Coffee Talk E6 | Burnout: Protecting Athletes’ Joy in the Game

☕ In this Coffee Talk episode, BJ Johnson digs into burnout in youth sports, and why even the most dedicated athletes can hit a wall when the joy fades. You’ll learn how to spot the early signs of burnout, why balance matters more than endless reps, and how parents and coaches can protect athletes’ love for the game. From rest counts to joy checks, this episode delivers practical ways to keep athletes motivated and mentally healthy.

Key Takeaways:

• Burnout isn’t weakness, it’s often over-scheduling and identity lock-in.
• Early signs: lack of energy, irritability, excuses, disconnection.
• 5 ways to fight burnout: schedule rest, multiple sport play, joy checks, identity beyond the jersey, normalize breaks.
• Why balance fuels longer, healthier athletic careers.  

🎧 Subscribe to Coffee Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. You don’t want to miss part 3 of our mental health series, BJ dives into how the environment created by parents and coaches directly impacts their athletes mindset! 



 

👉 Connect with us on Social Media to keep the conversation going and hopefully reduce burnout in future athletes! Drop your favorite JOY CHECK answer below ⬇️

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to the Around the Dirt Coffee Talk.
I'm your host, BJ Johnson, and every
week we're serving up a hot cup of
truth, strategy, and motivation for players, parents, and
coaches, and the bat and ball community.
So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's
talk.

(00:23):
Welcome back, Coffee Talk family.
Last week, we spoke about a topic, about
pressure and nerves.
The butterflies, the big moments, and why kids
sometimes freeze up when the lights get bright.
And that episode lit up my inbox.
So that means that many of you are

(00:45):
walking through this topic with your athletes right
now.
So today we're gonna tackle another side of
mental health in youth sports.
One that I think scares parents and coaches
the most.
Burnout.
And let me be clear, burnout doesn't happen
because your kid is weak, soft, or lazy.

(01:09):
Burnout happens when kids love a game, but
get buried under the weight of expectations, over
scheduling, and the belief that this sport is
their whole identity.
With my younger daughter, Mia, who's now playing

(01:30):
Division I softball, there was a point where
even though she loved the game, she hit
a wall.
I mean, you could see it in her
body language.
The joy wasn't there.
She was going through the motions, showing up
because she had to, not because she wanted
to.
That's when I realized even the most dedicated

(01:53):
athletes can burn out if we don't protect
their love for the game.
And on the flip side with Catalina, my
oldest, I mean, I'll be honest, I didn't
always get it right.
I pushed her too hard, too fast, thinking
I was doing the right thing.
I thought pressure would build toughness, and instead

(02:16):
it chipped away at her joy.
She was what I call my sacrificial lamb
in that sense.
So what does burnout actually look like in
baseball and softball?
Well, maybe your kid used to sprint to
the cage.
Now they drag their bat bag to the
car.
Maybe they make excuses like my arm hurts,

(02:37):
my stomach hurts, I don't feel like it
today.
Maybe they're snappy, irritable, or you notice changes
in their sleep or schoolwork.
The signs are there, but sometimes we miss
them because we're too focused on the results.
And here's the sneaky part.

(02:57):
Burnout isn't just physical, it's emotional, it's identity
-driven.
When your kid starts to believe if I'm
not good at softball, I'm not good at
anything, that's when burnout gets dangerous.
There are two big reasons why burnout shows
up.
One, over-training and scheduling.

(03:19):
Year-round ball, no off-season, tournaments back
-to-back, lessons stacked on practice.
The body wears down, but so does the
mind.
Number two, identity lock-in.
When all they hear is, that's our pitcher,
that's our cleanup hitter, kids start to believe
that's all they are.

(03:40):
And the second they slump, their whole self
-worth takes a hit.
Parents and coaches, hear me out.
Our kids are athletes, yes, but they are
also sons, daughters, siblings, students, artists, musicians, and
friends.
They can love the game without being defined

(04:01):
by the game.
Sports psychologists will tell you, kids are resilient,
but the brain needs balance.
Without balance, motivation turns into obligation, and that's
when the joy begins to fade.
And here's the kicker.
Studies show that athletes who take breaks and

(04:21):
play multiple sports often have longer careers than
the ones who specialize early in a year
-round grind.
More games doesn't always mean more growth.
All right, so how do we help?
One, we need to schedule rest.
Just like pitchers have pitch counts, our athletes

(04:42):
need rest counts.
Build in true off days.
Rest is not weakness, it's training.
Two, multiple sport play.
Let them play basketball or badminton or volleyball.
Movement variety makes better athletes, and the joy
of competing in different arenas brings the fun

(05:05):
back.
And three, joy checks.
After games, skip the stat talk.
Ask, what was fun today?
Or, what was the funnest thing you saw
at the field?
That reminds them why they started playing.
And four, identity beyond the jersey.
Celebrate grades and friendships and hobby and art

(05:27):
and music, anything outside of the field.
Don't let their value get locked into batting
averages or ERA.
Five, normalize breaks.
Taking a week off isn't quitting, it's recharging.
Even the pros have an off season, so
why shouldn't your 12-year-old?

(05:48):
Let me give you some real life do's
and don'ts.
Don't guilt your athlete for wanting a weekend
off.
Do, frame it as great athletes train hard
and rest smart.
Don't, make the car ride home about box
scores.
Do, talk about effort, attitude, and little moments

(06:08):
of joy.
Don't, overschedule every second with tournaments, lessons, and
extra cage time.
But do, remember the backyard, the cul-de
-sac, and even wiffle ball games can be
just as much love for the sport as
private lessons.
Let me tell you what I've seen inside

(06:29):
of SFS.
I've seen athletes come in who are unbelievably
talented, but they're drained before they even start.
Parents will whisper to me, she's not loving
it right now.
And I'll ask the athletes, what's your favorite
part about the game?
Sometimes they don't even know how to answer

(06:50):
that question.
That's when I know it's not the swing
that needs work, it's the heart.
And I'll be honest, when a kid leaves
the cage smiling, laughing, or saying, that was
fun, I consider that session just as successful
as one where we fix their mechanics.

(07:10):
Because joy is fuel, and without it, everything
else falls apart.
So here's my challenge for you this week.
Do a joy check.
After each practice or game, ask your athlete,
what is that one thing that made you
smile today?
Write those answers down for seven days.

(07:32):
And I promise you, it'll open your eyes
to what your child values most about the
game.
And you might realize it's not always the
wins.
So this was part two of our mental
health series, Burnout Identity and Keeping the Joy
Alive.
Next week, we'll dig into the climate that

(07:53):
parents and coaches create, because the environment you
build can either protect your athlete's mental health
or crush it.
I'm BJ Johnson, and remember, we're not just
raising athletes, we're raising humans.
See you next week.
Thank you for joining me on this episode

(08:16):
of Coffee Time.
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on social media to keep the conversation going.
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Play ball, connect all.