Sports Specialization: How to Decrease Risk and Increase Reward

Morgan Harper, PT, DPT

In the past few decades, participation in organized youth sports has seen an increase in the United States, which is great because it is important to keep bodies active. However, with this push for participation in sports starting at a young age, there comes the possibility of sport specialization.

What is sport specialization? Sport specialization is the participation in one sport for 8 months or more out of the year, typically without the addition of a second sport. This can lead to increased risks physically and psychologically if specialization is done at too early of an age. The reasoning behind these negative outcomes comes back to what kids’ primary occupation should be: play! When children are specializing in a sport at a young age, they are focusing on deliberate practice and performance outcomes in a structured manner with little focus being put on their enjoyment of the activity. Kids lose the sense of play, suffer from burnout, and experience social isolation from their peers. From a physical standpoint, participating in the same sport leads to repetition of the same movements over and over again, putting young kids at risk for overuse injuries while their bodies are still growing and vulnerable. For females participating in intense training at young ages, there is the risk of Female Athlete Triad, which is characterized by decreased nutrition, irregular menstruation, and decreased bone mineral density.

Here’s how these risks can be decreased, and rewards can be increased:

1. Allow diversification of sport and activity.

Deliberate play is the hero to decrease risk and increase reward for kids pre-puberty. Encourage kids to go outside and play pick-up games of basketball or baseball. This opens them up to social engagements connected to sport with a foundation built on enjoyment and play, not performance outcomes.

2. Focus on the child’s goals.

If a child chooses to specialize in one sport, they should be doing it for the right reasons and should be motivated by their goals. Sitting down to discuss why sport specialization and what their goals are with the child is important to prevent burnout and other psychological risks.

3. Have 1 or 2 rest days a week.

Our bodies are not machines that can operate for days on end with precise efficiency. We need days off to allow for recovery and repair to decrease risk of injury.

4. Wait to specialize until after puberty, around 15-16 years old.

At this age, children have been exposed to various social, physical, and cognitive situations that allowed them to build skills that are suited for the deliberate practice and intense training required of sport specialization. Studies have shown that diversification of activity combined with specialization after puberty leads to participating in sports at higher levels with less psychological and physical risks. So, this isn’t to say that your kid can’t be the next great one, but give room for kids to do what kids do best: play!

References:

Joel S. Brenner, COUNCIL ON SPORTS MEDICINE AND FITNESS; Sports Specialization

and Intensive Training in Young Athletes. Pediatrics September 2016; 138 (3):

e20162148. 10.1542/peds.2016-2148