Ten tips to prevent burnout from Christina McHale and Shawn Foltz-Emmons

#1 - Learn to identify the signs of burnout, and take note of any behavioral or emotional changes.

Burnout is complete mental and physical exhaustion, to the point where your child’s grades might be dropping, they don’t want to practice or compete and they have angry outbursts or other uncharacteristic emotional reactions.

Other symptoms include chronic muscle or joint pain, inability to recover from practice or play and elevated resting heart rate. Pay close attention to your child day-to-day and week-to-week, and make a note if you notice any changes in their behavior or they report aches, pains and struggles they haven’t mentioned before.

On the court, other signs of burnout are crying when they are behind in the match, quitting mid-match and similar emotional outbursts, particularly if they are uncharacteristic of your child’s usual behavior.

#3 - Try to limit and avoid potential risk factors for burnout.

Risk factors for burnout include playing one sport, sudden and large increases in training, as well as high anxiety levels that don’t go away with rest, routines and help. Additionally, overtraining for one child may be entirely manageable for another depending on their background, experience, temperament and other factors, so try to tailor routines to each child and their needs. Additionally, focusing too much on technique without incorporating fun is another potential trigger for burnout.

#4 - Take days off, and longer breaks when needed.

McHale and Foltz-Emmons both emphasized that athletes need at least one day of rest and recovery per week when they are not on the court or in the gym. While this can help prevent overtraining and gives them time and space to focus on activities and passion outside of tennis, sometimes a true break from the sport is necessary. Allow your child to take a few days off—and even a week or two if needed—in order for them to recover. McHale found that these breaks actually helped, as she came back more excited to train and compete.

#6 - Encourage your child to play doubles.

Playing doubles is a great way to have fun on the court while still getting great match experience. It allows athletes to be on a team and develop communication and social skills, and takes the pressure off a bit, as they have someone to strategize with. McHale said that she wishes she played more doubles to help prevent burnout; it was less stressful and a lot of fun.

#7 - Create balance in the athlete’s life.

Many children are focused on tennis and dream of winning their first Grand Slam—and they should have big goals. However, it’s crucial that they engage in other activities if at all possible. Team sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and others give your child another athletic outlet, and help them develop relationships and skills outside of tennis. At tournaments, go explore the city you’re visiting after matches are over for the day, or encourage your child to take a walk or get out of the tournament bubble.

#9 - Have them write down or express why they play tennis.

Kids may say they love training and competing, but whether they are exhibiting signs of burnout or not, it’s smart to check in with them periodically. Ask your child to write down or explain to you why they love playing tennis or what keeps them practicing their groundstrokes for hours at a time. If they say they enjoy improving, staying active or making new friends, those are great reasons. But if you sense that they no longer love it, or they say they play because it makes you happy, encourage them to take a step back.

#10 - Focus on the process, not the results.

“When I was focused on the process, that's when I felt at my best and I was having the most fun out on court and not exposing myself to periods of burnout. I think when I was too focused on results or the focus was a lot on winning, that's when I felt exhausted mentally and physically and didn't feel that burning desire to get back out on court,” McHale said.