Play.Stay.Thrive
An AMSSM toolkit to promote safe and
healthy participation in youth sports
 
Play.Stay.Thrive
An AMSSM toolkit to promote safe and
healthy participation in youth sports
Play.Stay.Thrive
An AMSSM toolkit to promote safe and
healthy participation in youth sports

How many days off per week should my athlete take from games or practices?

Print
  • Inadequate rest can result in overtraining, decreases in quality of life, mood changes, sleep disturbances, increased injury and illness risk, and burnout.

 

  • As a result, failing to recover adequately between periods of training can cause athletic and academic performance to decrease.

 

  • In general, young athletes should have at least one day off from sports during a given week and at least 2-3 months off per year from training for a particular sport.

 

  • All athletes are different, however, and some may require longer periods of rest to fully recover and perform optimally. Monitor your child for changes in mood, sleep, academic performance, or athletic performance that could be due to overtraining and consider adding additional rest to help them.


 
Want More Information?