(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, many kids love organized sports. But despite the physical and mental health benefits, as many as 70% drop out by the age of 13.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a report on three key reasons.
I’m a big sports fan, and so are my three boys. Right now, around 60 million kids are actively involved in organized sports. However, it's concerning that approximately 7 out of 10 kids decide to quit around the time they hit their teenage years. So why does this happen when kids generally love sports? Well, a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights three potential underlying reasons –injuries, overtraining, and burnout.
When it comes to injuries, there are two types – acute and overuse. Acute injuries occur when athletes get hurt during play, like falling, being tackled, or colliding. However, the report emphasizes overuse injuries. These appear to happen out of the blue. But in reality, these injuries result from repetitive stress and insufficient recovery time. This can lead to musculoskeletal damage as well as overtraining syndrome.
Overtraining syndrome is a decline in a child’s performance due to insufficient downtime. Kids can suffer mood swings and fatigue and have issues with sleep. Overtraining also comes with a heightened risk of injury and a disturbance of normal bodily functioning, including endocrine, neurological, cardiovascular, and psychological symptoms.
As for burnout, the report associates it with overscheduling and excessive training. A lot of kids participate in more than one sport at one time. There can be many practices and pressure to do well. Kids get stressed out, which also makes the sport less enjoyable.
There are a few things parents can do. Here’s my advice:
Schedule regular checkups for your child with their doctor. Discuss the risks of overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout during these visits.
Measure success by your child's participation and effort. Focus on creating positive experiences by emphasizing skill learning, safety, and good sportsmanship.
Ensure your child has enough free play time in activities unrelated to sports. This helps reduce the risk of burnout.
Encourage your young athlete to take breaks, resting for at least one to two days per week from competitions and specific training. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends taking breaks from a sport for two to three months a year. This will help your child both physically and mentally.
Now, I know that last piece of advice will not go over so well with some kids. Many are quite passionate about sports and will have quite a few friends on their team. But it’s important to have a balance in life.
