Take a Break
What has changed the most about sports, is the "year round" sport mentality, which in a sense, is a "more is more" approach.
This is leading to earlier burnout, and sometimes even graver outcomes for those athletes that have undiagnosed mental health conditions.
Triad Athletes is made up of parents, family members and student athletes that have many different perspectives on "why I play sports," or "why I support my child's sports goals." However, I would say one common lens is the sports they play are providing them a sense of community and that community, is typically positive. That's why they keep coming back.
However, sometimes this confidence in that positive reality could create a smokescreen for the issues that cause burnout.
And maybe even blindfolding those warning signs completely.
Even though these signs are issues you may see without the student athlete experiencing serious burnout, there are useful and productive ways to create habits that can be helpful regardless.
Parents are one of, if not the most, important resources for their athletes on modeling and creating healthy habits when they approach sports. Parents can use their language, actions and recommendations on how they spend their time and money with their athletes.
Every student athletes has different needs, so all tools are not created equal, however, there are a few tips for parents looking to check in with how they are approaching sports as their children develop past the purely recreational fun teams, to a more competitive program.
These tips and resource material are here to help our Triad Athletes and their families navigate the growth of competitive women's sports, especially in lacrosse. We are excited to have a broader audience and competition in the game we love, but always want to be cognizant that at the end of the day, it is just a game.
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