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It’s no secret that youth are specializing in sports at younger and younger ages. Parents have a dream —a defined future, if you will —that has their son or daughter playing collegiate or professional sports. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with dreams, there is something amiss with ignoring the process that may or may not accomplish those dreams.
Following the journey of early specialized athletes, we find that expedited sport specialization can be associated with increased burnout. But why? Wouldn’t an athlete find added comfort in exclusive sports training? Wouldn’t they discover it easier to perform on a bigger stage, given the additional practice hours? Would they not be fully bought in, even identifying with their chosen sport? Often, increased sport specialization in youth leads to higher performance expectations.
This is not an all-or-nothing outcome associated with youth’s response to greater specialization and performance pressures. However, when pouring money, resources, and time into multiple forms of sport-specific training, it’s natural to have higher expectations for athletic performance. In turn, athletes face lower self-confidence and a trend towards burnout when performance is less successful.
Often, periods of low confidence and internal struggle by youth athletes are cultivated not by “what” but by “who”. The “who” is often the people who want their athlete to succeed the most- the parents
Yes, the parents. In all the ways they want to support, they often fail to support the right piece of the puzzle. To change this, parents must appreciate the process of their child’s athletic development rather than the outcomes.
Parents praise winning; they rave about high shooting percentages, display home run balls, brag about captain status, and Facebook post about being on the best AAU team. Don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with any such action as long as it’s not within a silo. Such actions are good, but in isolation, they point to success and winning as the primary measure of worth. For youth to feel supported, praise must be given not only for achievements and outcomes, but for the process itself.
The process is what builds character, teaches determination, fosters growth, and reaffirms what sports teach us outside of sheer performance metrics. So how can parents change their narrative? Glad you asked. They can inquire about what the athletes are learning through their sport. Praise effort, not just success. Support their athlete in trying new tactics to influence their game. Reiterate failure is a form of learning, not a destination. And finally, listen before suggesting.
By encouraging the process, we create a healthier, supportive foundation for our athletes to grow. In doing so, we alleviate the pressure of a win-centric ecosystem that can easily lead to burnout among many gifted, up-and-coming youth athletes. So please challenge yourself and your community to support youth in their sports journeys, not just sports successes.
For more information, please reference the video below for incredibly insightful statements from Janne Mortensen.