Student athletes at higher risk of injury and burnout, doctors say

BOSTON - The nation's leading group of pediatricians is warning parents that student-athletes are at risk for injury and burnout.

More than 60 million children and teens participate in organized sports but more than two-thirds of them leave by age 13 due to overuse injuries, overtraining, or burnout.  

An updated report from the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines specific recommendations to keep your student athlete happy and healthy. 

For example, taking at least one to two days off a week from training to allow time for homework, school commitments, and downtime; taking two to three months off a year from a specific sport to recover both physically and mentally. 

If a child is experiencing pain don't encourage them to play through the pain but to stop, rest, and figure out what's causing it.

And if you notice your child is feeling fatigued, having changes in their mood, or struggling more in school, consider that they may be experiencing burnout.

In:
• Health
• Sports

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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