Clemson and others,
Do you have any information (or response from your own knowledge) on mental burnout in athletes?
I am currently taking the say off sick on a game day because of a close-to mental breakdown yesterday.
It’s because of a huge need to succeed. I spent every minute I had this past week, getting 6 hours of sleep a night trying to fix some flaws in my baseball swing (hard to use your speed if you are unable to get on base), 4 hours a day along with HS practice of 3 hours on the side. I was a wreck yesterday.
My coach went to Clemson (you might know his name) and played in the Minors to AAA. He told me to find something that I liked a lot outside of baseball and spend as much time doing that and thinking about that as I do baseball. Sprinting and training are my favorite things to do and read about outside of baseball. So I’m back here to CF, am happy to be back, and would like an article or two if you’ve got one available.
Go read my time pyramid article, master of regeneration article to patch up your environment…also tell us where you are…why not go to a great hitting coach and pay 40 usd for lesson? This will make your hitting better without burning the candle on both ends…also why the pressure?
Clemson,
Over the internet, there is the best hitting coach there is. His name is Paul Nyman, and he has coached numerous MLB players. After reviewing my swing, which I brought to him “at the beginning of the season” (this is important) he says that due to neurological pathways and such that it will be incredibly difficult for me to change my swing to an MLB swing. Yet it can be done and he has been working me through the process for a week. I received this in the middle of it from a dad whose son is the best 15 y/o in the nation:
IMO the process seems long and difficult because it is. And most player are not even putting in near enough work.
Robert started taking swings before school, at lunch, after practice at the school and at home after practice. At least 500 swings per day and he is finally starting to make the kind of progress that I think he needs to make if he wants to hit at a high level. There are only about 450 guys in the world who can hit at the MLB level. If you want to be one you better be busting your butt.
And this is why I went to bed at 11:30 and woke up at 5:30 everyday, videotaping and swinging before bed and when I woke up. It did not transfer to the game though, because I was exhausted and my head everywhere else at the plate.
Why the pressure? I am a Junior and want to play D1 baseball and have the speed and athletic ability but my hitting is below average and I’m not making it. Writing this right now is not a confidence builder.
Assuming you could hit before your recent slump and providing you have not been injured and not overtrained your problem is mental. You sure do think too much and it has made you a “wreck” to the point where you missed a game.
First, understand that your Coach is trying to get you to relax and stop thinking so much. Reading about speed and baseball is good but not before bedtime. Take an hour to read something different. I suggest reading about WWII. Start with Stephen Ambrose books like Band of Brothers etc. It will get your mind off of baseball and teach you some valuable lessons about mental and physical toughness by young men. You will like it.
Second, perhaps do what Clemson says and get instruction from a professional, experienced hitting coach who has a long list of successful players that he has been able to help both in swing and mental aspects of the game.
Third, have some fun young man. You can play every play like it’s the World Series and still have fun doing it. Do not miss anymore games!!!
Since it’s currently baseball season, and you’re a student as well, I guess your time breakdown would be as follows:
school - 7 hrs
practice - 3 hrs (games + road trip = longer)
sleep - 8 hrs (hopefully)
6 hours remaining at best to do homework, eat, have a life.
I understand that you are hungry and that time is running out; but now is not the time to spend 4 hours a day outside practice to fix things. Of course the obvious thing is to get everything taken care of in the off-season. But since you are a junior, you don’t have much time. Fortunately most players are noticed in the summer. You shouldn’t underestimate this. Prepare for the summer when the scouts will see you. H.S. numbers are only so-so important in getting signed. Take every swing in practice seriously. Never move the bat without a purpose. Too many players swing the bat non-chilante in the on-deck circle an in the cages. Stay focused. I think if you focus on every swing, and your coach is getting you enough cuts in every day, you should be able to make significant changes. With what isn’t corrected, you would do better to get proper sleep and better recovered. This will pay greater dividends in your game performance than being mentally and physically fatigued from endless hours of work.
And don’t forget school… though it doesn’t seem as important now, it is a great risk to disregard it. I would have been a D1 running back had it not been for a career-ending injury. Fortunately I have taken school seriously and will be going to law school this fall. But I have seen too many of my friends pour everything into their college sport, even at the D1 level, only to be left with no life direction after it is over, and they find themselves not in the pros. Sorry to preach; just something to keep in mind.
Some good advice there -
[Football Coach - WWII - ?? - Now there’s one I never heard before mentioned on CF.com!!! - Sounds good though - I prefer Anthony Beevors work myself … anyway…]
Scarter man - be careful and watch your workload - getting good quality sleep is critical … take it from someone who was knocked out with glandular fever after burning the candle at both ends with study and sport.
know your limits and look for balance…
If i could, i would train and lift and do nothing but read about it in my spare time, but i have learned to get my 8 hours of sleep, manage 5 AP’s and have a job on the weekend, as well as train. Be creative- it can work if you just relax a bit and focus when it really counts, as Scott P. mentioned.
What you seem to be trying to do sounds like it requires extra work, but going overboard is just as counterproductive as not putting in the time at all. I used to work with 2 or 3 coaches at once and it drove me crazy- my performance took off and went to a completely new level when i narrowed down the focus.