommon to hear about elite-level athletes who come back too soon from an injury only to re-aggravate the injury and sometimes cause even more long-term damage as a result.  Constant, day-to-day wear and tear of muscles can also lead to various cumulative effects of over-training, including the shortening of an athletic career.

Mental concerns relating to lack of rest

Arguably the biggest problem athletes face when not taking adequate time off is sports burnout, a condition that is actually a collection of symptoms athletes feel by experiencing depression, anxiety, and decreases in motivation.  In fact, many kids who experience sports burnout often lose the fun they had when they first began sports, and with “fun” being the #1 reason why kids play sports it’s important that we keep this in mind.  Other risks for kids who rarely take time off from sports and experience sports burnout include poor stress coping responses, including drugs, alcohol, and reckless behaviors.

Final thoughts

Impressing upon young athletes the importance of rest is no easy task these days, especially when there are countless premier, travel, and showcase leagues that run year-round.  And lets face it, suggesting to a youngster that he or she needs rest is pretty boring, and might also lead to the false thinking that taking time off will inevitably put the athlete behind his or her peers.  Ironically, though, it’s often the well-timed rest periods that allow the body to recover and the mind to stay fresh — 2 important qualities that allow athletes to reach their full athletic potential.

www.drstankovich.com

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • May 19, 2022 Create your Own “Luck” by Better Positioning & Preparation
  • May 17, 2022 Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now — Here’s How We Can Help
  • May 16, 2022 Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • May 13, 2022 Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • May 10, 2022 Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

Richard Sherman Asserts Double-Standard with Fighting & Sports, But He’s Wrong

NEXT POST

Donald Sterling’s NBA Lifetime Ban May Have Future “Slippery Slope” Concerns for Pro Sports

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Boys Sports , Burnout , Coaching , College , Communicating with Coach , Focus , Girls Sports , Goal Setting , Imagery , Leadership and Role Modeling , Mental Toughness , Parent Training , Performance Enhancement , Pro and College Sports , Psychology of Injury , Quitting , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sport Specialization , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Sports Safety , Training and Development , Travel Leagues , Youth and Interscholastic Sports , Youth Sport Burnout , Youth Sports

Tags

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Create your Own "Luck" by Better Positioning & Preparation
  • Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now -- Here's How We Can Help
  • Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • 4 Important Team Building Tips to Help Coaches Succeed
  • Travel League or Recreation? How Parents Can Make (or Break) the Youth Sport Experience
  • Learn the Latest Research to See if Sport Specialization is Right for You
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2022 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓