Gwen Vanderheyden of Rockton has turned into a bit of a star on the ice when it comes to speed skating, but she’s set to watch the Olympics with the rest of the country, beginning on Feb. 6.

The difference between Vanderheyden and the rest of the world? Most of us won’t ever get anywhere near competing in the Olympics. Watching is the closest the rest of us will ever get.

Vanderheyden may get there as a competitor someday.

“The Olympics would be great, that’s what you shoot for,” Vanderheyden, 14, said. “I’m pretty sure that in four years from now, I’m going to want that Olympic spot. That’s my dream.”

And Vanderheyden is on pace for just that.

Why speed skating?

A little over three years ago, Gwen was watching the Winter Olympics with her father and mother, Russell and Cari Vanderheyden, when she exclaimed that speed skating was “the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”

She quickly learned to skate at Carlson Ice Arena in Loves Park. She first tried the figure skating route, but then quickly pivoted back to speed skating.

Youth sports are often celebrated as pathways to confidence, discipline, and teamwork. For many children, athletics begin as a source of joy and self-expression. However, as competition intensifies and expectations grow, passion can quietly transform into pressure. Burnout in youth sports has become an increasingly visible issue, raising questions about how early ambition, adult involvement, and institutional systems shape young athletes’ experiences.

What Burnout Looks Like in Young Athletes

Burnout in young athletes rarely arrives as a dramatic breaking point. More often, it develops quietly, masked by routine and normalized stress. What begins as dedication can slowly turn into emotional and physical exhaustion, leaving athletes disconnected from a sport they once loved.

One of the earliest signs is a loss of enthusiasm. Practices that once felt energizing begin to feel draining. Young athletes may express reluctance to attend training sessions or competitions, offering excuses or showing emotional withdrawal. This shift is often misinterpreted as laziness, when it is more accurately a response to sustained pressure without adequate recovery.

Emotional symptoms are frequently accompanied by physical ones. Chronic fatigue, recurring injuries, and unexplained aches become more common as the body struggles to recover. Performance may plateau or decline despite increased effort, further fueling frustration and self-doubt. Sleep disturbances and changes in appetite can also signal mounting stress.

Psychologically, burnout can manifest as irritability, anxiety, or a sense of hopelessness. Young athletes may become overly self-critical, fearing mistakes or judgment. The joy of play is replaced by a constant concern about outcomes, rankings, or approval from adults. In severe cases, athletes experience emotional numbness, feeling detached rather than disappointed.

Social withdrawal is another indicator. Burned-out athletes may pull away from teammates, friends, or family, particularly if their social world revolves around sport. When identity is tightly bound to performance, struggles can feel isolating and deeply personal.

Importantly, burnout does not mean a lack of talent or commitment. It is often the result of prolonged imbalance—too much demand, too little autonomy, and insufficient rest. Without recognition, burnout can lead to complete disengagement from sport, sometimes permanently.

Recognizing burnout early allows for meaningful intervention. When adults listen carefully to changes in mood, motivation, and behavior, they can help restore balance. Addressing burnout is not about lowering standards, but about protecting the well-being that allows young athletes to thrive both in sport and beyond it.

The Role of Early Specialization

Early specialization occurs when young athletes focus on a single sport year-round, often excluding other athletic activities at an early age. While this approach is sometimes promoted as a pathway to elite performance, it carries significant risks for burnout, particularly when driven by external expectations rather than a child’s intrinsic interest.

One major concern is physical strain. Repetitive movement patterns increase the likelihood of overuse injuries, especially in developing bodies. Without seasonal variation or cross-training, muscles and joints are subjected to constant stress, limiting recovery and increasing long-term injury risk. Physical pain can quickly erode enjoyment, turning participation into obligation.

Psychologically, early specialization narrows a child’s sense of identity. When one sport becomes the primary source of validation, setbacks feel disproportionately devastating. Losses, reduced playing time, or injury may be interpreted as personal failure rather than part of development. This pressure intensifies anxiety and undermines confidence.

Specialization also reduces opportunities for unstructured play, which is essential for creativity, social learning, and emotional resilience. Playing multiple sports exposes athletes to different coaching styles, peer groups, and movement skills, fostering adaptability and broader athletic literacy. Without this diversity, sport becomes repetitive, increasing mental fatigue.

Research increasingly suggests that early diversification does not hinder long-term success. Many elite athletes participated in multiple sports during childhood, specializing later when motivation and physical maturity were stronger. Delayed specialization allows passion to develop organically rather than being imposed prematurely.

Importantly, not all specialization is harmful. When athletes choose to focus on one sport out of genuine interest, with appropriate rest and support, specialization can be positive. The risk arises when choice is replaced by pressure, and development is measured solely by outcomes rather than well-being.

Understanding the role of early specialization requires nuance. Success in youth sports should prioritize growth, health, and enjoyment over early achievement. By allowing children the freedom to explore, rest, and decide for themselves, adults help protect long-term engagement and reduce the likelihood that passion will give way to burnout.

External Pressure from Adults and Systems

External pressure plays a significant role in youth sports burnout, often emerging from well-intentioned adults and institutional structures. Parents, coaches, schools, and competitive systems frequently emphasize performance outcomes, unintentionally shifting the focus away from enjoyment, learning, and personal growth. Over time, this pressure can distort a young athlete’s relationship with sport.

Parental involvement is one of the most influential factors. While encouragement and support are essential, constant evaluation, comparison, or future-oriented thinking can create emotional weight. Conversations centered on rankings, playing time, or scholarships may communicate that success defines worth. Even subtle cues—disappointment after losses or excessive praise tied solely to winning—can reinforce this message.

Coaching environments also shape pressure. Coaches operating within competitive systems may prioritize results to secure funding, recognition, or job stability. When training becomes rigid and mistakes are punished rather than used as learning opportunities, athletes may develop fear-based motivation. This atmosphere discourages risk-taking and undermines confidence, increasing emotional strain.

Beyond individuals, structural pressures intensify burnout. Year-round leagues, travel teams, early talent identification programs, and constant tournaments reduce recovery time and increase psychological load. The commercialization of youth sports further amplifies expectations, framing participation as an investment rather than an experience. Athletes internalize these stakes, feeling responsible for justifying time, money, and effort spent on them.

Social comparison, often fueled by social media, compounds the problem. Highlight reels, rankings, and public evaluations create a sense of constant scrutiny. Young athletes may feel they are always being measured, even outside competition.

The most damaging aspect of external pressure is the loss of autonomy. When athletes feel they cannot say no, rest, or explore other interests, sport becomes compulsory. Motivation shifts from internal enjoyment to external approval.

Reducing burnout requires adults to reassess their roles. Support should emphasize effort, learning, and well-being over outcomes. Systems must allow flexibility, rest, and athlete voice. When pressure is replaced with trust and support, young athletes are more likely to sustain both performance and passion.

Identity and Self-Worth

For many young athletes, sport becomes more than an activity—it becomes a central part of identity. While this can foster confidence and belonging, it also creates vulnerability when self-worth becomes tightly linked to performance. When success defines who an athlete is, setbacks can feel like personal failure rather than temporary challenges.

This identity fusion often develops subtly. Praise from adults, recognition from peers, and structured routines reinforce the idea that athletic achievement is the primary source of value. Over time, young athletes may internalize the belief that they are respected, supported, or noticed mainly because of how well they perform. This makes sport emotionally high-stakes.

When injuries, losses, or reduced playing time occur, the impact extends beyond disappointment. Athletes may experience shame, anxiety, or a sense of worthlessness. Because their identity is narrowly defined, there is little psychological space to absorb adversity. Stepping away from sport—whether temporarily or permanently—can feel like losing oneself entirely.

Burnout intensifies when athletes feel trapped by this identity. They may continue participating despite exhaustion or loss of enjoyment because quitting feels like letting others down or abandoning who they are supposed to be. This pressure often goes unspoken, particularly in environments that celebrate toughness and persistence above emotional well-being.

A strong athletic identity is not inherently harmful. Problems arise when it crowds out other aspects of self—friendships, academic interests, creativity, or rest. Balanced identity allows athletes to see sport as one meaningful part of life rather than its sole foundation. This balance acts as a protective factor against burnout.

Adults play a crucial role in shaping this perspective. When parents and coaches praise effort, character, and resilience rather than results alone, they help decouple self-worth from performance. Encouraging interests outside of sport reinforces the idea that value is multifaceted.

Supporting healthy identity development means affirming athletes for who they are, not just what they achieve. When young athletes feel secure in their worth, they are better equipped to face challenges, recover from setbacks, and sustain a positive relationship with sport over time.

Preventing Burnout

Preventing burnout in youth sports requires intentional balance between development, performance, and well-being. While competition and challenge are valuable, they must be paired with autonomy, rest, and emotional support to sustain long-term engagement. Burnout is not inevitable; it is often the result of misaligned priorities rather than excessive effort alone.

One of the most effective protective factors is athlete choice. When young athletes feel they have a voice in decisions about training intensity, competition schedules, and participation, motivation remains internal rather than imposed. Feeling heard fosters ownership and reduces the sense of obligation that fuels burnout.

Rest and recovery are equally critical. Physical recovery supports mental health, and both are often overlooked in youth sports structures. Scheduled breaks, off-seasons, and limits on year-round competition allow athletes to reset physically and emotionally. Encouraging unstructured play and time away from organized sport helps preserve joy and creativity.

Multisport participation remains a key strategy. Exposure to different sports reduces overuse injuries, builds diverse movement skills, and prevents monotony. It also reinforces the idea that athletic identity can be flexible rather than singular. Even for athletes who eventually specialize, early diversification supports healthier development.

The role of adults cannot be overstated. Parents and coaches set the emotional tone of sport. Emphasizing effort, learning, and teamwork over outcomes reduces performance anxiety. Open communication creates safe space for athletes to express fatigue or loss of motivation without fear of disappointment or punishment.

Education also matters. Teaching young athletes to recognize stress, set boundaries, and value rest empowers them to care for their own well-being. Normalizing conversations about mental health reduces stigma and encourages early intervention.

Ultimately, preventing burnout means redefining success. When success includes enjoyment, growth, and health—not just wins or rankings—sport becomes sustainable. By aligning systems with the developmental needs of young athletes, we ensure that passion is protected, resilience is built, and sport remains a positive force rather than a source of exhaustion.

Conclusion

Youth sports should cultivate resilience, joy, and lifelong movement—not exhaustion and fear. Addressing burnout means realigning priorities, preserving play, and remembering that passion thrives best when pressure is managed with care.