{"id":677,"date":"2020-03-13T17:59:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T17:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kidsportcanada.ca\/alberta\/?post_type=news_stories&p=677"},"modified":"2020-08-10T20:47:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T20:47:37","slug":"kidsport-blog-what-is-burnout","status":"publish","type":"news_stories","link":"https:\/\/kidsportcanada.ca\/alberta\/fr\/nouvelles-histoires\/kidsport-blog-what-is-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"KidSport Blog – What is Burnout?"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPORTS AND MENTAL HEALTH: WHAT IS BURNOUT?<\/h2>\r\n

KidSport Blog Post #3<\/h2>\r\n

Late February, 2018:<\/h3>\r\n

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It\u2019s the Monday after the U of A track team\u2019s Conference finals. I\u2019m asked to come back to practice even though I’ve been promised the next few weeks off from training. I am in the dark equipment storage closet: crying, anxious, and unable to move. After 30 minutes, I leave the building, and I don\u2019t come back to my varsity sport for five months.<\/h3>\r\n

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This is burnout, and it can happen to any athlete.<\/h3>\r\n

What is Burnout?\u00a0<\/h5>\r\n

We hear the word tossed around within youth, amateur, and even professional sport. But what exactly is burnout?\u00a0Beth Sitzler from the National Athletic Trainers Association says that \u201cburnout is a response to chronic stress of continued demands in a sport or activity without the opportunity for physical and mental rest and recovery\u201d.\u00a0She also explains that \u201cburnout is a syndrome of continual training and sport attention stress, resulting in staleness, [and] overtraining\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Misconceptions about Burnout:\u00a0<\/h5>\r\n

On the U of A\u2019s track and field team, I compete in the throwing events: the more commonly-known shot put, and the less commonly-known weight throw. In weight throw, I wind a 20 pound ball and chain around my head, and then proceed to spin in circles until I gain enough speed and momentum to throw the 20lbs weight over 14 metres.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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As throwers, we are known as being the \u201cstrong\u201d athletes. The problem for me was that I believed \u201cstrong\u201d meant both mentally and physically strong. When I began to experience the signs and symptoms of burnout, I had a hard time admitting that I was struggling. I thought that admitting that I was burnt out was going to make me a weaker person. And, as a thrower, I felt that being perceived as weak would tarnish how people viewed me as an athlete.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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For me, I thought burnout could only happen for the best of the best athletes (e.g,. the Olympians of the sport). But, what I quickly found out, was that burnout can happen to anyone and everyone. Whether you are a track and field athlete, a synchronized swimmer, a hockey player, or anyone in between, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout. More importantly, it\u2019s essential to know that admitting you are burnt out and seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of the most courageous things that a person (and athlete) can do.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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What are the signs and symptoms of Burnout?\u00a0<\/h5>\r\n

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At the National Athletic Trainers Association, they suggest the signs and symptoms include:<\/p>\r\n