youth soccer players over-training

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many kids on the top teams have osgood or something similar like sinding larsen johnasson? On our middle school team, 3, including my kid. The odds are insane. The only way my kid finally recovered was because he got an even more serious injury (not a growth plate injury) that required a 3-month break, and then he did PT before returning. My kid is a multisport athlete too and the other sport was just more of the same. Mine is the goofy teenage boy in yoga classes now, FWIW.

our daughter who is now in college played multiple sports even though her coaches kept saying she has to focus on soccer. The biggest lie a coach can tell a kid. The healthies, the best skilled players all played multiple sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids on the top teams have osgood or something similar like sinding larsen johnasson? On our middle school team, 3, including my kid. The odds are insane. The only way my kid finally recovered was because he got an even more serious injury (not a growth plate injury) that required a 3-month break, and then he did PT before returning. My kid is a multisport athlete too and the other sport was just more of the same. Mine is the goofy teenage boy in yoga classes now, FWIW.

our daughter who is now in college played multiple sports even though her coaches kept saying she has to focus on soccer. The biggest lie a coach can tell a kid. The healthies, the best skilled players all played multiple sports.

I am the PP and I absolutely agree. There are so many benefits. However, avoiding growth plate injuries, unless the other sport is swimming, is not one of them. Soccer + lacrosse, basketball, football, gymnastics or figure skating is no better at preventing growth plate injuries than just soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many kids on the top teams have osgood or something similar like sinding larsen johnasson? On our middle school team, 3, including my kid. The odds are insane. The only way my kid finally recovered was because he got an even more serious injury (not a growth plate injury) that required a 3-month break, and then he did PT before returning. My kid is a multisport athlete too and the other sport was just more of the same. Mine is the goofy teenage boy in yoga classes now, FWIW.

My kid had SLJ in middle school and then osteitis pubis that had him miss his entire junior year of play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids on the top teams have osgood or something similar like sinding larsen johnasson? On our middle school team, 3, including my kid. The odds are insane. The only way my kid finally recovered was because he got an even more serious injury (not a growth plate injury) that required a 3-month break, and then he did PT before returning. My kid is a multisport athlete too and the other sport was just more of the same. Mine is the goofy teenage boy in yoga classes now, FWIW.

My kid had SLJ in middle school and then osteitis pubis that had him miss his entire junior year of play.

That sounds horrible! My kid had SLJ for over a year. I took randomly breaking another bone that kept him completely active for his SLJ to go away. As long as he kept trying to play sport, even on a reduced schedule, it didn't get any better.

[Anonymous]

* inactive.

[Anonymous]

Over training isn't the problem. Under eating and resting/sleeping is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids on the top teams have osgood or something similar like sinding larsen johnasson? On our middle school team, 3, including my kid. The odds are insane. The only way my kid finally recovered was because he got an even more serious injury (not a growth plate injury) that required a 3-month break, and then he did PT before returning. My kid is a multisport athlete too and the other sport was just more of the same. Mine is the goofy teenage boy in yoga classes now, FWIW.

My kid had SLJ in middle school and then osteitis pubis that had him miss his entire junior year of play.

That sounds horrible! My kid had SLJ for over a year. I took randomly breaking another bone that kept him completely active for his SLJ to go away. As long as he kept trying to play sport, even on a reduced schedule, it didn't get any better.

The SLJ went away with growth spurt for him, but the OP was chronic. It’s awful. It takes 9-12 months to heal and it’s incredibly painful in the groin/hip. He could do PT but any movement with a ball or running was impossible. It’s self-limiting. There’s a lot written about players in the youth English leagues with it. It’s a convergence of muscle imbalance with rapid growth spurt and increased training. They thought it was a sports hernia. Took 3 mris by an eventual specialist to get correct diagnosis. Awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over training isn't the problem. Under eating and resting/sleeping is.

My youngest that is skin and bones and like a crack kid- never stops moving has never had an injury. My oldest with the discipline, great sleep habits and nutrition had chronic injuries.

It’s really the difference in their structure. Older one is very big boned, muscular, large frame—younger one is like Wiley Coyote and can bend like a rubber band.

[Anonymous]

Overuse is a huge problem. I say this as a parent of a player who now plays D1 college. In his case, all through his club career, we kept him out of all summer leagues and formal training. He also took a 5-6 week break during winter except for work to build strength and flexibility. When he would come back after his time off (almost 2.5 months in summer), he would usually have a great season after taking a couple of weeks to get back into full soccer shape, and remained mostly free from soft tissue or muscle injuries.

Interestingly, it became much easier to do this at an older age. At young age (<12), it was absolutely crazy, with some kids playing in 2-3 different teams in off-season, which creates pressure on everyone to do the same as they don't want to "fall behind" or "miss out". As they got older, at least our club coaches advised the players to rest in off-season and most in the top teams did, at least to some extent. Most of them didn't play high school, so were spared of the brutal high school "coaching" that goes on with practices every day and multiple games every week.

On playing multiple sports. I know this is an article of faith among many American parents, and I am convinced about its benefits at an early age. But noone in their right mind should encourage playing multiple sports at high school plus club sports with overlapping high school and club seasons. No teenage soccer player in any other country does that, as it's a sure recipe for burnout and overuse injuries. Multisport doesn't mean running around playing 3 different intense sports in overlapping school and club seasons when you are 16-17 years old, the age when overuse injuries are very common. It's not rest from overuse when the player is training 5 days a week in basketball during soccer off-season, and running track at high school between club soccer practices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

I don’t think you can drop soccer for 2 months past a certain age and still be competitive. If ur son is playing by himself in the backyard and working on his individual skills, sure u don’t need the formal training, practices, matches, etc.

But not touching the ball for 2 months, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

He didn't choose. I chose. I'm his parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

I don’t think you can drop soccer for 2 months past a certain age and still be competitive. If ur son is playing by himself in the backyard and working on his individual skills, sure u don’t need the formal training, practices, matches, etc.

But not touching the ball for 2 months, no.

Wow you have really drunk the koolaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

I don’t think you can drop soccer for 2 months past a certain age and still be competitive. If ur son is playing by himself in the backyard and working on his individual skills, sure u don’t need the formal training, practices, matches, etc.

But not touching the ball for 2 months, no.

Wow you have really drunk the koolaid.

Oh, my bad, I missed the part that OP’s kid only wants to play in college. Then I guess 2 months off from formal training is fine. Esp if they plan to play club and high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had success pushing back on this for a talented kid who wants to play at a high level, and hopes to play in college?

My kid’s coaches seemed shocked when I said he wasn’t doing summer practices, Super Y or any soccer camps or private coaching this summer, but they didn’t kick him off the team. I am curious if we can just make that a policy.

A kid wishing to reach the highest levels but choosing to voluntarily put the sport down for 2 months is highly unusual.

I don’t think you can drop soccer for 2 months past a certain age and still be competitive. If ur son is playing by himself in the backyard and working on his individual skills, sure u don’t need the formal training, practices, matches, etc.

But not touching the ball for 2 months, no.

Wow you have really drunk the koolaid.

Rest, Periodization, Training Intensity Cycles are very important along with nutrition, sleep etc etc
But as said previously, past a certain age and level of competition, 2 months of doing nothing each summer while your peers/competition are maintaining and improving for the next season is not a formula for success.