We have to stop treating our young athlete’s mental health and physical health as two separate conversations.
I’ve been on my soapbox for years about overtraining and the lack of load management in the training community. Too many programs take “no days off” or the “Mamba Mentality” literally: two-a-day sessions with little or no rest built into the plan. Bro culture tells kids that if they aren’t working, they’re falling behind the competition. That’s a growing problem, and it doesn’t only show up in the body. Research links inadequate rest and recovery to poorer physical and mental performance.
To be clear, this isn’t about training less. Kids have to work hard to get better. It’s about managing the load of what you do train, building in the rest and recovery that make the work pay off.
What the Research Says
A large Oxford University review of young athletes found the link runs both ways. Kids with poorer mental health get injured more often, and kids who get injured are more likely to struggle mentally afterward. About half of all mental health problems show up before age 14, which is right where most of our athletes are training.
The review didn’t test overtraining specifically, so I won’t claim it did. But it makes one thing hard to ignore: you can’t care for one side of your athlete and skip the other.
The Brain Is Invisible to Us
We tend to ignore what we can’t see, which is why mental health takes a backseat during check-ins with our athletes. We can see the swollen ankle or the broken wrist. There’s no visible sign when an athlete’s mental health is suffering.
Here’s how it can play out. An athlete is stressed about school and their friend group. They skip meals or sleep poorly. They still show up to train. Under-fueled and under-rested, they’re more vulnerable to a pulled hamstring. It’s not the only pathway to injury, but it’s a common one. Stress shows up differently for everyone, and layering sport on top of emotional stress compounds it.
What Chronic Stress Does to the Body
A little stress can sharpen performance. The problem is chronic, unmanaged stress that never lets up.
• Increased muscle tension: Chronic stress can keep muscles contracted, which reduces flexibility, restricts blood flow, and limits range of motion.
• Elevated stress hormones: Stress triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol. Short bursts help in emergencies, but prolonged elevation can suppress immune function, slow tissue repair, and delay recovery.
• Slower reflexes and narrower vision: Stressed athletes can experience reduced peripheral vision and slower reaction times, making it harder to respond to fast-moving plays or opponents.
What Chronic Stress Does to the Mind
• Concentration breakdown: High-stress environments scatter focus. It’s easy to get pulled toward outside noise, internal doubts, or the last mistake.
• Poor decision-making: Mental fatigue clouds judgment under pressure. Athletes may misread a situation, overthink skills that should be automatic, or “choke” in critical moments.
• Sleep disturbances: Stress disrupts normal sleep cycles, cutting into the deep rest the body needs for physical repair, memory consolidation, and energy restoration.
Your Assignment This Week
1. Build in at least one full rest day. Put it on the calendar like a practice, not something that happens if nothing else comes up.
2. Ask “How are you doing?” before “How did you do?” After their next session or competition, lead with the person, not the performance. Here’s what to say after a tough competition.
3. On high-stress weeks, check sleep and meals first. Exams, friend drama, a rough week at home: look at sleep and food before you add reps.
Bottom Line
Overtraining doesn’t just break down the body. It wears on the mind, and a worn-down mind leaves the body more vulnerable. Treat the mental side with the same seriousness you’d treat a tight hamstring, because the research shows the two feed each other.
If you’d like more tips, book a session so we can connect.
Lorraine Eloms | Top Speed Athletics & Mental Performance and Life Coaching — helping young athletes develop the mental and emotional tools to compete, grow, and thrive.
