How to win at youth sports: Assessing impact on young athletes’ mental health

Youth sports have become increasingly competitive in recent years and decades, subjecting young athletes to increasing demands and pressures from coaches and parents alike.

But at what cost? Many youth athletes simply want to play and have fun with their friends, but too many stop playing sports altogether due to burnout. In fact, 70% of kids stop playing sports before they’re even teenagers, largely due to burnout and injury, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In a partnership with WKYC called “How to win at youth sports (without going broke or breaking down),” cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer talked to experts, coaches and families about the current landscape and what we can do better to develop healthy, well-adjusted players.

News3′s Maureen Kyle spoke with Dr. Gary Grosel, chief medical at United Healthcare of Ohio, to discuss the increasing pressures placed on lower levels of youth sports, how to reduce stress and anxiety in youth athletes, and more.

“I think it’s the pressures that are put on by not only the coaches, but also parents at times can put a lot of pressure on their own kids to make sure they’re doing the best they can,” Grosel says. “You have to take a step back sometimes as a parent and realize, ‘These are kids and they are young.’”

See News3′s full interview with Grosel on WKYC’s website.