What is Youth "Sports Burnout"

QUESTION: My husband says there's no such thing, and that our son is just
lazy. The coach has another term for it. What is youth "sports burnout?"
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ANSWER: Although for most children involvement in sports provides an
opportunity to have fun and learn new skills, for some youngsters, the sports
environment can have a negative effect causing low self-esteem, depression,
and anxiety.
It is important to recognize early signs of competitive stress that can
lead to "burnout"--loss of energy and enthusiasm for sports. The child no
longer has fun, becomes overwhelmed by the demands, and seeks to escape the
situation.
Symptoms include signs of agitation such as sleep disturbances, skin
rashes, nausea, headaches, and muscle rigidity. Signs of depression are lack
of energy, sadness, frequent illness, and a loss of interest in training and
competing. These conditions make the child more susceptible to injury,
because injury provides a socially acceptable way to escape the pressure.
Burnout often comes from excessive pressure exerted by adults to push the
youth to win or excel. The parents or coaches are likely to criticize the
child's performance rather than be supportive. They may give inconsistent
messages, such as saying that winning isn't everything and then expressing
anger when the child loses. Adults who are always hovering and overprotecting
may cause the child to panic in competition.
The best way to handle youth sports burnout is to prevent it. Adults
need to de-emphasize winning, and instead encourage development of skills.
Find ways to encourage improvement and effort. Try to match the child's
ability with the sports environment--being on the "top" team may be a mistake
for a child who is not as skilled as the other children.
Be careful to have realistic expectations and goals for the child, and
create opportunities for children to feel successful, such as lowering the
rims in basketball, or setting up small playing fields in soccer.
Fun-oriented competition can begin at any age, but as a general rule, a
child is not ready for intense competition and training until about age 14.
Let the child play a variety of sports to maintain interest and develop
skills.
Back off, Dad, and give the kid a chance. Listen to the coach. If you
and your child maintain a healthy attitude and reasonable perspective, sports
can help strengthen and preserve the family, promote individual growth, and
provide a lot of fun.