Two Sides To Fatigue

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Does any of this sound familiar?

During training, a player or two seem to be wandering around in a fog. They seem clueless as to what’s going on around them. The ball sneaks up on them, surprising them to the point where you are not sure if that was their first touch or a one-timed shot.

Or during a game, you notice you’ve used the word “focus” a record number of times, and the more you say it, the more it sounds like you are begging and pleading. The mistakes your players are making are baffling. You’re sure they know better, and you’re at a loss to understand what in the world they are doing.

What’s going on?

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Coaching Through A Growth Spurt

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One of your players all of a sudden appears uncoordinated, slower than normal, off-balance and struggles to perform skills you thought were mastered long ago.

It takes no time at all to accurately diagnose the problem – Growth Spurt.

When trying to identify the reason a young player is struggling, this is by far the easiest. There’s no need to list the physical changes needed to identify a player going through a growth spurt. It’s safe to say you’ll know it when you see it.

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Burnout: Why It’s Something To Worry About

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Burnout is one of those words we choose to use when we feel like exaggerating, or when we need an excuse.

Are you really burned out on a type of food, a television show, or maybe a sport? Or have you just spent an inordinate amount of time on it lately? Does a busy day really burn out kids to the point where they turn down an invitation to a social or sporting event by saying, “No, I’m burned out?” Or they just tired?

Burnout, however, is a real concern among young athletes. It’s cited as the reason kids stop trying, under-perform and quit altogether.

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