As a young swimmer, “Jack” showed great promise. At just 12 years old, he was the top-ranked swimmer in multiple events in his age group. Many believed he could be the next Joseph Schooling. However, at 14, after years of intensive training and competition, he experienced burnout and retired from competitive swimming. 

Jack’s experience of burnout is not unique. I know this from my experience as a former competitive swimmer representing Singapore for more than two decades, and from hearing similar cases from coaches at Singapore Aquatics, where I serve as secretary-general. This observation is consistent with several scientific studies that suggest specialising too early in most sports increases the risk of burnout.