Junior athletes can have incredibly busy schedules, sometimes with zero rest days.
Some fatigue is completely normal, but the problem lies when the body isn’t getting enough opportunity to recover between those demands.
There isn’t one test that tells us a young athlete is “overtraining”. I tend to look for patterns and changes from what is normal for that child.
Here are some of the main warning signs I encourage parents to watch for.
1. Their performance starts going backwards
Everyone has bad games.
I’m more interested when performance consistently declines despite the athlete continuing to train, typically over a 3–4 week stretch. Importantly, I avoid digging for reasons an athlete may be underperforming when it could simply be a natural slump.
But repeated displays of moving slower, struggling to get through matches, losing their usual explosiveness or simply seeming flat are worth investigating further.
Look for: a change lasting several weeks rather than a few poor performances.
2. They are constantly tired
Being tired after a hard session is expected. Being exhausted before training even starts is different.
If your child regularly complains of heavy legs, struggles to get through the school day or never seems refreshed between sessions, their recovery may not be keeping up with their training.
Look for: whether fatigue improves after an easier few days or continues regardless.
3. Soreness never really disappears
Muscle soreness for a day or two after unfamiliar exercise can be completely normal.
Repeatedly beginning the next training session while still significantly sore suggests the body hasn’t fully recovered.
Look for: soreness that persists across several sessions rather than appearing occasionally.
4. They keep developing little injuries
One ankle sprain or sore knee doesn’t necessarily mean anything about training load.
Repeated niggles are more interesting.
Calf tightness one week, knee pain the next, followed by a sore groin may suggest the athlete is struggling to tolerate everything they’re doing.
Recurrent injuries and illnesses are recognised reasons to look more closely at recovery and overall athlete health.
Look for: little aches and pains that pop up in different parts of the body, seemingly unexpectedly.
5. They seem to be getting sick more often
When high training demands combine with inadequate recovery or insufficient nutrition, athletes may become more susceptible to illness.
Hard training can take a toll on the immune system, making athletes who are doing a bit much more susceptible to sickness.
Look for: noticeably more colds, infections or time away from training than usual.
6. Their sleep changes
Sleep is one of the most important parts of recovery, particularly during adolescence.
Late training, early school mornings and busy schedules can make getting enough difficult.
Poor sleep can also become a warning sign in itself.
Look for: trouble falling asleep, waking frequently, difficulty waking in the morning or still feeling exhausted after what should have been adequate sleep. Youth-athlete guidance identifies sleep as an important component of recovery, performance and health.
7. Their mood changes
You will probably notice this in your child well before the coach does.
Your child might become unusually irritable, emotional, withdrawn or frustrated.
That doesn’t automatically mean sport is the cause, but a noticeable personality change alongside fatigue and heavy training is worth paying attention to.
Look for: whether they simply “aren’t themselves” for an extended period.
8. They stop enjoying football
This is a big one for me.
If a child who previously couldn’t wait to train suddenly dreads going, don’t automatically assume they’re being lazy.
Loss of enjoyment, reduced motivation and withdrawal from sport can form part of athlete burnout.
Look for: a sustained change in enthusiasm rather than occasionally not feeling like training.
9. Appetite, weight or growth changes
This requires a little more care.
Unexplained weight loss, disrupted growth, persistent fatigue, recurrent injuries or declining performance can sometimes indicate that an athlete isn’t consuming enough energy to support both their sport and normal development.
This can contribute to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), which can affect both male and female athletes. There is a wonderful short article by the Australian Sports Commission on REDs if you are interested in learning more.
I don’t recommend parents routinely weighing children for sporting purposes.
Instead, seek appropriate medical advice if you notice unexplained changes in growth, appetite, health or performance.
10. They never actually have a day off
Sometimes the simplest thing is to write the week down.
- Monday: PE, football training
- Tuesday: Gym
- Wednesday: Football training
- Thursday: PE, athletics
- Friday: Basketball match
- Saturday: Match
- Sunday: Representative training
Not to mention lunchtime sport, running around with friends, and so on.
Suddenly there isn’t much recovery anywhere.
Look for: everything your child is doing, not just their club football.
One sign doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem
A tired teenager isn’t automatically overtrained, and a sore athlete isn’t automatically injured.
What concerns me more is when several warning signs appear together and persist over time.
If performance is dropping, sleep is poor, injuries keep appearing and your child no longer enjoys training, something probably needs to change.
Sometimes that means reducing training. Sometimes it means improving sleep, nutrition or recovery. Sometimes an injury or medical issue needs proper assessment.
