For subscribers
Early specialisation in sports poses risk of burnout among young athletes
Young talent are burning brightly, but then burning out. It’s time to look at pressures from society, parents and schools.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Nick Mahabir, who turns 19 this year, is one of Singapore’s top breaststrokers and was recently the top-seeded swimmer in his events at the World Junior Swimming Championships.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Kenneth Goh
Follow topic:
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.
