Revisiting Early Sport Specialization: What’s the Problem?

Abstract

Context: The assumed risks of early specialization in sport are well known, with several international consensus statements advising against specialization in early athlete development. However, there have been recent calls for more focused research in this area. Evidence Acquisition: Research evidence from several scientific disciplines (eg, sport psychology, sports medicine, human development) were synthesized to develop a framework for practitioners working with adolescent athletes. Study Design: Narrative review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Results: There appear to be risks associated with a highly specialized approach to athlete training, but the mechanisms driving these effects are largely unknown. Greater attention to understanding these mechanisms would help mitigate risk and develop stronger policy for athlete development. Recommendations for program modifications are provided. Conclusion: Early specialization remains an important topic for researchers and practitioners working with youth and adolescent athletes. However, more work needs to be done to provide truly evidence-based recommendations for youth athlete training.

Anorexic Readiness Syndrome in Elite Female Acrobatic Gymnasts—International Study

“…Like other gymnasts, teenage acrobats also must cope with changes related to physical growth and sexual maturation as well as the demands of intensive training and the expectations of the gymnastic community [ 8 ]. However, it was emphasized that this relationship may reflect elements related to the aesthetic component of these sports, rather than being a direct consequence of specialization per se [ 3 ].…”

“…Among the physical activities recommended for children and adolescents, a special place is given to gymnastic sports, such as women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG), men’s artistic gymnastics (MAG), rhythmic gymnastics (RG), trampoline gymnastics (TG), and acrobatic gymnastics (AG). These are the sports of early specialization (attractive especially for girls) in which children undergo comprehensive and intense sports training [ 2 , 3 ]. Scientific studies have shown that the skills and competences acquired during gymnastic training and competitions have a positive effect on the physical [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], mental [ 11 ], social [ 1 ], and cognitive [ 12 , 13 ] development of a child.…”

Does early specialization provide an advantage in physical fitness development in youth basketball?

“…The debate about the merits and risks of specialization in youth sports has recently increased (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Specialization, in general, can be conceptualized as year-round participation in a single "signature" sport, with limited involvement in potential sport alternatives, with a deliberate focus on training and development in the pursuit of elite status (10,(13)(14)(15).…”

Specialization and Injury Risk in Different Youth Sports: A Bio-Emotional Social Approach

“…Recent author have reported prevalence rates of sport specialization among youth athletes of 17 to 41% ( Bell et al, 2018 ; Post et al, 2018 ). This trend could be driven by a large number of factors such as an overall decrease in unstructured physical activity (i.e., “free play”), an increase in structured activity among youth ( Somerset and Hoare, 2018 ), increased pressure on young athletes to excel in sport ( Feeley et al, 2016 ) but also the potential economic benefit of success in sports (e.g., college scholarships, elite achievement, or high professional sports salaries) ( Mosher et al, 2022 ).…”