USA Hockey Magazine

Difficult to Swallow After hanging up his professional skates after a 13-year NHL career, Jim Johnson spent time coaching youth hockey in Phoenix before embarking on a long coaching career in the pro ranks. He doesn't need scientific data to back up his beliefs. He need only reflect on his own path to the pros. "I remember growing up and playing football, baseball and soccer," recalled the New Hope, Minn., native. "You were able to play other sports because the hockey season started in November. Now hockey season is starting in August. In fact, a lot of kids are still playing right now in camps and prospect tournaments and global scouting. It's almost a non-stop preparation, which is dif- ficult for me to swallow." Johnson is not alone. Over the years, several surveys have found that the two most likely reasons given why players and parents drop out of hockey is cost and time commitment. When many travel programs require a seven-day-a-week com- mitment and cost in the range of $20,000 for a season of topnotch competition, numerous passionate hockey experts wonder if many hockey families are being priced out of the sport. 30 // SEPTEMBER 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM The signs of athlete burn- out are not always obvious, and they can overlap with other kinds of stress, such as overtraining or life and school pressures. Parents and coaches should look for these three major symptoms: • Emotional and physical exhaustion: Chronic fatigue from constant physical and psychological demands connected to intense train- ing and competition • Devaluation and detach- ment: A negative or cynical attitude toward sports and disinterest in performance • Reduced sense of accomplishment: Negative perspective on performanc- es and accomplishments Burnout can also negatively impact other areas of the athlete's life and it has been linked to lowered mental and physical health outside of sport. "I call it an arms race in youth sports where everybody is trying to do more than the next guy to get the best opportunities and advantages, but eventually it's got to stop somewhere." E I G H T D A Y S A W E E K SIGNS OF ATHLETE BURNOUT

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