Athlete Burnout

Most of us are familiar with feeling burned out. What you might not know is that
young athletes are capable of getting burned out, too. Burnout is defined by sport
psychologists as “physical/emotional exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced
athletic accomplishment” (1). Burnout is an important issue in youth athletics
because it is thought to contribute to dropping out of sports altogether. Given the
tremendous benefits that accompany exercise and sport participation, the athlete
who burns out and gives up sport participation is also giving up the important health
benefits. Even at a young age, children are developing lifestyle patterns that will
carry over into adulthood. Active youth are much more likely to be active adults.
But if we allow our youth to become burned out of sports, this may become be a
barrier to leading a healthy lifestyle as an adult.

As young athletes enter middle school and high school, the rate at which they
dropout from sports increases yearly. Burnout does not have to happen, and it is
important that any causes of dropout inherent to the nature of sports be corrected
so that all youth will continue their involvement in sports. In this section, I will
present some of the reasons that might contribute to burnout in young athletes. I
will also include signs to look for to help you detect whether or not your young
athlete might be experiencing burnout. Finally, you will find some helpful
suggestions on how to cope with burnout.

There are three main theories about how athletes become burned out. One possible
explanation has to do with excessive stress and pressure (1). Constant pressure to
win, train and perform could lead to mental and physical exhaustion and stress,
leading to burnout. A second cause leading to athlete burnout could be the feeling
of entrapment (1). The athlete who experiences feelings of entrapment has
invested a lot of time and energy into the sport but does not experience any
rewards for participation or enjoyment in the sport. The costs begin to outweigh
the benefits, and they will eventually burnout and drop out. A final theory to explain
burnout involves the issue of empowerment (1). Sociologist Jay Coakley proposed
the idea that the structure of organized, competitive youth sports becomes
controlling. It controls the identity of participants and controls their lives, leaving
them feeling disempowered. Coakley theorizes that a desire for personal control
over one’s life is a possible cause of burnout in youth sports. To sum it up, the
three main factors contributing to burnout are excessive stress and pressure, a loss
of enjoyment/rewards, and a desire for personal control that cannot be gained
within the sports arena.

If your child participates in sports at a high level, and especially if he or she specializes
in one sport, he or she might be at risk of burning out. There are several physical,
behavioral, and psychological sings and symptoms that you can look for to help
you identify athlete burnout so that you can stop it before it reaches the point
where your child wants to give up athletics altogether. Physical signs to look for
include: tension, fatigue, irritability, decreased energy level, problems sleeping,
increased occurrence of illness, inconsistent performance (2), and exhaustion (3).
Behavioral indicators of burnout are depression, feeling helplessness, anger (2),
feelings of disappointment, and feeling that one’s contribution to the team is
insignificant (3). However, it should be pointed out that some of the symptoms
such as depression can occur independently of burnout (3).

If you notice these symptoms occurring in your child, or members of your team,
what should you do to combat or prevent burnout? There are several strategies
that you might try to relieve athlete burnout.

		The first place to start might be to take some time off from the sport or cut
		back on the time that is being invested in the sport. One way to do this is to participate in whichever sport happens to be in season, rather than specializing in one sport. Another way of achieving this is cutting back on the days and or time required for practice.

		A second way to prevent or deal with burnout is to teach your child
		relaxation and stress management techniques (3).

		Thirdly, look at what pressures they might be experiencing. Are there
		pressures at home or by the coach to win, win, win? Does the athlete have control over his/her own participation, or is there someone forcing them to continue with participation. Sports are expensive, some more costly than others. If a child realizes the financial and time investment made by the parents and themselves in their participation, they may feel pressure to continue even though they may have lost enjoyment in the sport. As we have said, this can lead to decreased performance and burnout. Give your child increased involvement in making sports-related decisions (3) and they will feel more in control.

		Finally, look at their interactions with their teammates. Help them by
		providing positive social support (3) and encouraging positive thoughts about their role on their team.

Athlete burnout is a very preventable syndrome that occurs far too often in modern
day youth sports. By being aware of what causes burnout, what signs to look for,
and ways to deal with it, you can help your child on his/her way to a positive youth
sports experience. Should you happen to find yourself with a burned out athlete,
chances are if you catch it early some time off and a change of athletic scenery will
help tremendously.

References

(1) Cox, R. H. (2002). Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications (5th ed).
Boston: McGraw Hill.

(2)Fender, L. K. (1989). Athlete burnout: Potential for research and intervention
strategies. The Sport Psychologist, 3, 63-71.

(3) Cresswell, S. L. & Eklund, R. C. (2003). The athlete burnout syndrome: A
practitioner’s guide. The New Zealand Journal of Sports Medicine, 31, 4-9