A teenager playing a sport when ill

[ForRealMember]

I am not sporty or competitive at all. My teen daughter is a very successful sports player/not professional level but not far off. Her dad is an amazing and does all the coaching but when she is poorly he still thinks she should train. I very much disagree and stop it but I am struggling to understand his outlook.

Depends on what illness she has

Depends what the end goal is and how you define "ill".

If it's gushing out both ends, probably not ideal. If she has a cold, then she needs to just get on with it if the plan is to win Wimbledon (or whatever is the equivalent in her sport).

How poorly do you mean? If she has a slight cold then her coach will expect her to train. If she’s got a temperature, D&V, etc., it’s better for her to rest.

My DS is only on his school team and that’s what his coaches say…he once said that he had a sniffle and couldn’t train, they weren't
impressed.

Hmm I've played sport to a fairly high standard, and often training when under the weather does more harm than good.

I disagree with training though a cold, sometimes you get more benefit from resting up snd getting better quicker than training at half effort when ill.

I would also be aware of her cycle and adapt her training around that if that is ever an issue, there has been a lot of research around this now and it's well worth reading up on.

If she's going to compete, there will be times when she will need to power through feeling sick, so she will need to experience that in training too. Obviously nobody is expecting her to come tinue if she's firing both ends, but if its a mild cold or a headache then it's probably better not to miss a session. There's a lot of variables.

The school attendance is a good screening point.

Dragging someone out of their sick bed to train, not ok. Getting out and active whilst in that dragging tail end of a lurgy bit - pretty sensible, especially when combined with some early nights.

Fewling rough with period pain, definitely try it and work out whether feel better or worse for it.

@northernballer The problem is that they’ll be asked to leave the team if they miss too many training sessions for any reason so they have to save them for “proper” illnesses iyswim.

DS was properly ill last month and his coaches were understanding, but one of his friends has skipped a few practices over the last two weeks ( for various reasons) and yesterday, he was chucked off the team!

She wouldn't miss a club training session, she goes to training if she has an injury (sits on the side). She is just unwell and would like some rest and does not want to do the daily training sessions outside with her dad

Oh well that’s different!

Athletes need to have breaks when sick and also three weeks of rest a year - most official organisations recommend this (England athletics etc) she should follow this and her dad should understand.

Period guff I always start the planned session but allow myself to bow out if it’s making it worse not better (it usually makes it better once I get going). Above the neck cold symptoms only I’d do something light, active and outdoors but probably wouldn’t do a full intensity team session, maybe a cycle or a jog, though might partake in tactical bits if it’s a team session day eg set plays where it’s more positioning than physical effort. Anything chesty cough is more harm than good for me and I’d rest, but would try and drag my ass for a walk if it was nice weather for the fresh air. Anything more than a cold then rest and sleep. I play at a decent amateur level (no women’s professional options in my team sport) and have represented England in the past. Train 8-12hr a week on top of a full time job still even at amateur level.

Not very conclusive because the answer ultimately is ‘it depends’ but a couple of misses sessions won’t be the end of the world if doing the sessions means she gets worse and has to take longer off overall.

@ForRealMember Re. Injuries. Yes, DS has to attend when injured and go to the trainer who decides how to treat the injury and appropriate exercises. He hurt his knee recently and they had him on the stationary bike!

This. My dd competes at the top end of National level in an endurance sport and this is what we have been told.

The damage you can do training when you should be resting is enormous.

My in laws allowed dh to play in a football match when they knew full well he had chicken pox. He developed encephalitis the next day, and was very ill for weeks. Vigorous exercise when you are unwell is not a good idea.

YANBU OP