Can Sport Specialization Cause Youth Injuries?--Yahoo Sports

[WinThemAll]

Can Sport Specialization Cause Youth Injuries?

An increase in sport specialization -- whereby young athletes play only one competitive sport from an early age -- is causing a drastic rise in serious injuries among children, medical experts have warned.

With an abundance of riches awaiting talented youngsters fortunate enough to reach the pro ranks, parents, coaches and the kids themselves are increasingly tempted to focus on a single sport rather than playing several sports depending on the season.
With sports academies, travel teams, all-star leagues and off-season tournaments growing in number, children as young as 10 often find themselves concentrating on a sport year-round, much like a professional.

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"There are multiple factors, but a major one is specialization. They play only one sport. Plus, they play that sport a lot. They don't just play soccer for three months, they might play it for eight or nine months. They are training all year. More practice, more games, maybe three games in close succession at a weekend tournament. The intensity and volume is higher. And so is the risk."

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[RedBirdDad]

My read on the article doesn't come to the conclusion that specialization is the cause. My personal observations are that the demands of sports has gotten out of control to the point where it's hard to be a multiple sport athlete.

In the past it was easy to play multiple sports. Each season had a beginning and an end and the requirements/expectations during the offseason were very low. During the summer the better kids would do camps and clinics for thier favorite sports, but they could still play and compete in all.

Today, things are different. If a kid wants to play soccer or basketball (or any other sport) they better have been involved in the offseason program or thet are likely to not have a place on the team. In addition, no one simply decides to "go out" for a sport anymore. If you haven't been playing it since you were 8 you are hopelessly behind and will never make it.

In the end, the higher demands that the various sports puts on the kids have resulted in better competition and quality. I'm pretty sure my DDs JV basketball team could hang with the Varsity boys team from my youth. The down side is that my DD has logged a lot more time playing competitive sports than I ever did already and she is just a Sophomore. In the end, I don't think the increase in injuries is due to specialization, but just in increased demands from ALL sports. It's not uncommon for my DD to have BB practice, followed by private pitching lessons and then open gym for Softball. The overall workload and the earlier starting ages are much more likely to be the cause of increased injuries than specialization.

All of this is my humble opinion, and it is well established that I am the world's foremost expert on my own opinion. LOL

 

[Mylil32]

I just saw a post on another website where a "coach" is looking for a travel team for his 6 year old daughter. I think that may be more of the problem.

 

[knightsb]

I just saw a post on another website where a "coach" is looking for a travel team for his 6 year old daughter. I think that may be more of the problem.

Amy, your DGD needs to play up on this 6U team. She has her mask and is ready to go.

 

[sluggers]

Plus, they play that sport a lot. They don't just play soccer for three months, they might play it for eight or nine months. They are training all year. More practice, more games, maybe three games in close succession at a weekend tournament. The intensity and volume is higher. And so is the risk.

It isn't the specialization in itself that causes the injury--it is 9-12 months of playing and practicing the same sport that is the problem.

 

[02Crush]

Excess of anything is bad. Specialization is not the problem. Intensity and Excess are.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Yes on females, but you can prevent it. My dd has been thru this program.

PEP Program - SMSMF

 

[starsnuffer]

Try this:

Pinch your thumb and index finger together. Rub them against one another. Do this continually 10 minutes at a time 3 times a day, 5 days a week. No matter your technique, you will develop a blister and injure your fingers.

We're born with so many throws, so many pitches, and so many strides built into our bodies. We can train and condition to increase those numbers, but only so much. Like any machine, we will break down when we wear out. That's life.

The "elite athletes" are the ones who have managed to reach peak performance at the right times, with the right exposure, while avoiding injury. Just starting a skill 5 years earlier and doing it 3 times as much is not going to make an individual a better athlete.

This is very similar to young children with their entitled helicopter parents starting them on reading and math at very young ages. Yes, they will learn how to read very well and factor polynomials by age 5, however, they are no more or less "smart" or "better at math" at age 12 then a child with an equal IQ who did not learn those skills until later in their lives. The net result is simply a loss of childhood.

-W

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I see it in a simple way :

1. Wanting to be the best at something = Great : ,..... (and I wish more Americans had this drive).

2. In the search to be the best at something specific you let that specialization imbalance your life & physicality = bad.

My DD is a pitcher. She wants to be the best pitcher. She has learned that to get this she has to make compromises and that means she will play other sports only in her spare time (as little as that is). She has learned that being only a pitcher can cause muscle imbalances and she must do some level of physical training to maintain balance. This strong focus on work, to get the reward, is life training that I think is HUGE in her development as a productive human being.