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Are Youth Sports Too Stressful?

September 28, 2026

More than 8 million teens in the United States participate in organized sports each year, on school teams or in elite travel leagues. Some play multiple sports, involving intense practices and elaborate schedules.

Playing sports is good for teens’ development, supporters say. Striving for peak performance, mastering physical challenges, and bouncing back from tough losses are experiences that build valuable life skills.

But others worry that the demands of intense training and the expectations of parents and coaches push young athletes too far.

So are youth sports too stressful? A sports doctor and a coaching expert weigh in.

For an increasing number of teens, playing sports can feel like a full-time job. Tournament travel and constant training can be serious physical, emotional, and financial burdens for young athletes and their families.

The pressure to succeed is pushing teen athletes harder than ever. Many now specialize in a single sport from a young age, training year-round without rest, putting excessive wear and tear on their bodies. Overuse injuries, including bone stress fractures, tendonitis, and chronic joint pain are on the rise. As a result, some teens end up quitting sports altogether.

Some push through the pain for fear of losing playing time and disappointing coaches or parents, and the nonstop grind is leaving them injured and exhausted. The emotional effects can be just as damaging. Constant pressure from adults—not to mention the pressure athletes put on themselves—leads to stress, anxiety, and in many cases burnout.

Nonstop competition is leaving teens injured and exhausted.

The increasing strain on young athletes has been driven in part by a shift from sports as a community activity to a multibillion-dollar business. Many teens, in the hope of eventually landing a college sports scholarship, participate in training camps and tournaments run by private companies. This “pay-to-play” system ramps up the pressure on families to push their children through the arduous training and injuries to justify the expense, which can add up to thousands of dollars a year.

Coaches, parents, and schools all play a role in creating an environment where athletes can succeed without sacrificing their physical or mental health. Sports should help teenagers grow more confident and more connected—not leave them overwhelmed, injured, and burned out before they finish high school.

—NAOMI BROWN, M.D.
Pediatric sports medicine specialist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Sports can add another layer of stress onto a teen’s life. But with the right support, the challenges on the field and the stress of competition are precisely what make sports so rewarding.

Not all stress is bad. The right kind of adversity helps athletes improve. When most athletes think back on their formative moments, these usually weren’t the easiest ones. They were the close games, the comebacks after a mistake, or the times they finally mastered a skill. Those are the pressure-filled tests that help young people discover what they’re capable of. They build confidence and resilience—not because things got easier, but because the athlete got better at handling them.

Of course, young athletes are better equipped to accomplish this with the support of their coaches, parents, and teammates. Whether they’re playing for an elite travel team or a high school team, their enjoyment of sports often depends on the people around them. Coaches and parents should foster a positive environment that nurtures young athletes in training. That means rewarding effort, treating mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures, and reminding every athlete that they matter regardless of what the scoreboard says.

The right kind of adversity helps you improve.

The skills young people learn from sports—including perseverance and working with a team—carry over into the classroom, their relationships, and life. Athletes also learn important lessons, such as how to treat people with dignity, even under the pressure of competition.

Sports aren’t meant to eliminate stress but to help young people grow through it. When a challenge is paired with support, youth sports are one of the best places to build self-esteem and resilience to last a lifetime.

—SUZANNE SILLETT
Vice President, Education and Innovation Positive Coaching Alliance