As a child, I played a variety of sports, but I never joined any travel teams or “specialized” in one sport. I just did whatever I wanted and whatever seemed fun. Parents these days are taught that their child needs to pick one sport when they are five years old and devote all of their time to it. If they do this, someday, they will get a scholarship to a Division I college, or even better, become a professional athlete. As great as this sounds, it is unrealistic for most and incredibly damaging to young athletes. If a child is forced to participate in one sport early on, they may become burned out and sports will become a chore instead of something they enjoy. Youth sports should definitely be encouraged, however, it needs to be done in the right context. The medical dictionary defines overtraining as a general term for any practice of or training for a particular sport which is in excess of that necessary to effectively participate in the sport. In essence, more is not always better. Although there is not a vast amount of research regarding adolescent overtraining, the research suggests that the signs and symptoms reported in young athletes are similar to those found in adult populations (Winsley, R., & Matos, N, 2010). This similarity implies that overtraining in youth populations should be on every coach’s radar and should be addressed early in training. If a child attends soccer practice six times a week, he or she will likely get better. However, if they are working at a high volume and high intensity all six days, they will most likely develop an injury they wouldn’t otherwise have. The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness recommends limiting one sporting activity to a maximum of five days per week with at least one day off from any organized physical activity. In addition to this, parents should try to get their kids involved in regular strength and conditioning activities that aren’t sport specific (Brenner, 2007). References
Parents often misunderstand the relationship between exercise and recovery, encouraging their children to train hard every session. Qualified fitness professionals are in a unique position to help children grow as athletes while reducing the risk of sports related injuries. This may mean educating parents on the importance of rest and recovery and teaching their children to have balance, especially at an early age. As a coach, one of the most important things you need to do regularly is communicate with your athletes. If an athlete comes in everyday complaining of being tired, it is highly possible that they are in the beginning stage of overtraining. If this is caught soon enough, coaches can help ensure the athlete gets an adequate amount of rest and recovery before their performance begins to deteriorate and they develop an acute or chronic injury. I think Avery Faigenbaum said it best: “Young participants should not be treated as miniature adults, and youth fitness programs should be consistent with the needs, interests, and abilities of each child” (Faigenbaum, 2009). Remember who you are dealing with and make sure your program is appropriate for each individual child.
Overtraining in Youth Athletes: “How Much is too Much” by Laurel Zimmermann
[This is a guest blog by Laurel Zimmermann. Laurel is an Exercise Science major with minors in both Business and Biology at The College at Brockport. She is currently an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab. ]
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