Youth sports burnout in America is increasing at an alarming rate, and millions of kids nationwide are becoming both mentally and physically fatigued from playing sports too intensely, often year-round (Sports Success 360). Sadly, this phenomenon seems to be getting worse, not better. This is probably due in large part to several contributing factors: Our country’s great love of sports; Increasing numbers of families turning to sports as a means for a free college education (or even an opportunity at professional sports); And parents living vicariously through their children and holding on to the notion that “more is better” in terms of their kids playing sports. In response to these factors in America to create more youth sport opportunities to meet these needs and expectations, a perfect storm has evolved – youth sport leagues starting at earlier ages, premier/travel teams in every community, and year-round specialization camps and clinics seemingly everywhere so that kids can become masters of their respective sports – and in half the time it took their parents.
So what exactly is youth sports burnout, and what should coaches know about it? Interestingly, there is no official clinical psychological diagnosis when it comes to youth sports burnout, but it is instead a hybrid condition that may be best defined as “physical and/or emotional exhaustion to the point where it interferes with the overall wellness and productivity of an individual.” Youth sports burnout is an applied form of general human burnout, but it is specifically driven by an overindulgence of athletic training and competition. Sadly, some of the consequences of youth sports burnout include premature quitting of the sport, lack of motivation to compete, issues with anger, anxiety, depression, and possibly even substance abuse. When coaches become better acquainted with these concerns and antecedent conditions that drive youth sports burnout, they can make better, more age-appropriate decisions about training and competition. This new awareness will lead to a sport environment that promotes a healthy, balanced competition schedule for all student athletes that will pay dividends on and off the field.
Today, it is rare when we see three-sport letter winners, as more kids today begin to specialize in only one sport (and often play it year-round, only compounding matters when it comes to burnout). Beginning as early as 5-6 years old, more kids are playing very competitively, and while it may appear as though they are having a lot of fun doing so, it is the cumulative effect of a lot of sport participation that can, and often does, “catch up with them” later in their young athletic careers. For many parents and coaches, there appears to be a diffusion of responsibility when it comes to youth sports burnout. In other words, who is ultimately responsible for this condition, and of equal importance, who is accountable for preventing it from occurring? The reality is that we all have to make better efforts to curtail our infatuation with the “more is better” notion. Instead, we should balance our interest in youth sport competition with ideas around physical and emotional training and competition procedures that are safe, fun, and meaningful for young student athletes.
Coaches should think about some of the following tips and insights when it comes to crystallizing their coaching philosophy and thoughts around youth sports burnout:
- Remember, the #1 reason kids play sports is to have fun, not to win. While it is true kids like to win, study after study consistently shows that having fun is far more important than anything else – including winning. Ask yourself on a daily basis if the kids you coach are having fun, and if the answer is “no,” think about how you might make the experience more enjoyable. When youth sports become a job for kids, you can be sure you will lose their interest, motivation, and excitement to play their best.
- Optimal training for athletes of all ages includes pushing hard to a point until you reach an apex in the learning curve (you will know when you get that “gut” feeling telling you to pull back some), then taking short breaks for a day or two. This periodized-approach to training has been found to be the best way to train athletes when it comes to skill acquisition, and it is also a great way to prevent youth sports burnout.
- When kids are intrinsically motivated to compete for their own personal, self-satisfying reasons, rather than extrinsically motivated (simply to please you or their parents), you will be less likely to witness youth sports burnout. Try to think of ways to coach kids that gets them excited about being a part of the team, and you will see their intrinsic motivation increase. Do the kids on your team know their role? Do they regularly receive praise from you and your staff, and are they encouraged to continue to help the team?
- Along with taking breaks, coaches who vary practice routines are far less likely to experience a high rate of youth sports burnout. Rather than doing the same drills, in the same order, the same way everyday, think about the ways you can change these routines as often as possible. In fact, some successful coaches I know have even turned their team over to the athletes on occasion to run a practice just to keep things fun and exciting. When practices are dull, predictable, and overly-heavy on instruction, kids are more likely to become stale and burned out.
- Talk to parents about youth sports burnout! Remember, the issue of youth sports burnout is everyone’s problem, so be sure to address it early and often. The pre-season parent meeting is a great time to begin this dialogue. Discuss with parents your coaching philosophy and some of the things you try to do in a preventative response to youth sports burnout, and encourage parents to do the same. The best team environments are the ones where kids know they can talk to both their parents and coaches about the times when they might need a short break to recover from training too hard.
- Back your kids when they need a break. Unfortunately, far too many kids are intimidated by what their coach will think when it comes to sports burnout, and as a result usually do not say anything (generally out of fear that the consequences will be that they will be viewed as “soft” athletes). When this occurs, the results can be quite dramatic, as kids will sometimes turn to coping mechanisms that are not always the safest and healthiest (i.e. drugs/alcohol, anger and violence, etc.). Find your own way of letting kids know that they are not any less of a person if they should need a short break from your team, and that they won’t lose their spot on the team or be discriminated against in any way. In addition, be careful not to send off a subtle, covert message that you think less of them for needing a break, as this will only exacerbate the likelihood for future problems to occur. Remember, a safe training environment should always take precedent over winning.
- Finally, if you feel as though one of your kids is having a tough time staying up with the training program you have developed for your team, trust your instincts and act on your feelings. Remember, youth sports burnout often comes about due to a cumulative effect of many years of competing at an intense level, and what you might be witnessing may have more to do with that than it does with your way of coaching. With that said, approach the student athlete to see how he/she is doing, and if the response you get doesn’t feel right to you, make it a point to talk to the child’s parents, as well as consider professional assistance.
Youth sports burnout can lead to terribly serious consequences, so be sure to not to look the other way if you think a young person is dealing with this condition.The reality is that with our hyper-competitive appetite for youth sports today, more kids and their families are getting caught up in athletic training and competition levels never before seen in our country. As a result, far too many kids are getting burned out from playing so much, yet far too many kids sit idle and do not voice these concerns. In my experience, most kids do not tell their parents and coaches when they need a break. This is primarily due to their desire not to look like a weak student athlete, as well as the guilt they feel after witnessing their parents dump enormous amounts of time, energy, and money into their athletic development. Fortunately, coaches can play a major, positive role in preventing youth burnout from occurring, as well as addressing it proactively when it does occur, resulting in healthier, more exciting team environments.
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