Sprint coach Stuart Dempster calls it "overscheduled kids syndrome". That is, youngsters doing too much sport.
This syndrome, he says, especially applies to youngsters who are involved in a range of sports.
"Overtraining too often leads to burnout and discourages young athletes," said Stuart, a Hunter fitness conditioner who runs the Sprint Stable at Glendale.
He believes too many coaches and parents unnecessarily subject kids to overtraining.
"They are flogging the living daylights out of them," he said.
He recommends young athletes train no more than three times a week, adding that his approach is backed by research.
Stuart has seen the success of this technique in Australia and his home country Scotland, where he trained athletes for the Commonwealth Games. He believes it applies to all sports.
"I was lucky enough to be mentored by a coach who coached the Olympic champion of 1980 - Alan Wells.
"He is one of the UK's most decorated sprinters."
Stuart trains his sprinters only one day a week. "Occasionally I throw in relay training on a Saturday," he said.
He has previously trained Scotland's Under-19 rugby team. "If any athlete comes to me, they'll go faster," he said.
One thing that frustrates Stuart is "the fitness industry elbowing in on what we do". "You have these personal trainers. Some coaches are trying to be like personal trainers," he said.
Stuart is a believer in what's called "run-relax ratio training".
"Athletes have to rest and recover. Last time I looked, tired people don't run fast."
He follows the philosophy of Occam's razor, which uses the problem-solving principle of "entities should not be multiplied without necessity". As such, he believes in the mantra of "less is more".
"If there's a solution of doing huge amounts to achieve the same end, that will not be the one to use," he said.
The kids he trains run "three 50 metres in one night and that's it".
"We do a lot of work with our heads and the technique of how to run. We do a lot of work in the warm up, with balance and co-ordination.
"We put them on one leg and they have to throw a ball back and forwards to each other. Then they switch to the other leg. We put them on the sand. It's harder to stand in a sandpit than the track.
"That's what develops movement skills and reduces injury."
When dealing with performance anxiety, he urges athletes not to focus on "the outcome of winning or medals".
"That's something you can't control.
"The focus is on the process - the warm-up, did you eat properly, did you drink your fluids? Just run the race and get it right. The victories will come."
When parents start talking about performance, "I say just remember they're here to enjoy themselves".
He recounted the story of a reporter asking Alan Wells who he considered his main rival in an upcoming final.
Wells replied: "Me".
"You've got to get yourself right or it all falls apart anyway," Stuart said.
"The only time you'll get grief from me is if you don't try your best."
In describing how he explains this to kids, his Scottish accent becomes gentler as he says: "Just try your best and see what happens".
