A new study by Joel Brenner and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness examines the effects of overuse injuries and burnout on adolescent athletes.  Full text article can be found at:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/6/1242

Joel S. Brenner, MD, MPHand the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness

Overuse is one of the most common etiologic factors that lead to injuries in the pediatric and adolescent athlete. As more children are becoming involved in organized and recreational athletics, the incidence of overuse injuries is increasing. Many children are participating in sports year-round and sometimes on multiple teams simultaneously. This overtraining can lead to burnout, which may have a detrimental effect on the child participating in sports as a lifelong healthy activity. One contributing factor to overtraining may be parental pressure to compete and succeed. The purpose of this clinical report is to assist pediatricians in identifying and counseling at-risk children and their families. This report supports the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on intensive training and sport specialization.