college 101
game on
pay the way
test prep
gear up
game on
rest, train, play
REST,
TRAIN,
PLAY
parent to parent
GOING
STRONG
Coach and sports mentor Steve
Genetski of Steve’s Sports Stars offered
his advice on preventing burnout.
Involvement in sports can be a wonderful experience for student athletes. Physical and health
benefits are both derived from daily training
and exercise. Healthy competition not only
challenges individuals to put forth their best
effort but can also be fun and exciting. In my
opinion, the only downside of sports is when
too much of a good thing is no longer a good
thing. I love chocolate, but if I eat too much
of it, I’m going to be sick. It’s called the law of
diminishing returns.
Burnout in youth sports is a common experience in today’s world. Many years ago when
I was starting my baseball career, the average
baseball team played approximately a dozen
games a year. I recently met a 10-year-old boy
who told me he was retiring from baseball to
take up lacrosse. He had played almost 100
baseball games the previous year and told me it
was no longer fun.
If you think pushing your student athlete to play his
or her chosen sport as often as possible is the best
way to help them reach their potential, think again.
BY DARRELL PUCKETT
Every parent wants their child to become the next superstar athlete, but what are the best techniques to enhance
their chances? Mark Fuller is the owner of Sports Academy in Auburn/Opelika, Ala. and has vast experience
coaching kids to their highest potential.
Fuller was a four year-letterman and pitcher for
Auburn University, where he graduated in 1992. He has
over 16 years of combined experience in both playing
and coaching baseball. He played pro ball with New York
Mets and Colorado Rockies minor-league systems for five
years. Fuller’s last stint as a coach was at Auburn, where
he was the pitching coach for four years.
According to Fuller, the keys to success in sports
include teaching kids sound mechanics and instilling a
“less is better” mentality. This may sound simple, but it
can be very difficult to master. Most parents want their
kids to keep playing year round, but in reality that’s the
opposite of what works. Fuller created a special technique called “rest, train play” that has helped develop
11 professional pitchers. “There has to be a set number
of weeks during the year that an athlete takes a break or
plays another sport, but there’s also a need to do age- and
gender-specific strength training before the season begins
“
22
The emergence of travel ball teams has
changed the landscape of youth sports.
The only downside of sports is when
too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.
”
- STEVE GENETSKI / Steve’s Sports Stars
www.potentialmagazine.com
Some of today’s athletes play more games in
one year than their parents played in a lifetime.
I am not saying that there is anything wrong
with the new paradigm. Personally, I would
have loved to have had the opportunity to have
played that often. But while it may be right for
some athletes, I don’t believe it is right for all.
Some young people are burning out because of
overexposure to their sport. It is the extremely
rare athlete who will ever earn a living playing
their sport. Success in academics is far more important for one’s future than success in sports.
I believe tha [