Burnout

Huy Nguyen (San Marcos, Calif.)
CAP Level II

Burnout

Whether you’re the coach of a youth soccer team or the coach of a prestigious collegiate football program, all coaches share many of the same experiences. These range from the thrill of competition to the unavoidable woeful feelings of a close loss.

Surprisingly, despite its ubiquity, physical stress and emotional strain are aspects of coaching seldom discussed, especially within the framework of a high school setting. As a result, high school coaches are often left to their own devices and are ill-equipped to cope.

As a current high school teacher and varsity volleyball coach, I have noticed that just as teachers pay an emotional toll while attending to the needs of their students, coaches too run the risk of burnout while trying to balance the needs of their volleyball programs. The focus of this paper will be to discuss my approach on how to identify the source and manipulate the symptoms of stress related burnout.

Athletic programs across the state employ thousands of coaches, all hoping to make an impact on the lives of the many athletes they come in contact with. What they do not warn coaches about is that the fatigue, aggravation and overall stress can be overwhelming. So being aware of the signs and being in tune with your mind is vital to healthy coaching. I view the responsibilities as a coach to be no less important than (and in many ways very similar to) those I am tasked with for six hours each day so the viewpoint of this paper is from both a teacher and a coach.

Burnout takes on many different meanings, but generally speaking, it involves mental and emotional fatigue. Its effects are so pervasive that burnout often affects the personal lives of coaches and the line that once separated home and work seems to no longer exist.

As both a teacher and a coach, I see this repeatedly in both avenues of my career. From what I have gathered, the causes of burnout range from the pressure to perform, to severe criticism, to lack of control/support, to lack of athlete motivation, to unrealistic expectations.

So step one...identify the source! Being able to negotiate interactions with athletes, peers, parents and school administrators is an art and requires a coach to be reflective and understand the possible sources of burnout.

From the countless conversations that I have had with various coaches, it is evident that burnout usually occurs within the first five years of coaching, which also happens to be true of teaching. Coaches, just like teachers, become disengaged, extremely resentful of their responsibilities and begin to lose motivation and hope. They become robots who simply go through the motions without any desire or meaning, having long lost their passion for teaching the processes and for coaching their way through the game.

I have been lucky to have had several good mentors and have made it past the five-year mark. I believe this is a result of having these mentors, possessing a true passion for the game, and being cognizant of the many potential causes of burnout. I believe that one of the key factors in avoiding both burnout and eventually turnover is by working alongside coaches who truly have a passion for their game, in whatever form that may be. Surrounding yourself with good, uplifting people who share ideas and a similar philosophy is paramount when it comes to creating a culture of excellence. It seems that in many instances, coaching is overlooked (especially in the high school systems) and seen as something that “anyone can do.” I think that if we create a small network within a program by selecting coaches who are able to support each other and who truly love their game, we would definitely be working toward a lower burnout rate.

The reason I look forward to each and every volleyball season is because I remind myself to look at the “big picture” and to see that I have been empowered with the privilege of mentoring young men and women. In moments that seem difficult, I simply step back and realize that I am coaching because I truly love the sport, a message that is conveyed to my players, who will hopefully carry that with them as inspiration to play because they love the sport.

Additionally, longevity is a result of always finding enthusiasm. It basically involves slowing things down and realizing what a great opportunity I am given as a coach. I have learned not to take things too personally or get too worried about anything, and I try to remind myself how privileged I am to be working with these adolescents. From this, I can usually regain my sense of enthusiasm and that enthusiasm often trumps anything that has been getting me down about the game. I have come to understand that my ability to maintain an optimistic perspective with regard to daily events while maintaining real expectations is a priority.

I have discovered that finding balance is another very important tool. In my life, that means establishing my top priorities so that I can focus on the things that are important (family, friends, fun, work, coaching, money etc.). Developing an action plan to fulfill my interests and responsibilities is a must. This means making time and focusing only on what I am doing at that time, not thinking about what I could or should be doing. I have found it helpful to set goals for myself in each category so that I can make sure a balance is reached.

It is much easier to prevent burnout than it is to reverse it. It is crucial for coaches to recognize the things in their lives that could push them to the point of burnout- before they get to that point! And more than anything, it is extremely important to have a support system in place (including mentors) so that they can regain their passion for the game when it falters.