Ever wonder if your kid's sports routine is becoming too much? Learn how to spot the subtle signs of burnout in young athletes, from waning enthusiasm for sports to unusual eating habits.
In today's overscheduled, underslept world, family life is filled with constant demands. This pressure can leave parents feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and wanting to spend the day doing nothing. Children are no different, except swap out doing nothing for playing Roblox.
Child athletes are particularly at risk of burnout, especially when certain factors, such as early specialization and year-round training and competition, are present. Because of the emotional nature of burnout, also called 'Overtraining Syndrome,' recognizing the warning signs is not straightforward.
This article spells out easily identifiable warning signs to help you make the call on whether your child athlete is experiencing burnout or just going through a rough patch.
But first, let's define burnout.
Burnout in young athletes is more than just physical exhaustion from training and competition. It's a complex mental and emotional state of being that can derail a child's enthusiasm for sports and other aspects of life as well. This can lead to numerous negative consequences, including poor academic and athletic performance, mood swings, and isolation from supportive relationships.
Parents might notice a significant decrease in their child's eagerness to attend practice, games, and other team-related events. Low motivation can also extend to other areas outside of sports, including school and social life.
A warning sign of burnout in athletes of all ages is physical complaints of illness or injury that do not have an apparent medical cause. This most often presents as complaints of headaches, feeling tired, and stomachaches.
This can look like the child asking not to go to practice, stalling to get their equipment ready, taking a long time to get in the car, and then grumbling a chorus of complaints the whole way there. Young athletes experiencing burnout may also claim 'legit' reasons, such as poor road conditions, too much homework, or illness, to miss practice and games..
Burnout can change a young athlete's relationship with food. For some, this means eating much more than usual, while for others, it leads to a complete loss of appetite. This shift in eating habits could also look like a young athlete who was previously very cautious about healthy eating, consuming excessive amounts of junk food.
When a child distances themself from teammates, friends, and family, it might be a sign that burnout has taken hold. Likewise, they might avoid social activities they used to enjoy and instead opt for the quiet confines of their bedroom for more alone time than is typical for them.
As athletic pressure intensifies, some children may exhibit behaviors unusual for their age or previously outgrown, such as bedwetting, thumbsucking, clinginess, and separation anxiety.
Increased or more intense tantrums, mood swings, and a general sense of being quick to anger are warning signs that a young athlete may be experiencing burnout.
When burnout sets in, it can lead to a decrease in motivation to excel, even in areas in which the young athlete used to thrive. Struggling to concentrate or keep their head in the game, a drop in grades, or a decline in managing the balance between meeting sports and school demands may all signal young athlete burnout.
This warning sign can be the most jarring for parents and coaches and may even come as a surprise to the child. Statements of wanting to quit that are frequent and stated with more emotional intensity may signal higher levels of burnout and stress than those said more passively.
As a parent or caregiver of a young athlete, you know your child better than anyone. Similarly, you are the most qualified person to know and want what is best for them. But sometimes, especially when it comes to emotional issues, a parent’s own feelings and past experiences can get in the way, making it more difficult to see what their child is truly going through.
Seeing signs of burnout in your child may bring on intense feelings of fear, overwhelm, self-doubt, shame, or even denial. Depending on your family of origin and the culture you grew up in, you may have received messages as a child that it’s not okay to reach out for help from people outside of the family, or emotional issues are something one should just be able to get over. It’s imperative that you don’t let these emotions or experiences prevent you from seeking the support your young child needs.
Risks for not addressing burnout include your child…
The momentary discomfort of addressing burnout with your child and their coach is worth it to avoid the serious risks and potential long-term consequences of not doing so.
Support, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cutting down on practice times, increasing opportunities for fun outside of the sport, or prescribed periods of rest, are all potential solutions for young athletes recovering from burnout. Finding the right solution for your child should include a team approach and can be comprised of your child, their coach, and a licensed psychotherapist among others.
In this emotionally charged journey of parenting young athletes, let's not forget you are also at risk of burnout. Remember to extend the same care and compassion to yourself as you do to your child. If you’re having a difficult time addressing burnout with your child, a therapist can help you work through what’s holding you back and offer communication strategies to make it easier. You are worth receiving the support needed to thrive alongside your young champion.
Ann Dypiangco, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and sports mom to 3 young athletes. She received her Master's in Social Work from Boston College and has trained extensively in psycho-sensory techniques, including using EMDR and Havening Techniques for performance enhancement. She is licensed in California and has a small virtual practice.
