Feb. 3, 2014
Brought to you by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports program, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance
Today's athletes are encouraged and often required to play, practice, and train seemingly 24/7, 365 days a year. But whether you're a world-class Olympian or a kid striving to make a youth sports team, burnout is a very real thing.
As a Responsible Sport Parent or Coach, how do you avoid burnout for your kids?
- Listen to your kids. Sit down with your kids and talk honestly about their goals, as opposed to your goals.
Parents, here's how to discuss your children's goals with them >>>
Coaches, here's how you can discuss goals with the entire team >>>
If your kids don't mention fun as one of their goals, this might be a cause for concern. And if they go so far as to say that they want to take a break, this must be considered with utmost seriousness. Remember, if they love the game, they'll come back to it.
- Play other sports to excel in your primary sport. If you or your young athlete DO make the decision to keep on pushing during the offseason and avoid anything like an extended break, it can be helpful, insightful, and even invaluable to compete in other sports. It's a great chance to improve other physical skills, have fun, and learn life lessons! Competing in other sports besides your primary one is called cross-training.
Watch Jaime Komer talk about the benefits of cross-training >>>
In fact, the experts at Positive Coaching Alliance have found that when coaches pressure athletes to specialize too soon, there's an increased risk of dropout, burnout, and overuse injuries. The win-at-all-costs mentality that leads to early specialization often comes at the expense of fun.
- Stay in love with sports. According to studies, some 70% of kids quit playing sports by age 13. When children are surveyed about why they quit, the overwhelming reason cited is that practice and games stopped feeling like fun to them.
So it's perhaps the most important job of Responsible Sport Parents or Coaches to help their kids stay in love with sports. Go to Responsible Sports to learn more about keeping training methods and passion fresh all offseason!
At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of responsibility shown by people every day. We created Responsible Sports, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display responsibility. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the field. Join the Responsible Sports movement!
In an effort to benefit millions of youth athletes, parents and coaches, this article is among a series created exclusively for partners in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports program, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance.
©2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Positive Coaching Alliance. All rights reserved. This material may not be distributed without express written permission. Any reproduction in whole or part by and individuals or organizations will be held liable for copyright infringement to the full extent of the law.
