by Madesen Allen
In the fast-paced world of college athletics, athletes face many challenges such as the stress of competition, long hours of practice and balancing academic and social aspects of their lives. We often wonder how this affects them and how they can continue to train so intensely. We frequently see athletes drop out while others lack motivation or seem to give up entirely, but we tend to forget that this isn’t athletes becoming lazy and not wanting to continue. In reality, when athletes are subjected to tons of physical and emotional exhaustion, it can result in feelings of burnout. According to the NCAA, burnout is described as “a training stress syndrome where too much stress can first produce staleness, then overtraining and eventually burnout.” I am bringing this topic to your attention today because of the increasing importance of this issue as the number of students facing burnout has grown over the last two decades. It is something that we need to watch out for and find ways to prevent. Taking preventative measures to battle burnout can help athletes have a longer-lasting sports career and overall have a more fulfilling life in and out of the sport.
First, let’s discuss how you can identify burnout itself. It has many different stages beginning with what the NCAA describes as staleness, which is where athletes discover “a clear drop in… motivation and a plateau in performance.” This can be as little as not wanting to show up for practice or not finding as much enjoyment in training leading to a stagnant progression. Secondly, overtraining can be expressed through frequent illness, injuries, changes in mood and overall lack of energy for the sport, which then causes a decline in performance. Once athletes experience these two stages, we see them reach the end stage: burnout. Research indicates that athlete burnout is linked to adverse mental health effects, which may manifest as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, excessive worry, and concerns about body image. Burnout seems to be something that isn’t discussed much, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled burnout as an occupational health problem. They describe burnout in three ways: emotional exhaustion, cynicism and reduced efficacy. In terms of sports, this translates to physical and emotional exhaustion; cynicism related to the development of negative attitudes and a reduction of interest; and overall reduced efficacy being the reduced sense of athletic efficacy and accomplishment.
You may not have thought of burnout as being an issue that affects athletes daily, but it is more common than you think. When looking at statistics, we see that “30% of college athletes will quit before completing four years of athletic eligibility,” according to The Stute, in reference to a study completed at Brown University. As well, The Stute further explains that “for current athletes, mental health symptoms and disorders included 34 per cent anxiety/depression and 19 per cent alcohol misuse.” The International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology reports that 10 per cent of student athletes will “experience moderate to severe symptoms of burnout at some point in [their] season.” This is why coaches and athletes need to be aware of these signs and be able to identify symptoms as early as possible, as many athletes may be misdiagnosed with illnesses such as depression when really they are dealing with burnout.
How can we prevent burnout from happening? While rest is the number one thing that can ensure complete recovery from burnout, it is often the one thing athletes don’t want to hear. It is hard to put a pause on the season or stop training when you have big competitions coming up. It can cause stress, which isn’t beneficial to recovering from burnout at all. We often hear more is better in the collegiate world of sports, but in reality, sometimes less is better.
Taking preventative steps to avoid burnout can seem daunting, but we want to focus on the things we can control as athletes to make our daily lives a bit less stressful. The number one thing we can do is sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things we do for our bodies and studies have found that student-athletes do the exact opposite. The University of Arizona has reported that 68 per cent of their athletes experienced poor sleep quality, of which “87 per cent slept less than eight hours… and 43 per cent slept less than seven hours a night,” as explained by The Stute. This is far from the required sleep that active individuals need which ranges from 10-12 hours a night. Not getting the right amount of sleep can make student-athletes 1.7 per cent times more likely to develop an injury. Another way we can take preventive measures is by making short-term goals. This can help athletes stay motivated and focused as it gives them something to look forward to, instead of feeling as though they are not achieving anything. Keeping an active social life is important as well; as much as studies and athletics are important, it is necessary to carve out quality time with friends and family as it can help you relax and keep your mind off any stressors that you may be dealing with. Lastly, stress reduction techniques and mindfulness are very important. It may sound silly or redundant but taking time in the day to focus on your breathing and nothing else will help you feel more relaxed and focused for your day, helping to handle the daily challenges you have to face.
According to the The Fortis Academy, grit is defined as “perseverance and passion towards long-term goals.” Helping strengthen the personality trait of grit can help student-athletes battle burnout. Athletes with higher levels of grit tend to be more engaged in their sports and are less likely to experience burnout, as they typically have a higher level of commitment and overall wellbeing. Grit isn’t something that you are born with; it is something that can be developed over time. Grit can be developed by setting goals because it can help athletes focus on their goals daily and how they impact their lives. Secondly, pushing athletes beyond their comfort zone in practice can help them learn how to work harder and become “comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Letting athletes fail but not letting them give up is a very important one. Let them find joy in the process and come back for more when they feel as though they didn’t achieve what they believed they could’ve. Let them find love in the training, the hard days, the early mornings, let them find love in it all, and no matter how hard it gets, don’t let them quit.
Being a student athlete is hard. According to the Journal of Athletic Training, student-athletes “spend an average of 30 hours per week on sport-related activities, such as practicing, watching film, and competing.” This is why not everyone does it. It is worth applauding for the fact that you take the time to put so much hard work and effort into something that you love. Whoever may be reading this—students, athletes, coaches, etc.—burnout is something real. It is something that can take a toll on athletes’ lives and can take a long time to recover from. As athletes yourself, you have to listen to your body, because if something feels off, it is. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, because people are here to support and are willing to listen.