#MultipleSports

Should My child specialize or play multiple sports

Should my child specialize in one sport?

Parents fear that if their child does not specialize in one sport at an early age, they will lose valuable time in their “career”. They look at Tiger Woods as an example of success from early specialization. What they don’t see are the countless other children who have been victims of early specialization or the stories of successful athletes who played multiple sports as a child. 

John P. DiFiori, MD, President of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and Team Physician for the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, says that few who specialize in one sport at a very young age make it to elite levels. “In fact, some studies indicate that early specialization is less likely to result in success than participating in several sports as a youth, and then specializing at older ages.” A UCLA sports specialization study surveying 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 one sport until after the age of 12.

Bluffton Rush SC and Other Sports

At Bluffton Rush SC we believe in fostering the well-being of all our kids. We understand the overwhelming anecdotal and clinical evidence that suggests specialization in one sport as a child can be detrimental to his or her physical, social, and psychological development. Our Coaches and our Club will do nothing to create an environment that discourages a child from exploring or participating in other sports. Unlike other clubs or coaches, we encourage multi-sport experiences. Not only does this allow a child to find their own passions, but it also leads to a healthier and more confident young athlete. Our Coaches will not add stress in the lives of our players or their families. The decision to play multiple sports belongs to them and will be supported whenever possible by the Club.

Physical Detriments of Specialization

A 2019 study in the Journal of Athletic Training found “from a biomechanical standpoint… [specialization] may result in excessive exposure to a narrow spectrum of repetitive body movements without an adequate interval for recovery,” citing intensive repetition of the same movement patterns as a possible contributor to overuse injuries in athletes who specialize.     

Research also suggests that children who specialize in a single sport are more prone to developing overuse injuries associated with repetitive-load stress on the growing skeleton. A recent study found that adolescent athletes who specialized were 50% more likely to develop patellofemoral pain, and four times likelier to develop conditions like Osgood Schlatter disease or patellar tendinopathy than multisport athletes.

Playing multiple sports encourages "physical literacy" – the development of fundamental movement skills and mobility that are essential to playing all sports. To develop these skills, kids need to practice a range of different movement patterns, and the best way to do this is to play an array of different sports.

Social Perspective

Children should be allowed to be children and not regarded strictly as athletes. Playing a range of sports helps kids to separate their self-esteem from their sporting ability, giving them a healthier sense of identity. Playing multiple sports can give children the opportunity to form and gain confidence socializing with different circles of friends.

Psychological Detriments

Specializing in a single sport often leads to boredom or burnout. Boredom can lead to disinterest or even resentment toward a sport.

The primary reason kids play sports is to have fun. Too often children stop participating in an activity they enjoy when it becomes too stressful and physically and mentally demanding. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated. “Participating in multiple sports, at least until puberty, decreases the chances of injuries, stress, and burnout in athletes.”

John O’Sullivan, author of Changing the Game, feels a multisport approach can also impact motivation. “If you force someone to choose really young, you’re taking away ownership, you sometimes take away enjoyment, you take away intrinsic motivation… I don’t think the best players in the world come out of early specialization environments. They‘re not early specializers, they’re early engagers.”

Just Let the Kids Play

Youth sports aren’t meant to focus on winning and losing. They are designed to develop a love for a game and to teach those life lessons best taught through sports. Too often coaches, clubs and parents project their expectations onto our young athletes. Kids play to have fun. In her extensive study conducted at Georgetown University, Dr. Amanda Visek proved "FUN is the single largest predictor of sport commitment and sustained participation in childhood and through adolescence..."

Children should be supported in all their endeavors and adults - especially clubs and coaches - should stop being possessive, overbearing and demanding of their time and interest. Our priority as adults must be to maximize their enjoyment and engagement so that they continue to participate as they get older. Ultimately, common sense and science tells us children should be allowed to play the sports they want to, whether they are motivated by enjoyment or a belief they can have some success playing it.