How do I tell if my child is over training?
Have you noticed that your child has a lack of appetite, increased moody outbursts, lack of enthusiasm, poor sleeping habits, constant lethargy or more susceptible to the cold and flu? While this may be normal teenager behaviour, it may also be due to over training or both!
With sport becoming more prevalent in today’s society, children are starting sport earlier and training harder at younger ages. Alongside this, there is almost always a competitive aspect and children are pressured to perform better to achieve sporting glory. More often than not, parents, coaches and children embark on a training regime that involves repetitive skills training to perfect a tennis serve, nail a cricket bowl or the perfect basketball shooting technique.
Overtraining is becoming a more prevalent phenomenon. This is when the athlete is pushed to the limits, both physically and mentally. Physiologically, overtraining in a growing child’s body can lead to overuse injuries to the musculoskeletal system and a lack of motivation / mental fatigue.
These are some of the early signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Slower times in distance sports
- Deterioration in execution of sports plays or routines
- Decreased ability to achieve training goals
- Lack of motivation to practice
- Getting tired easily
- Irritability and unwillingness to cooperate with teammates
Parents and coaches need to be mindful in their attitude towards their children’s change in performance. Pushing the child to train harder and for longer periods will only worsen the situation.
As more children present with overtraining signs, sporting bodies are taking a bigger interest in promoting and ensuring children train in a safe, healthy manner. This information is usually sourced on the governing bodies websites (e.g. Cricket Australia which has specific guidelines for fast bowlers)
Should you think your child might be overtraining, visit your local doctor or health professional to have them assess and tailor an appropriate training schedule.
Beleura Health Solutions
Physiotherapists for MDBA
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