The Educated Sports Parent
Sport Specialization
Popular culture seems to be pushing the notion that in order to succeed at sports,
kids need to be put into sports before they are even out of diapers, and then as soon
as they get out of diapers they have to know what sport they want to commit
themselves to for the rest of their lives so that they can practice enough to make
sure they get some sort of athletic scholarship and do well enough to reach the
professional ranks.  I would like to remind you that 98% or more of athletes will never
be elite athletes (1, 2) and be the first one to tell you that popular culture has got it
wrong.  There is a time and a place for sports specialization, but it has no place in early
childhood.  I would like present information for you to help you figure out just when,
and if, your child should specialize in a single sport.

First of all, you should know that the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) (3) on specialization is the following, “Children involved in sports should be
encouraged to participate in a variety of different activities and develop a wide range
of skills” (p. 154).  They also found that, “Those who participate in a variety of sports
and specialize only after reaching the age of puberty tend to be more consistent
performers, have fewer injuries, and adhere to sports play longer than those who
specialize early” (p. 156).

There are a number of very good reasons to explain why the AAP recommends
children participate in a variety of sports as opposed to just one sport year round.  
First, constant participation in one sport can lead to overuse injuries (3, 4).  When
you participate in only one activity, you repeatedly stress the same joints, muscles,
and bones over and over again.  When the body does not have adequate time to
heal from the stress put on it from practice or games, it begins to break down and
get injured.  Physicians now are seeing more and more overuse injuries and relating it
to the recent trend in specialization (4).  In addition, children are growing, and the
natural process of growth leads them to be more susceptible to certain types of
overuse injuries than adults (4, 5).  On the other hand, when you participate in
whichever sport happens to be in season, you may be getting important cross-
training benefits while giving important rest to the muscles and joints used in the
previous sport.

Second, specialization has been connected with athlete burnout (physical and mental
exhaustion) (1) and with an athlete dropping out of sports all together because
sports lose their fun.  Children say they participate in sports for fun and enjoyment
(6), and when a child is constantly involved in the sport, added pressures come along
with it that can take away the fun and leave a person with no desire to participate in
the activity anymore (7).    

A third reason against specialization has to do with social aspects.  Limiting a child to
one sport can take away opportunities for interaction with peers and coaches
involved in different sports (8).  When a child is focused solely on one sport and
caught up in year round practice and clinics, it can take away from the time they
have to just be a kid and hang out with friends.  They may have to miss out on
school or church social events and time spent with friends.

Finally, it appears that many parents allow their children to specialize early because
they see natural talent or they think it will give them a distinct advantage over their
peers.  You may be surprised to learn that it is very difficult to predict future success
based on early talent.  In fact, only about 25% of the kids who are standouts in
elementary school go on to be standouts later in their athletic careers (1, 9).  Another
thing to consider is that using so-called natural talent to determine future success can
disadvantage those whose talent develops later (1).  Many times we may be watching
a youth team play a game, and one or two players seem to stand out.  This may
simply be because they have completed this early part of their development at a
faster rate than the rest of the players and are therefore stronger or have more
advanced motor skills.  In fact, some athletes may be good in the early stages of a
sport, but not possess the motor development potential to ever become an elite
athlete (10).  You never know exactly how your child will grow and develop, so why
limit the opportunities that they have to develop skills?  Let’s say they have an early
natural talent when it comes to soccer, but their real talent lies in baseball.  You see
they have an early talent in soccer, so you never allow them to try baseball.  Then
their soccer talent levels off as the sport becomes more complex, and their baseball
talent still remains hidden.  Would it not be better to allow them to play a wide variety
of sports and a wide variety of positions until you know where it is that they will do
their best?

Along the same lines of natural talent is the issue of spending hours practicing one
sport to gain an advantage and keep up with other players.  While there may be
some truth to this, Hecimovich (11) says that “scientific evidence does not support
the belief that specific skills must be learned and perfected before the onset of
puberty” (p. 35).  Baker (12) reported much the same thing.   Many examples from
the professional world argue against the need for early specialization.  Most people are
already familiar with how Michael Jordan was cut from his tenth grade basketball
team.  Another basketball example is Tim Duncan, of the NBA champion San Antonio
Spurs.  Duncan was a swimmer early on and did not even begin to play basketball
until he was in ninth grade.  Yet look at how he has made up for lost time.

The bottom line is that children are growing and developing in the time before
puberty.  No one knows just what their specific sports strengths will be, and until that
time, they should be encouraged to participate in any sport that interests them.  
Why invest time, energy and money in one sport if it can lead to injury, dropping out
of sports participation and there is a very minute chance that a child will ever reach
elite status?  Research has shown that participation in multiple sports is more beneficial
and allows children to have fun, develop skills, and enjoy the many other benefits of
exercise and sports participation.  Save specialization until at least high school, if not
later.   






















Further Information on Other Sites

Intensive Training and Sports Specialization in Young Athletes – by the Committee on
Sports Medicine and Fitness (2000). Pediatrics, 106, 154-157.

References

(1) Gould, D. & Carson, S. (2004). Myths surrounding the role of youth sports in
developing Olympic champions. Youth Studies Australia, 23, 19-26. Retrieved
November 19, 2004 from SPORTDiscus database.

(2) Cumming, S. P. & Ewing, M. E. (2002 Spring). Parental involvement in youth
sports: The good, the bad and the ugly! Spotlight on Youth Sports, 26(1), 1-5.

(3) American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness.
(2000). Intensive training and sports specialization in young athletes. Pediatrics, 106
(1), 154-157. Retrieved October 16, 2005 from SPORTDiscus database.

(4) O’Neill, D. B. & Micheli, L. J. (1988). Overuse injuries in the young athlete. Clinics in
Sports Medicine, 7, 591-610.

(5) Marsh, J. S. & Daigneault, J. P. (1999). The young athlete. Current Opinion in
Pediatrics, 11, 84. Retrieved November 23, 2005 from the University of Texas
Telecampus D-Doc interlibrary loan.

(6) Siedentop, D. (2001). Introduction to Physical Education, Fitness, and Sport (4th
ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.

(7) Schnecker, T. (n.d.). The Positive Benefits of Participation in Multiple Sports.
Retrieved November 21, 2005 from http://www.courseware.vt.
edu/users/rstratto/CYSarchive/ParentsJan01.html

(8) Hill, G. M. (1991 February). Sports specialization in the secondary school: Is it a
good idea? National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin, 119-121.

(9) Pangrazi, R. (2001). Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children
(13th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

(10) Schmidt, R. A. & Wrisberg, C. A. (2000). Motor Learning and Performance: A
Problem-Based Learning Approach (2nd ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

(11) Hecimovich, M. (2004). Sport specialization in youth: A literature review. Journal
of the American Chiropractic Association, 41(4), 32-41.

(12) Baker, J. (2003). Early specialization in youth sport: A requirement for adult
expertise? High Ability Studies, 14, 85-94.

(13) Watts, J. (2002). Perspectives on sport specialization. Journal of Physical
Education, Recreation & Dance, 73(8), 32-38. Retrieved November 28, 205 from
ProQuest database.
Should my child specialize?
Advantages and Disadvantages to Early Sport Specialization
Advantages
 Disadvantages
1. May enhance performance (13)
 1. May lead to overtraining and
overuse injuries
2. Motor skill acquisition (11)
 2. May lead to burnout and dropping
out of sports
3. Increase the feeling that one has a
chance of earning a scholarship
 3. May lead to eating disorders (13)
  4. Lose opportunity to develop other
skills (12)
  5. Only a tiny minority of athletes make
it to the elite level
  6. Natural talent may be in another
sport
  7. Delayed onset of menses
  8. Not necessary for success
  9. Lose social opportunities (8)