What You Need to Know About Over Training

Each year, many kids sign up for a variety of sports. Some do so because they love sports and others do so because their parents have pushed them in that direction. One drawback of sports can be overtraining. Whether kids feel the pressure to continuously train from their parents, coaches, or their own drive to excel, overtraining can be unhealthy. Be sure to monitor your child's involvement in sports to avoid the overtraining trap.

Healthy Focus on Kids

Too much training can be a bad thing. Kids who over train often feel pressured and stressed, and they could end up inviting injuries. It is important for parents to encourage kids to not overextend themselves or spend all their time training for a particular sport or activity. At best, kids who over train may get burned out; at worst, they may sustain permanent injuries.

Things for parents to remember about overtraining:

• Avoid allowing your child to engage in a sport too often. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that around 50 percent of all school-aged, sports-related injuries are due to overuse (overtraining). Kids need to be able to take adequate breaks and allow their bodies to relax and recover.
• Set a healthy schedule for training, but avoid overtraining. Depending on the activity, speak with your doctor or coach to see what he or she recommends as a reasonable amount of training time.
• Always have your child avoid playing with injuries. Sometimes kids get injured and are sent back out to play too soon. Give the injury time to heal before resuming play.
• Help your child focus on good sportsmanship and having fun. That way he will not engage in being overly competitive which could lead to overtraining.

There is no doubt that teens and tweens need to train for particular activities and sports. But kids can become over-extended and get into the habit of overtraining. By making it a priority, you can successfully help them to maintain a healthy training balance!