Recovery for athletes is not a luxury; it is the hidden engine that keeps young bodies healthy, minds motivated, and seasons on track.
Why Rest Fuels Growth
High-intensity exercise creates microscopic muscle tears that rebuild stronger, but only during downtime. UCHealth researchers note that muscle tissue needs sufficient rest to complete this repair cycle, making structured breaks as critical as practice itself. In short, rest is important because that is when the adaptations athletes crave actually occur.
Key Takeaways
- Repair and hypertrophy happen during rest, not workouts.
- Hormonal surges that regulate growth and immunity peak during sleep.
- Skipping recovery elevates cortisol, slowing progress and raising the risk of injury.
The Importance of Rest Days
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises having at least one full day off from organized sport each week and limiting participation to one sport per season to curb overuse damage. Translation: Schedule one to two total-rest days weekly, and rotate lighter “active recovery” sessions, such as mobility work or swimming, between intense practices. This rhythm reduces training monotony, supports neuromuscular repair, and delivers the benefit of rest without detraining.
Building a Balanced Week
Below is a sample seven-day outline that meshes training intensity with structured restoration:
- Monday: High-intensity practice plus 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday: Moderate skill work plus core stability
- Wednesday: Recovery day — hydrotherapy or pneumatic compression at a recovery center
- Thursday: Speed drills plus compression sleeves afterward
- Friday: Tactical session or short scrimmage
- Saturday: Cross-training (swimming, cycling, or yoga)
- Sunday: Rest day — family, mindfulness, and sleep reset
This template answers the perennial parent question: How many rest days a week? Aim for two. Adjust volumes as competition nears, and listen to soreness cues to individualize workloads.
Longer breaks — such as the two-to-three-month off-season the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends — let growing bodies complete deep tissue repair, reset hormone balance, and rekindle passion. Taking a long rest once a year prevents overuse injuries and burnout while priming athlete recovery for the next cycle.
Sleep: The Secret Weapon
Growing athletes require eight to 10 hours of quality sleep, but most teens average barely seven. A Children’s Hospital Colorado review shows sleep-deprived athletes fatigue 10% faster and record slower reaction times. Beyond performance, researchers found that even a 15-minute nightly increase improves brain connectivity and cognitive scores. This reminds us that small, consistent changes in our habits can yield meaningful benefits for brain health.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends these strategies to improve sleep:
- Encourage screen curfews an hour before bed.
- Take power naps of 20-30 minutes when hectic schedules prevent full nights of sleep.
- Keep to a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible.
Evidence-Based Sports Recovery at UPSWING
UPSWING’s Recovery Center provides young athletes with access to top-tier, evidence-based recovery tools that support healing, reduce injury risk, and enhance performance. Designed for both immediate and long-term benefits, the facility empowers athletes to take control of their physical health through proven recovery methods. Key tools and equipment include:
- Hot and Cold Plunge Pools: Reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and relieve muscle soreness.
- Infrared Saunas: Promote relaxation and aid in detoxification and muscle recovery.
- Hyperice Technology: Including Normatec compression, Hypervolt massage guns, Vyper rollers, and HyperSphere balls to support muscle recovery and mobility.
- Zero-Gravity Recliners and Massage Tables: Enhance spinal alignment and relaxation during recovery sessions.
By combining advanced recovery tools with a supportive environment, UPSWING helps athletes stay healthy, resilient, and ready to perform.
Overuse Injuries: When Too Much of a Good Thing Hurts
Pediatric orthopedists warn repetitive stress injuries can sideline young stars longer than dramatic game-day collisions. Growth plates remain vulnerable until late adolescence; without strategic rest, microtraumas accumulate into stress fractures or tendonitis. Instituting preventive breaks, cross-training, and proper technique instruction are the cheapest insurance policies parents and coaches can buy.
The Mental Side: Guarding Against Athlete Burnout
Burnout presents as exhaustion, declining performance, and lost joy. Recent meta-analyses link excessive training volume and single-sport specialization to burnout rates that push teens to quit altogether. Psychological fallout includes anxiety and academic slumps — proof that balanced schedules protect both body and mind. Mental-skills coaches recommend periodic goal-setting reviews, social team activities, and freedom to pursue non-sport hobbies. These practices refresh motivation and reinforce that athlete recovery extends beyond muscles.
How UPSWING Champions Recovery
At UPSWING’s performance facility, coaches weave evidence-based recovery into every program, with a special emphasis on recovery showcased through our state-of-the-art Recovery Center. We provide access to leading technologies like hydrotherapy and pneumatic compression to expedite muscle recovery and reduce inflammation. Our goal is to help athletes restore their performance, minimize injury downtime, and improve health and wellness, all within the same space as their training. Our training sessions pair speed, strength, agility, and dance sessions with mandatory cooldowns, mental-health check-ins, and free access to cutting-edge resources that ensure youth athletes can recover efficiently, learn to use professional-level equipment, and maintain peak physical condition. Read firsthand stories of athletes who bounced back stronger after embracing rest and recovery, or explore our about us page to learn why holistic care sits at our mission’s core.
Make Recovery Non-Negotiable
Teen athletes dream big, but dreams collapse without an equal commitment to downtime. Structured sleep, strategic sports recovery tools, planned rest days, and supportive environments fend off athlete burnout, speed growth, and slash injury risk. Science and common sense converge on one truth: Recovery is important, and the earlier young competitors learn that lesson, the longer and healthier their athletic journeys will be.
UPSWING Foundation was founded in 2020 by Harmony and Jason Myers as a Colorado-based nonprofit with a vision to connect people and catapult dreams. We know access to sports, education, and other opportunities is too often limited by barriers such as socioeconomic factors. We also know all kids should have an equal opportunity to experience sports, to learn and grow, to connect with others, and to discover and pursue their dreams.
Our mission is to develop strong, confident, successful student-athletes who are able to give back to their communities in meaningful ways. We can do that by crushing barriers that limit access. We work to crush those barriers by:
- Developing high-quality programming to support athletes, their families, and our communities
- Creating world-class amateur sports campuses that integrate multiple sports, fields, training, and educational spaces
- Ensuring access to programming and facilities through dedicated scholarship and support programs
- Partnering with and supporting like-minded organizations to create opportunities for aspiring athletes and our communities
If you’re interested in supporting young athletes, you can learn more about what we do, view our partnership packages, or donate to support our critical work!
If you want to sign up for Sports Performance, Dance, or Recovery Training at UPSWING Centennial, you can do this by either downloading the “UPSWING Foundation” app on the App Store or Google Play, or by visiting our website.
ABOUT UPSWING FOUNDATION:
UPSWING Foundation, a Colorado nonprofit corporation, exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, is the only youth sports foundation based in Colorado’s mile-high training grounds that provides access to world-class programs alongside top athletes for kids of all backgrounds in order to connect people and catapult dreams. Where access to sports and other opportunities is often limited by barriers such as socioeconomic factors, the UPSWING Foundation works to crush those barriers by creating first-in-class, accessible programming and training spaces to develop strong, confident, successful student-athletes who are able to pursue their dreams and give back to their communities in meaningful ways. To learn more, visit us at upswingfoundation.org.
Main Office:
1746 Cole Blvd, Ste 300,
Lakewood, CO 80401
contact@upswingfoundation.org
(720) 608-0259
ABOUT UPSWING CENTENNIAL:
UPSWING Centennial is the first dedicated space built to deliver the UPSWING experience to aspiring athletes in Denver and the surrounding communities with world-class services in performance training, dance, and recovery.
UPSWING Centennial:
7460 S University Blvd, Centennial, CO 80122
facilities@upswingfoundation.org
(720) 500-5100
ABOUT SPARK:
SPARK is a contracted program through UPSWING, owned and managed by the renowned Nicole Kahre. Nicole is an award-winning choreographer with an impressive and diverse background, including serving as the choreographer for the Denver Nuggets Dance Team. Her expertise and passion for mentoring young athletes have led to her dancers being featured on shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. Nicole created SPARK to train high school and college dance teams, contributing to multiple 4A and 5A State Championships and three National Pom and Dance Program victories. At UPSWING, SPARK boasts a team of about 10 highly skilled dance instructors from various backgrounds, including a CU Dance Team alumna and two Broncos Cheerleaders. Decades of teaching dance at an elite level and studying the science behind all technical skills will provide athletes the technique and mastery of fundamental skills necessary to succeed in any dance team program.
SPARK at UPSWING Centennial:
7460 S University Blvd, Centennial, CO 80122
facilities@upswingfoundation.org
(720) 500-5100
