There’s nothing more disappointing than seeing an athlete who loved their sport gradually lose interest in it. It might come as a surprise to see your child or their teammate express an interest in quitting or mentally checking out.
With travel baseball being more competitive than ever, young athletes can feel tremendous pressure. This pressure can lead to burnout and a complete loss of interest in the sport they used to enjoy.
As parents, coaches, and supporters, we can help athletes work through feelings of burnout so they can continue to play the game,
Why Is My Athlete Burnt-Out?
Mental Burnout
For travel baseball, especially, athletes face intense competition. While some thrive off this, other kids don’t care for the pressure. Couple this pressure with adults who place stress on their athletes to always win and give 110% no matter what, and you have a recipe for burnout.
It’s only natural to want your child to succeed, and it can be frustrating to see them not giving it their all when playing a game or practicing. After a loss, it can be easy to jump right into what your kid, coach, or teammates did wrong, but this might push them away from the sport. They might decide it isn’t worth the stress anymore and instead dedicate their time elsewhere.
Physical Burnout
Training for your sport is necessary to develop fundamental skills and improve athleticism. However, athletes can become physically drained when this training is overly demanding at a young age. Overuse injuries from heavy training could be a factor is discouraging kids from playing.
Related Post: Recognizing and preventing youth baseball injuries
Physical exhaustion, like inadequate time to rest and recover, can cause burnout. Not having enough time to dedicate to their homework, friends, and other recreation could cause someone to want to quit baseball.
How Coaches Can Help
When kids can’t find joy in the game, they won’t play at their best.
Coaches have a significant impact on their athlete’s interest in playing. In a leadership position, you are responsible for setting the tone.
While coaching, keep in mind:
- Make it fun: At the youth level, it’s not just about improving athletics. It’s also about teaching teamwork and communication. When you forget about fun, your athletes may lose their passion.
- Remember the big picture: Find the sweet spot between competitiveness and enjoyment of the game. It’s easy to get frustrated after a loss, but remember why your team is really here.
- Don’t forget to rest: No one can be expected to work non-stop and perform at their best. Schedule breaks and ensure your athletes have downtime to recuperate.
- Listen to your team: When they feel comfortable with you, your athletes will let you know when they’re burnt out. If they’re afraid of being berated in front of their teammates, they’ll be more likely to walk out.
- Set clear expectations: When we tell young athletes that if they’re not the best, they’re failing, it’s more discouraging than inspiring. As a coach, be there to guide your athletes and stay away from unrealistic expectations.
What Can Parents Do to Help?
As a parent, it’s only natural to want to see your child perform to the best of their ability. When you see mistakes in the game, your first reaction might be to tell them what they could have done better.
What you may see as a push in the right direction might make your kid more frustrated than encouraged.
As a parent, you can help reduce burnout by:
- Talking it through: Lead an open and honest conversation with your child. Ask what they thought of the game and encourage them to give their opinions.
- Don’t coach from the bleachers: When your cheer on your athlete, encourage them! During games, save the coaching for the coach. You’re there to support them.
- Stay positive: It can be easy to stress about a season or game. Focus on providing encouragement. After a game, let them know you enjoyed watching them!
It’s fun to win, but you can’t win them all.
When done right, youth baseball is a huge benefit in developing kids into great athletes and good people. With the right support, young athletes are more likely to stick with their sport and enjoy their game.
Contact us at Ballparks of America
At Ballparks of America, we live and breathe youth travel baseball. Register for a tournament or contact us at Ballparks of America or at (417) 464-6333.
