3 Signs of Softball Burn Out
The fall softball season is underway all across the country. The fall season picks up right after the conclusion of the summer season, with many teams only having a less than two-week turn around. Some programs had an even smaller break and got into practices in a week. Softball has drastically changed over the years. It is now advertised as a year-long sport whereas about ten years ago, teams came together for summer and fall ball only. Now the season is a year round one, with all of the winter training on top of dome ball games and tournaments.
It is common for softball players to experience feelings of burning out, especially the younger kids who are newly committed to playing year round. Softball is a time demanding sport where just going to team practices and games won’t cut it. Softball players need to practice on their own time too. This gets complicated for players who are involved in multiple off-season sports. Parents may find their kid has something sport related every night of the week during the winter months. They could have hockey, basketball, volleyball, or swimming practice two nights a week with softball off-season training or practices the other nights. Then don’t forget about basketball or volleyball tournaments all day on Saturday and softball dome double headers on Sunday. Some youth athletes are lucky if they can squeeze in one off-night a week.
Below are three signs of an athlete who may be experiencing burning out.
Lack of Motivation: This can be a tough one for parents to spot. Lack of motivation can occur in multiple forms, not just a softball player not wanting to go to practice or games. The athlete may start to show a lack of interest in other activities they are involved in, as well as school. The athlete will be physically and emotionally drained, which we will get to more in sign number two. Keep an eye out for body language, especially when softball is brought up in conversation. When a softball player is burned out, they will have little motivation to even think about it.
Feeling Tired: This happens a lot in kids and teenagers these days. These athletes wake up early every day to go to school for the whole day. Then after school, they come home and are carted off to one or more sports practices in the evening. After they get done with sports, it’s time to go home and cram in as much homework as they can and somehow find a way to get to bed on time. Make sure your athletes are getting enough sleep. Be aware of the practice schedules and the amount of school work they are bringing home every day. Watch for signs of being over-tired and over-worked and listen to your athlete when they express they are indeed tired.
Complaining or Negativity: This will usually be the last thing to occur before the final straw when dealing with a burnout. The previous two signs will be visible first, and the complaining or negative talk will come last. Once an athlete reaches this point, it’s never good because the negative mind will take over. Once the negative mind takes over, it will be challenging for the athlete to be anything but negative when thinking about their sport. Often, the only way to cure a negative mind is to remove the athlete from the sports environment completely for however much time is needed. Breaks are encouraged and if your athlete isn’t getting enough rest or time away from one thing before entering another, pump the breaks.
Becoming a burn out in softball is becoming more common now that the sport is offered year-round. It is encouraged to take advantage of year-round softball opportunities but also to approach with caution. If parents pay attention to their athlete’s wants and needs, chances of burning out decrease. When parents jump all in and push their athlete to limits in multiple sports as well as school, chances of burning out increase. You can play multiple sports in each season, get good grades in school, and also be a cheerful person to be around. My advice, listen to your athletes, listen to yourself, don’t push too hard, and have fun.
