In the new study, teens who were worn out, felt they were not succeeding, and found competition stressful were more likely to quit within a year. A new study of 864 young athletes found those three problems tend to show up together, and the more of them a teen had, the more likely that teen was to quit within a year.
What did the new study find?
Researchers Zhan and Liu, writing in Frontiers in Psychology on 1 October 2026, followed 864 competitive athletes aged 12 to 17 (average age 14.6, 46.5% girls) in Jiangsu Province, China, for 12 months. At the start, each athlete filled out questionnaires on burnout, lost motivation and competition anxiety. Twelve months later, the researchers checked school and club records to see who had stopped training and competing in their main sport and had not signed up for another organized sport.
The athletes sorted into three groups. Burnout, lost motivation and anxiety rose and fell together rather than showing up as separate problems.
| Group at the start | Share of athletes | Athletes | Quit within 12 months | Dropout rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-risk | 52.8% | 456 | 39 | 8.6% |
| Moderate-risk | 33.4% | 289 | 56 | 19.4% |
| High-risk | 13.8% | 119 | 42 | 35.3% |
Overall, 137 of the 864 athletes (15.9%) dropped out. Even the moderate group, whose scores were only slightly above average, quit at more than double the rate of the low-risk group. The high-risk group scored well above average on every measure.
The researchers also found that the athletes who quit were 3.86 times more likely to have been in the high-risk group than the low-risk group, and 1.94 times more likely to have been in the moderate group. Older athletes and athletes who trained more hours each week were more likely to be in the higher-risk groups. The athletes trained 12.4 hours a week on average. Boys and girls were about equally likely to land in each group.
What this study can and cannot tell you
The study shows a link, not a cause. It cannot say that burnout or anxiety made a teen quit. It was done in Chinese sports schools and clubs, so it may not match your teen’s team. Training hours were self-reported. The records did not say why anyone left, so injury, being cut from a team, moving, or a switch to schoolwork could be part of the picture. The authors say the profiles are not a validated screening tool, so do not use this as a checklist to label your child.
What is the number one reason kids quit sports?
No single reason fits every child, but the most repeated one is that it stopped being fun. In a national U.S. survey of almost 4,000 youth aged 10 to 17 from the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, Utah State and Louisiana Tech, reported by USA Today Sports columnist Stephen Borelli, ‘having fun’ (48%) and ‘playing with friends’ (47%) were the top reasons kids play. Among former players, the most common least-favorite thing was feeling ‘I’m not good enough’ (29%), followed by ‘bad coaching’ (21%). Kids who quit also reported a steep drop in support from their parents, and higher rates of negative parent behavior while they played.
KidsHealth, from the Nemours Foundation, lists other common reasons: too much on the schedule, a problem with a teammate or coach, or simply not liking the sport. A registered psychologist with a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology, writing at Performance Mindsets also names enjoyment, pressure, feeling not good enough, and time demands as main reasons.
What age do most teens quit?
In the Aspen survey, former players stopped at an average age of 12.93, and over a third of kids who quit did so at 12, 13 or 14 (11%, 13% and 10%). You will often see ‘70% quit by 13’ repeated online. A USA Today column headline asks whether that statistic is wrong, so lean on the survey figures above. In the Chinese study, older teens were more likely to be in the higher-risk groups, which fits the idea that the pressure builds through the teen years.
What should you notice, and what should you say?
The study measured seven things. Here they are in everyday words, using the kinds of statements the questionnaires asked teens to agree or disagree with, plus a way to open the conversation. These are not tests. They are prompts for a calm talk.
| What the study measured | What it can sound like | What you might say |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaustion | ‘I’m worn out by the mental and physical demands of my sport.’ | ‘Is the schedule too much right now? What would you drop first?’ |
| Not feeling you’re getting anywhere | ‘I’m not achieving much and wonder if I should just give up.’ | ‘What’s one thing you’ve gotten better at this season?’ |
| Souring on the sport | ‘I have a negative feeling toward my sport.’ | ‘What used to be fun about it? What changed?’ |
| Not knowing why you keep going | ‘I take part, but I wonder why I continue.’ | ‘Are you playing because you want to? It’s okay if the answer is no.’ |
| Tense body before competing | ‘My body feels tense.’ | ‘What does game day feel like for you?’ |
| Worry about playing badly | ‘I worry I won’t play well.’ | ‘What are you most worried about? Is it the result, or how people will react?’ |
| Trouble focusing | ‘It’s hard to focus on what I’m supposed to do.’ | ‘Do you find your mind drifting during games or practice?’ |
Sports psychologist Dr. Tony Tucci, writing for My360Mindset, suggests asking about the experience rather than the scoreboard: ‘Did you have fun today?’ and ‘Who did you connect with?’ A Signature Locker article on family burnout adds that dread often shows up as stalling before practice or one-word answers about the sport.
What should you do when your teen wants to quit?
Start by listening. KidsHealth says to talk calmly and find out why your child wants to quit, then look for a fix first:
- Too tired: you may need to cut back on the sport or take something else off the schedule.
- Trouble with a teammate or coach: help your teen work through it, and keep them involved in solving it.
- Bullying by a coach or teammate: work with your child to make sure it stops.
- Just doesn’t like the sport: if you signed up for a season, KidsHealth suggests encouraging your child to finish it.
If your teen still wants to quit, KidsHealth says to weigh the reason, ask yourself honestly whether you pushed your child into a sport you wanted them to play, and decide as a family. If your teen does quit, it suggests finding another sport or activity, since kids should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Harvard Health makes a similar point, noting that kids who drop out of sports because of burnout or pressure from coaches and parents often stop exercising altogether.
A Cleveland Clinic psychologist adds that for a first-time sport, a rec league can be less intimidating because seasons are shorter and skill levels are more even. He says it is fine if a child tries something and decides it is not for them.
For more on how to have this conversation, see our guides on when sports stop being fun and building rest days into the family calendar.
Questions to ask your teen
- What’s the best part of your week in this sport? What’s the worst?
- If you could change one thing about the schedule, what would it be?
- Do you feel like you have a say in whether you play?
- How do you feel on the ride home after a game? Is there anything I say that makes it harder?
- Is there a problem with a coach or teammate you haven’t told me about?
- If you took a season off, what would you miss and what wouldn’t you?
When to talk to a doctor
Talk to your pediatrician or another qualified clinician if your teen shows signs of depression, anxiety that gets in the way of daily life, or pain. A Cleveland Clinic pediatric sports medicine doctor says a child who keeps getting sore in different places with nothing found on exams may be telling you they need a break, and that pain that stays in one spot during activity should be checked by a doctor. Our guide on what to ask when your teen says sports don’t feel right can help you prepare for that conversation.
A lower-pressure, at-home option
The study’s authors point to supportive responses such as easing training load and rebuilding a young athlete’s sense of competence and choice. Some families step back from a heavy team schedule for a while and keep their child moving at home, on the child’s own terms. The study did not test this or any other training program.
By YouthPerformanceTrainer.com Editorial Team