3 Reasons Why Young Athletes Should Not Specialize in a Single Sport

As a graduate student in the Boston University Sport Counseling program, the population comprised of elite youth athletes has become of particular interest. Of course we want our kids to become professional athletes and have the best chances of succeeding in their sport. But how far is too far? And how early is too early? Here are 3 reasons why athletes should not be pushed toward early sport specialization.

1. Injury

Injury is inevitable in a any sport for any athlete. But among youth athletes, injury can produce long lasting and recurring injuries later down the road. Specialization at a young age puts a child at increased risk for overusing muscles and developing injuries. Aside from physical injury, young athletes are also at risk for late maturation (especially noted among young ballet dancers) and short stature among gymnasts. Bones are still developing and the constant training and practice leads to overuse and injury (Malina, 2010).

2. Burnout

After doing anything for a long period of time, any individual (athlete or not) is sure to become tired of it, physically and mentally. For young athletes though, the risk runs even higher and the repercussions are not to be overlooked. Because there are high expectations from their coach, parents and themselves, when those demands cannot be met, they are likely to experience burnout. Young athletes who specialize in a single sport practice for hours on end, everyday, pre and post season. This leads to the young athlete becoming overworked, stressed out, lacking energy, sleep deprived and disinterested in a sport that used to be enjoyable before there was so much pressure (Malina, 2010).

3. Social Isolation

Because elite youth athletes are so dedicated to their sport and are so committed to attending practices and training camps, many lack the experience of sampling various sports and meeting friends outside of their single sport. This lack of sampling decreases their engagement in deliberate play and causes them to become isolated and unable to engage with peers of different gender and age. Many talented youth athletes are oftentimes homeschooled as well which causes further isolation and robs them of typical social interaction with peers. These interactions are vital for their overall emotional and self regulation and aid in their non-sport development (Livingston, Schmidt, & Lehman, 2016).

So What Do We Do?

When we take a step back and look at the bigger picture less than %1 of athletes actually make it to the professional level. This fact alone makes it clear that it is not necessary to train this early and risk serious injuries. A later elite training status can still have the possibility of reaching high performance levels. With that said, and in line with current research, it is wise to delay such intense sport specific training to a later age (Livingston, Schmidt, & Lehman, 2016).

References

CôTé, J. E. A. N., Lidor, R., & Hackfort, D. (2009). ISSP position stand: To sample or to specialize? Seven postulates about youth sport activities that lead to continued participation and elite performance. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 7-17.

Livingston, J., Schmidt, C., & Lehman, S. (2016). Competitive Club Soccer: Parents' assessments of children's early and later sport specialization. Journal of Sport Behavior, 39(3), 301.

Malina, R. M. (2010). Early sport specialization: roots, effectiveness, risks. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(6), 364-371.