How to beat burnout in youth sports

Whew! Summer is hot – and only going to get hotter! Now is the time people leave for cooler climates or beautiful beaches to work on relaxation and reward for a much-needed, deserved vacation. Not so for the athlete. You’re only gearing up for your toughest season yet – if you’re in high school or college then 2-a-days are coming. These days are not fun, but that doesn’t mean your not having fun. Check out how to beat burnout in youth sports. Note: This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Now is the time to press in and press forward. But who says that doesn’t include rest and relaxation? Here are different ways on how to beat training burnout and ignite family unity too:

Don’t train instead relax

What?!? I thought you just said to push on? YES you need to push forward but you also need to give your body the rest it deserves. Rest is not merely sleeping or not working. Rest is mental and emotional state as well. If you want to know how to beat burnout in youth sports, knowing these easy tricks will do it. Sometimes all sports kids need is a break. I know so many youth soccer players, who took 1 or 2 seasons off, just to find that’s all they needed. They came back so fresh and ready to go. They realized that soccer was their favorite sport, and trying something new was what showed them.

Schedule R&R time

Rest and relaxation is so good for us! When you schedule time for family fun then you improve family bonds. How? The most obvious reason is that when everyone is relaxed, then the little things are not as likely to irritate or be said in a questionable tone. Also when you have fun together you create new paths of relating and new events to recall that invoke positive emotions. Taking time off helps us to get our brain and body fresh again. It also gives us time to think about our situation and realize what we want in this part of life.

Switch up some fun training

Training even for the professional athlete doesn’t always include the same exercises every day. Go for a family swim, spend a day hiking, or consider giving each family member a chance to choose the exercise for the day. Share this with your friends so they also know how to beat burnout in youth sports. Sometimes the solution is easy, when others think it’s time to quit.

Write down your goals

There is a powerful connection between what we write and what we accomplish. Your goals can be for the soccer field or for the family or both. Remember that everyone gets tired and needs a break – and EVERYONE need encouragement too. So include one another in this practice and then ask one another to hold you accountable. This Goal setting workbook is a great way to get started!

While seasons fluctuate the requirements for our busy schedules, families are a constant so make a plan today and get going!

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Private training can help increase confidence

I think everyone knows that taking time off or taking a short break will help prevent burnout. Well in some cases I can promise you that adding training will help. Sometimes being burned out in sports is because the player isn’t having as much fun. This is usually because they are not playing well. Getting private training with a person who will encourage can help tremendously.

Multiple sports can increase stress

This can be a touchy subject for many. Matter a fact, as I write this subtitle I am thinking I might get some response to this. Some people strongly think that kids should play multiple sports for different reasons. One being that it reduces injury compared to the “specialized training”. I am not on either side, but I do have pretty strong opinions. Every person is different, so I don’t know why people would think that kids should play different sports. Some kids only love 1 sport.

I played different sports all the way through 9th grade, so I do support it. But I also think for some it’s too much. Check out this post on when is it time to choose 1 sport. I just don’t think that kids 13 who don’t really care for a sport should play it. At this point I think they should play less sports. The reason is injuries. Some of these young kids play several sports and these are the ones who complain of sore muscles. The kids who only play soccer don’t get injured near as much. Kids need days off of sports and so you have to communicate as a family and decide what is best for the kid.

How to beat burnout in youth sports

It all depends on the person and the situation. Sometimes “beating” burnout means taking a short time off sports. Sometimes it means getting a private trainer who can help you feel and play better. And sometimes it’s just being able to vent frustrations. When we can get things off our chest it helps in many ways. When the people who care about us know our feelings, they can help us in many different ways. Maybe they can be more encouraging or maybe they can find other ways to help us. Communication is a big part of life. Whether it’s a lack of or good communication, knowing what our loved ones are thinking is vital. It’s how we can help each other better and faster.