How to Deal With Coaching Burnout

When a person sprains his ankle or breaks her leg, it’s obvious an injury occurred due to a large amount of stress. However, when a person suffers internally, the injury is not as obvious. Sometimes small doses of stress over a period of time may become overwhelming to the point a person may begin to feel mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausted. We call this “burnout,” and for coaches it can be our strongest personal opponent. Identifying the triggers of burnout is important so we can strategize how to fight against it.

I want to make clear that stress and burnout are not the same. Stress is temporary and it is used to strengthen us in certain areas where God wants us to grow. Just as resistance is used in the weight room to ultimately strengthen muscles, stress is necessary to grow us and make us stronger. However, stress over a long period of time from many directions is what leads to burnout.

As you well know, there are a lot of demands on a coach: family, finances, time, wins/losses and so much more. A coach who has a family at home may feel stress from not being with his spouse and children. A coach who has to carry the weight of other responsibilities financially such as teaching or working another job during the day may feel stress from making enough to pay the bills and from the long hours away from home. Every coach sacrifices social time, and sometimes even family time, over the holidays to travel with the team, and if a coach is having a losing season, all of the combined stress could feel completely overwhelming.

The buildup of stress, exhaustion, and dread comes from unrecovered training. Our bodies need time to recover physically from a hard workout, and mentally from an intense season. This is when God calls to us:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

But coming to Jesus and following His pace might not come naturally, especially when the frustration of burnout brings unhappiness. How do we follow His pace? What does that even look like?

Remember, happiness is a result of what is happening around you. It is not the same as joy. Joy comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and knowing that we will go through trials in this world, but He will be with us. And as He overcame the struggles of this world, so, in Him, will we!

Let’s look a little closer at what we can do to fill our physical, emotional and spiritual buckets:

Remember JOY: Jesus, Others, You

If you have lost your joy of coaching, remember your “why.” One of my favorite football coaches often reminded his team that JOY stands for “Jesus, Others and You.” First, spend time with Jesus, finding time each day to spend in God’s Word. Your relationship with Him is priority. Even the best coaches need to spend time with the Greatest Coach, and the more we time spent together, the more our growth in God can spill into all areas of life.

Relationships with others are integral as we live out our Kingdom work, and God’s intention for us is to share in the ups and downs together, encourage one another and remind them of their identity in Christ. Because recharge time is part of how we’re created, it’s necessary to take time to do something fun! Find a hobby that lets you take your mind off the seriousness of life. Go for a hike, play a game with your kids, go fishing or find a good book to read. Whatever it is, let the Lord be a part of your play.

“Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Recovery Time

If you are exhausted, give yourself recovery time. Coaching is both physically and mentally draining. Rest comes from getting adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration. You may need to plan your meals ahead of time, and don’t forget to hydrate. It’s easy to remind the players. It’s hard to do it for yourself.

There’s a deeper recovery time we need to schedule into our routine to make sure we are spiritually rested. True rest comes from spending time in God’s Word, going to church, praying and spending time with believers who will love, pray for and support you and your family through the hard seasons. Hydration for eternity is found in Jesus. Replenishment comes from being in His presence.

“Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.’” (John 4:13-14)

Boundaries

If you are feeling overwhelmed, set some boundaries for your players and for yourself. Setting boundaries and establishing expectations for your players from the beginning of the season helps them to know where the lines are for them to work hard to reach and for them to stay within.

Setting boundaries for yourself helps you to get home at a decent time and not take on extra responsibilities you can’t handle during the season. Boundaries set ahead of time in love bring respect not rebellion.

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:16-18)

May you let our overwhelming God overwhelm your life with His goodness, peace and favor through every season. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and He will lead you if you let Him. God comes to strengthen us and calls us to follow His pace so we may avoid all kinds of burnout and instead coach from His overflow.

LIVE IT OUT:

“’He must increase, but I must decrease.’” -John 3:30

Question: What demands the most attention in your life right now? Are there ways to rearrange your daily schedule to relieve any unnecessary pressure?

Challenge: Plan out as best you can a week full of recovery time and healthy boundaries to be with the Lord and what refreshes your spirit.

If you know athletes struggling with burnout, check out our article for insights on how to help your athletes experience rest in Christ.