If you’re anything like me, you play or train for one sport all year round. Having an undying love for what you do is important, but what happens when being excited for practice turns into I can’t wait to go home the second you step onto the field?
This is known as burning out and it’s becoming more of the norm than not. According to an article by the NCAA, it’s what happens when a player trains intensely too much with little to no recovery. When one sport is the only activity other than school that an athlete does, they begin to associate all pleasant and unpleasant aspects of almost everything to it.
When an athlete plays a sport for their school, there are constant reminders of the sport, such as a coach working at the school and their classmates also being teammates. On top of all that, homework begins to pile up with little time to do it.
How can burnout be avoided? Force in time to do other activities. One sport can’t be all you think about. Play
another sport or join a club in the off season. If you fill up your schedule with other hobbies, it’s harder to get
overwhelmed and you are less likely to associate harsh feelings with one activity.
As hard as it might be, schedule time for rest; leave an hour or so a day to decompress by watching a movie,
going on a walk or hanging out with friends. Having some time to yourself will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. Making a schedule to stay on top of everything is extremely beneficial.
Remembering that your sport is something to enjoy can help you feel more motivated. If you start feeling like practice is a chore, pick one aspect you really like about the sport: team chemistry, a certain position, the feeling of succeeding or scoring a point, and focus on it. Try to remember why you started to enjoy the sport and write that reason down, to help you see why you’re doing the sport.
Stay organized and remember that it’s a sport, it’s supposed to be fun.
