Posted on October 2, 2009: Burnout
A Responsible Sports Fan suggested the following Scenario Question:
My son never seems to tire of his sport - ice hockey. He and his teammates eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. They play year-round and all the time whether it's street hockey at home or ice hockey at the rink. They are young, 10 and 11, and never seem to tire of it. How do you tell if your child is getting burned out? What are the telltale signs?
Dear Suz,
It sounds like you've got a son who loves hockey! If he is choosing to play street hockey at home on his own free time, then it doesn't sound like burnout is currently an issue. As long as he remains self-motivated to practice and play, then you don't have to worry.
Based on how enthusiastic he is about playing now, symptoms of burnout will be quite obvious to you if/when they occur. Suddenly you'll feel like you have to prod him to get ready for practice, and he may say he doesn’t want to go. You won't see him playing any hockey away from practices/games. He won't want to talk about practices, games, or his future in the sport. Burnout can also lead to kids being physically and emotionally drained and often results in kids getting sick (nagging colds that are hard to beat).
If you start to see any of these signs, be proactive and talk with him about it right away. You might start by saying, "You don't seem as excited about hockey as you used to be." If he acknowledges you are right, ask him what ideas he has to get his passion for playing back. He might just need to scale things back a bit, and he'll be relieved to know you're behind him.
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