by Karyn Maier, Managing Editor
Participating in youth sports isn’t only physically demanding for a child; it can be mentally and emotionally challenging as well. In the early years, the payoff is simple to understand—a genuine enjoyment of playing the game. However, as the child becomes older, and more is expected in terms of agility and skill, a form of conditioning may set in that can make a once-loved sport anything but fun. Young athletes may become driven to perform simply to avoid criticism. Winning may become so important that anything less may leave the young player feeling flawed. At the same time, the child may have concerns about school, including social acceptance from peers. This kind of pressure can lead to anxiety, stress and, ultimately, a loss of interest in youth sports altogether, or burnout.
Research shows that sports burnout most often occurs between the ages of 10 and 14 years in boys, often earlier in girls. In fact, as much as 70% of children who start participating in youth sports as early as five years old will drop out by the time they reach the age of 13 due to burnout.
What is burnout? Many adults recognize this term and can associate it with a loss of enthusiasm for a particular job or career path due to work-related stress. For kids in youth sports, burnout is triggered by the same mechanism--competitive stress and frustration becomes so overwhelming that the activity is no longer fun and dropping out is the only means of escape.
As a parent, or youth coach (or perhaps both), there are several simple things that you can do to help young athletes want to stay in the game...
1. Help young athletes learn how to identify and reduce stress.
2. Offer positive praise for effort and good sportsmanship.
3. Engage children in setting realistic goals of their own.
4. Yield to authority—at home, parents set the tone; on the field, the coach is in charge.
5. Keep negative comments about other players, coaches and parents to yourself.
6. Teach by example the value of self-respect and the importance
of respect for others.
7. Never compare one child's skills to another.
8. Make sure everyone gets an equal chance to participate and a chance to experience success.
9. Remember that winning is only a short-term reward; learning skills and developing self-esteem are the long-term goals.
10. Reassure children that making mistakes is part of the learning process and growth.
