With School Starting Up Again, It’s Crucial To Understand The Risks Of Single-Sport Specialization In Young Athletes

After a long summer, schools are back in session, which means children of all ages are eager to hit the ground running both in and out of the classroom. For student-athletes, this means involvement in a sport—or sports—of their choosing, which is a major commitment for some.

About 72% of school-age children—nearly 29 million—participate in at least one organized sport, which is associated with a bounty of physical and mental benefits. But a sizable portion of these young athletes choose to participate only in one sport, which can lead to almost non-stop obligations for practices, competitions, camps, and other forms of training throughout the entire year. This is called single-sport specialization, which is believed to help young athletes excel in their sport and make it to the next level of competition; however, specialization also comes with numerous risks, and it does not appear to be the best approach for young athletes.

Spelling Out the Potential Risks of Single-Sport Specialization

Single-sport specialization is a relatively recent trend in which children have been shifting away multi-sport participation to focus on the one sport they are most interested in pursuing. Parents and coaches may sway young athletes in this direction, usually because they assume that it will improve their chances of being successful at collegiate and possibly professional levels. But research has consistently shown that specialization appears to have the opposite effect on most young athletes.

Single-Sport Athletes Account for About 50% of Overuse Injuries

According to one study, sport specialization is strongly associated with overuse injuries, which occur when too much activity combines with insufficient rest and recovery. In fact, children who specialize in a single sport account for about 50% of overuse injuries seen by pediatric orthopedic specialists. Another study of 1,200 young athletes found that specialization was the strongest predictor of injury, with athletes who specialized in one sport being 70-93% more likely to experience an injury than children who played multiple sports.

Burnout is a Real Concern for Single-Sport Athletes

Children who specialize early are also at an elevated risk for burnout from stress, pressure, and diminished motivation. This may cause athletes to quit sports altogether at a young age, which could have long-term implications like lower rates of physical activity later in life. Finally, exclusively focusing on one sport early in life can prevent young athletes from working out other parts of their body, which may lead to reduced motor skill development and other developmental complications.

Young athletes should therefore be encouraged to participate in a variety of sports during their early years so that they can sharpen a variety of motor skills and identify the sports that they enjoy most. In our next blog, we’ll talk about the benefits of multi-sport participation and offer some tips to avoid overuse injuries and burnout.

If you’re concerned with your child’s risk for sport specialization, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Playing Multiple Sports Is More Advantageous To Young Athletes In The Long Run

In our last blog, we discussed how single-sport specialization is a trend that’s becoming increasingly more common in youth sports, even if it may not be in the best interests of these young athletes. As we noted, children who specialize in one sport are up to 93% more likely to suffer from an injury than those who play multiple sports, and they are also at an increased risk for burnout from fatigue and not giving taking adequate time for recovery.

For these reasons, most experts recommend that young athletes should diversify their pursuits and try to engage in multiple sports throughout most of their childhood. Research has shown that doing so is healthier for athletes and more likely to lead to long-term success. For example, early participation in multiple sports is associated with:

• Better overall motor and athletic development
• Longer athletic careers
• Increased ability to transfer sports skills
• Higher levels of motivation and confidence in sports
• Better decision-making, pattern recognition, and increased creativity

It may also come as a surprise and conflict with popular assumptions, but most athletes who play at the collegiate level have histories in multiple sports rather than just one. A study of nearly 300 NCAA Division I male and female athletes found that 88% participated in an average of 2-3 sports as children, and 70% did not specialize in a single sport until after 12 years of age.

If College Scholarship is the Goal – Think About Multi-Sport Participation

It’s also important for parents and coaches to recognize that only about 2% of high school athletes receive scholarships to play at the collegiate level. This should serve as a gentle reminder that the odds of achieving elite-level success are extremely slim, which means single-sport specialization could be for naught in many cases. Therefore, most young athletes should be encouraged to participate in several sports and activities throughout their childhood. For those that do decide to specialize in one sport, here are a few tips to avoid overuse injuries and burnout:

• Weekly participation (in hours) should not exceed the athlete’s age
• Athletes should take one or two days to rest each week, as well as one or more longer breaks (up to one month) throughout the year
• Athletes who engage in more than 16 hours of intense training per week should be monitored for signs of burnout and overtraining
• Encourage children to communicate clearly about any pain or discomfort

If you’re concerned with your child’s risk for sport specialization, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.