![]() Summarizing burnout in sports as “physical and or emotional exhaustion” is a lazy and horribly oversimplified definition. Burnout could mean an athlete needs a change, realizes they love the sport less as demands increase, or just fails to cope with normal stress. When in doubt, assume the worse and have the peace of mind that you’re acting responsibly.Ī convenient and easy definition of burnout is found in several books on sport psychology. Both conditions have signs and symptoms that overlap, so it’s essential to know the differences. You never know the true timeliness of helping a person who is struggling until it’s too late.īurnout is not depression, but it’s worth noting the similarities and understanding that mishandling either may have severe consequences. For these issues, call a professional immediately, even it means pulling over while driving. Yes athletes are special talents, but they’re not impervious to things other people experience every day, such as the loss of a parent, fears of rejection, and problems with substance abuse.Īthletes will have eating disorders, addictions, and depression. Now that CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) awareness is growing, we must see athletes as humans with regular needs. When faced with burnout, coaches must deal with a moral obligation that may hurt their team’s success as well as their own jobs. Defining it, managing it, and talking about it isn’t easy even without the sports component. Also, this article does not discuss how to handle a depressed athlete or an athlete dealing with a health crisis like substance abuse. I’m not claiming that burnout is an epidemic. Most of us are involved in sports for the right reasons, and while good intentions are great on paper, how they unfold may not be pretty. ![]() My goal is to create awareness so others will take the baton and help provide a support network for athletes instead of making the problem worse. ![]() Coaches dispense enormous amounts of stress on athletes, and sometimes the responses aren’t healthy. It’s harder to talk about an issue to which I may be contributing. It’s easy to write about periodization, recovery techniques, and the latest technology. I’m seeing athlete burnout more and more often and want to speak about it instead of looking the other way. For this article, I’m referring to the point in time where it’s a good for an athlete to take a break from conventional training the specific time in a career or training phase where they need some time away.
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