As you are reading this, I’m probably asleep. Normally, I’m up at 5:05am everyday, but today I am probably sleeping right now.

Why you ask?

Simple.  I’m on vacation.  I’m up at our cabin in Canada in the deep woods with really no one else around, but a cabin or two on the lake and I don’t even know if anybody is occupying them right now.

I think yesterday, I fished until dark. I played cards to the wee hours of the morning.  I might have drank a beverage or two recommended for someone my age. Then went to sleep with no alarm and no gauge as to when I should or would wake up.

There is no gym to go to.  No athletic club.  If I choose to work out, it would truly be a crossfit type workout – chopping wood, throwing the wood, doing push-ups, swim, pull-ups onto the roof of the cabin, wrestle a bear (okay maybe not this one).

99% of the time when I’m on vacation, I do absolutely NO exercise.

I take two week-long vacations throughout the year where I usually don’t workout.  This particular vacation, I might swim, but since I never swim for exercise it will be something totally different for my body and that will be good.  I also take the last two weeks of the year off from exercise (definitely weights and the cardio is down to once or twice for the week).

The reason I choose to take a break is because my body needs a break.   It needs a break from the workouts I do to let the joints relax and recover.  My muscles need not to do another day of lifting.  I want to rejuvenate them and get rid of some of the minor aches and pains I’m feeling.

It’s important to do this so that my body doesn’t get used to the same thing over and over and develop a bad habit.  Maybe an imbalance that leads to injury.  Maybe it gets used to the routine and doesn’t continue to progress.  That’s why the swim change of pace for the week would be good.  Yes, it is still exercise, but it isn’t what I always do, thus my body would respond favorably to it.

How is this relevant to your kid and sports?

You need a break at some point or else something bad could happen.  Taking a week or two off from everything for a young athlete will not set them back 50 years in their sport development.  Quite the opposite.

It will take stress off their body and let them too rejuvenate.  Their bodies are growing and this growth combined with the same movement all the time could lead to imbalances in the body that would lead to injuries.

Take a vacation.  Heck spend a week doing PS2 if that is different than the norm.  At least your body will rest, recover, and hopefully be better when you resume your normal grind of playing sports, practicing, maybe 2 sports at the same time.

I know you have athletes that play multiple sports that roll right into the next season.  Take 4 or 5 days off in between sports.  Let your body relax before you begin the transition phase into the next sport.  You will be a little more rejuvenated for that sport and hopefully growth will come as an athlete.