(Part two of a seven-part series on sports burnout and kids)

I recently turned to Bianca Edison, M.D., a sports medicine specialist with the Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for some insight on how to prevent our kids from experiencing sports burnout. In this nine-part series, we explore the pressures to excel that kids in L.A. face, how to recognize burn out, what to look for in a team and much more.  

In L.A., kids are joining competitive club teams at much younger ages. How do you feel about kids as young as 8 or 9 competing at this level? When is a good time to join these types of rigorous programs?

Young children (to include ages 8 or 9 years) are still working on the basics of movement, attention and understanding that may not match up with the demands of competitive club sports teams. 

In order to succeed for life, children must learn foundational motor skills (gross and fine) and technique. Club teams that focus on competition tactics and strategy early on without the basic fundamentals pose a risk to that athlete from an injury and burnout perspective. Instead, children should have the opportunity to gradually develop these essential building blocks for themselves. 

The U.S. Olympic committee, along with National Governing Bodies [of Sports], such as U.S.A. Hockey, have adopted a long-term athlete development model to create the American Development Model in 2014. Within this model, they recommend that between the ages of 0-12 years, children participate in activities that promote discovery, learning and fun play. As the young athlete learns the basic movement foundation and rules of a particular game, fun and free play opportunities exist in this stage. Free play is valuable for all children, as it complements more structured learning, fostering a love for lifelong recreational physical activity and staying active. 

During this stage, children also engage in a low-pressure setting for practicing and learning new skills, as well as honing their skills for problem solving, confidence boosting and conflict resolution. It is not until after age 10 that this model recommends more challenging skill development — and not until age 13 that one should train at higher levels and compete. 

This is the second story in a seven-part series. Read part one here.

Elena Epstein is Creative Director of L.A. Parent.