The competing agendas of club and school can sometimes mean coaches aren't aligned as well as they could be - someone has to give a little, for the good of the athlete.
It isn't always a conscious thing from the coaches, sometimes it's a lack of awareness of the athlete's busy schedule, or simply a lack of understanding around the best long-term development needed.
The athlete's wellbeing should be at the centre of it all.
Athletes need their own time, away from the typical sport-specific practice setting, developing their own individual movement capability and strength - preparing their bodies to handle the workload and remain injury-free, and to develop the athleticism to enhance performance.
Such time developing their own needs might not seem to the coach to be best for the team's results in the immediate term, but it's definitely much better for the athlete in the longer run - in their sport, and life in general.
Life pressures can be compounded with the amount of activities available for kids these day. The days of two or three traditional sports to choose from are gone.
All the options are great, but kids, if mismanaged, can quickly be trying to do everything all the time.
It can be hard for parents seeing other kids seemingly happily engaged in everything. The natural parenting fear of our children missing out can mean we push them into everything.
Even the most talented kid can't be expert at everything.
All the online media adds another layer of complexity - the constant connectivity which is becoming the norm for our youth can also add a lot more stress.
It's not just the time wasted on devices, but also the lack of personal skills developed.
Without being face-to-face we aren't learning the immediate consequences of our words, and/or we don't have to respond immediately over the internet, unlike the real world, a response can be pondered on and delivered later - the lack of personal interactions means lost opportunities to develop real people skills, resilience, and coping with stressful situations.
Young athletes need to develop their independence - and for a parent or a coach, sometimes less is more. It may mean we have to let them fail. Only then can they learn to deal with it, and how to bounce back and learn.
Back to the physical realm, emerging athletes certainly need their own time, independent of their sport-specific practice and match play.
If they are to reach their potential, they need to be able to move well and have the necessary strength to compete. Ironically, less time practising one specific sport, especially at a younger age, can result in the athlete becoming better at that sport in the long run.
You can have all the skills you like, but if you haven't the quality of movement and strength to go with it, you just won't make it.
Not only will this individual time enhance physical capability, but also all the independent life skills and work ethic to go with it.
With support, the young athletes can develop their own plan - having a clear plan itself can take the pressure off, and a pathway that everybody can buy into it.
Coaches and family can get in behind athletes and support them in their mission, avoid duplication of trainings between various teams they are involved in, keep life simple, and make for an energetic and happy athlete.
It's so hard for a parent, let alone the athlete, to know what is right for the kid.
The opinions they will hear from various coaches, club, school, and other parents can be confusing. But with a good plan in place, with the athlete's development at the centre of it, all concerned can get on the same page.
Some schools however, and communities, may have to move a bit on a win-at-all-costs attitude.
Collectively, parents and communities need to support schools to promote a development focus, rather than just a winning one.
Sure, we try and win and compete damn hard, but the long-term development of the young athletes has to be the priority - and we all have to support and celebrate schools that take on that mantra.
Life in the future isn't going to get any quieter, so we need to change our thinking if we are to avoid burnout, physically and mentally, and help our kids manage the pressures of sport and life.
* Marcus Agnew is the health and sport development manager at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and is also a lecturer in sports science at EIT.
