How Young Athletes Sacrifice Rest to Be the Best – The Sunflower

Today’s basketball athletes train in a more structured manner than in the past. Instead of playing in a public park for an impromptu game, they can be found at facilities like the Wichita Sports Forum or Wichita Hoops.

Stories of famous athletes like Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters can encourage athletes to start training young. increasing rateChildren specialize in a particular sport, sometimes year-round, in the hopes of improving.

That specialization and specificity could put players at risk for injury, according to Ashtin Meerpohl, Wichita State’s director of athletic performance.

“I think there is a risk of overuse injuries because you’re doing the same type of activity over and over again,” Meerpohl said.

Meerpohl said that 15 years ago, the conventional wisdom was to expose athletes to other sports during the off-season of their primary sport. That changed when organizations like the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) allowed some of the country’s top athletes to compete outside of their region and their sport’s season.

The players are at a higher risk overuse injuries if they focus on playing one sport year-round. Playing different sports during the offseason allows players to work different parts of their body and allow overused parts to rest.

With players still as talented and specialized as ever, young athletes have a responsibility to train harder than others to stand out.

“If you want to make it to the big leagues and get your name out there, and, you know, make money doing what you love, then you know what you have to sacrifice,” Wichita State freshman guard TJ Williams said.

Williams focused on basketball during his prep years, but attended Wichita Heights his senior year until it conflicted with his AAU schedule starting in the spring.

While playing multiple sports can reduce injury risk, Meerpohl says what happens outside of games is just as important. Not every school has the ability to hire a coach who specializes in sports performance.

“They teach a class, they coach on the field and they coach in the weight room,” Meerpohl said. “It’s a lot to ask of one person.”

Top AAU teams enjoy the best facilities in the world, but often ignore other wellness needs. AAU players often travel across the country, which can be disruptive sleep habits due to time zone differences.

“I had a flight on Friday morning, so I was still out,” Williams said.

Meerpohl argued that sleep is just as important as a good gym.

“You can do everything right in the weight room… But if you don’t sleep, you’re falling behind,” Meerpohl said. “There’s a lot of research that shows that not getting enough sleep, less than four hours or even six hours, can in some cases significantly increase your risk of injury.”

According to Williams, AAU tournaments can host up to three games per day. They typically run all weekend, from Saturday to Sunday, and can potentially play four to six games in a two-day span.

For Williams, AAU was one of his best chances to get noticed by recruiters. Not everyone can go to university, and an even smaller number manage to become professionals.

“You don’t want to take too much rest to get back to work,” Williams said. “You’re definitely going to be tired, but that comes naturally. You just have to work hard and put your body at ease, keep it fit, fresh and try to keep it as good as possible.”