Why Rest and Recovery Are Just as Important as Training

Picture your athlete’s volleyball journey. What do you see? You probably imagine countless practices, clinics, private lessons, workouts, and tournaments. But one of the most important factors often overlooked is Rest & Recovery.

Think of it like a car: no matter how powerful or well-built, if you drive it nonstop without ever stopping for gas, changing the oil, or checking the tires, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks down. Your athlete’s body works the same way. For young athletes who are still developing, the balance between training hard and recovering well is critical.

Without proper recovery, progress stalls, injuries creep in, and confidence starts to slip. With proper recovery, athletes come back stronger, feel better, and perform at their highest level.

Why it Matters

• Muscle repair and growth: Training creates tiny muscle breakdowns, and rest is when the body rebuilds those fibers stronger. Without rest, the muscles can't repair themselves. This ultimately leads to overtraining .

• Injury prevention: Overtraining without recovery increases the risk of sprains, strains, and fatigue-related injuries. Staying proactive in rest beats dealing with an injury that takes months to heal.

• Mental health: A tired mind can’t process feedback, make quick decisions, or bounce back from mistakes as well. Rest keeps athletes sharp, confident, and keeps their spark alive.

What Recovery Really Looks Like

Recovery doesn’t just mean “taking a day off.” It includes:

• Sleep: Teen athletes should aim for 8–10 hours of quality sleep each night.

• Active recovery: Light stretching, yoga, swimming, or a walk can help the body recharge without stress. The key here is to keep it "light".

• Nutrition and hydration: Fueling with protein, complex carbs, and plenty of water gives muscles the tools to rebuild. Don't overlook these!

• Mental reset: Downtime with friends, family, or hobbies keeps sports fun and reduces burnout. Drilling all the time is not the answer. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. Your player has to find the fun in it, taking a day or two to reset is not a bad idea!

How Parents Can Support

• Normalize rest: Remind your athlete that recovery isn’t laziness — it’s part of being an elite athlete. I get it - they're the ones that WANT to play all the time but you, the parent, has to be the one to enforce rest and stress its importance.

• Set routines: Encourage consistent sleep schedules and healthy meals. Schedule active recovery activities and keep it in the routine. Incorporate these into your calendar just as you would practices and clinics.

• Watch for red flags: If your athlete seems constantly sore, unusually moody, or uninterested in practice, they might need more recovery time. Again, sometimes you will have to be the enforcer but, hopefully in the long run, they'll begin understanding that it's for the greater good!

  
  

Final Takeaway

Training pushes athletes to their limits, but recovery is where the real growth takes place. By valuing recovery as much as practice, you’re helping your athlete play harder, stay in the game longer, and keep the sport fun.