Everyone has heard the phrase ‘practice makes perfect.’ The belief that if you practice something enough you will perfect it, or at least become very skilled.

I was told this more times than I can remember throughout my youth, especially regarding my football.

If I wanted to perfect my shot – practice. If I wanted to perfect my ‘weak’ foot – practice. If I wanted to perfect my skills – practice.

So, I practiced. And practiced. And practiced.

However, there came a time, I’m not sure if it was a specific training, day or week but something changed, around the time I was 16. This reiterated phrase I had been told would make me professional had drained that fire I used to have, the shine behind my eyes, that little extra burst of energy.

The passion.

I had practiced so much that my body was just tired. I was not moving like I used to and I was getting injured more often. But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part about this was that football began to feel like a task. I had lost the fire, the shine and the energy I used to have. I lost that excitement of waking up early on game day. I lost those ceaseless butterflies that come right before the whistle starts the match. I lost that hustle and ‘need’ to be better than everyone else whether that was training or matches.

Burnout

Burnout is an extreme and persistent form of sport disillusionment that can afflict both athletes and coaches. It is comprised of three symptoms, namely, a reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation or cynicism directed at sport, and physical and emotional exhaustion.

On top of other commitments whether that be from family or academics, the effects of burnout were punching holes in my vessel of passion, draining it all away.

I was not training on my own anymore. I was not sitting in my garden, planning drills and exercises for myself anymore. I was not getting up early to train or run anymore. I had stopped. I only showed up to training and matches without a care of being the best or the hardest working.

Regrowth – Revival – Rebirth

However, another time came, throughout this summer and something changed. Again.

This time something bigger. Something better. The fire had been relit. The shine returned to my eyes. That little burst of energy was back. I’m not sure when or how but something has changed. Although this case of burnout and list of other ‘burdens’ had blurred my path for a few years, I have finally found my way again. The passion. The obsession.

I also realised that sometimes you need to lose something in order to realise how much it means to you. I felt like a part of me was missing. Not when I was burnt out, but now that I have refound my passion I have realised how lost I was and how I was missing that key part of myself.

So let this be advice to all young athletes, take care of your body and your mind. And never get rid of that fire in your soul and shine behind your eyes. Lose it. Lose yourself. But find it again and come back with more fire, more shine and more energy.

“Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones.