Today’s young athletes and their parents are faced with an expectation that demands MORE. More practice time, more training time, more competitions, more money, more commitment, more equipment, more money (did I mention that one?) more, more, more.
This overarching theme of sporting success also frowns upon LESS. Less months of the year dedicated to a specific sport, less time at practice due to fatigue, less ‘excuses’ for poor performance, less commitment to the off season team training. The results of this approach are a significant number of adolescent injuries, burn out, anxiety, and an inability for the young athletes to actually perform at their optimal levels.
Finding a balance while tangled up in this cycle is extremely difficult.
Seasons are becoming extremely blurred within our sporting culture. With the advent of indoor soccer fields, year round ice surfaces, ‘sport specific’ training facilities and other options, our children are expected to continue training with their team year-round.
Continue reading How Much is Too Much? Overtraining Our Young Athletes
