Sport specialization in young athletes

Abstract

Many young athletes are pursuing high-intensity training and choosing to specialize in a single sport before high school. However, a growing body of literature suggests that this approach places children and adolescents at increased risk for physical and mental harm, and does not confer the desired benefit in the development of sport-specific skills. This article reviews concerns associated with early sport specialization, outlines principles of developmentally appropriate physical activity and athletic development, and provides practical guidance and resources to assist clinicians in counseling young athletes and their families.

Functional and Morphological Adaptations in the Heart of Children Aged 12–14 Years following Two Different Endurance Training Protocols

“…One of the biggest enigmas in endurance training is the reason young athletes do not have the development that their performance at an early age predisposes. It is very common that young endurance athletes achieve outstanding performances and later reach a performance plateau, which results in their discontinuation of participation in the sport (burn out-drop out) [ 44 , 45 ]. A reasonable assumption is that in cases of high-training loads at an early age, the heart grows concentrically with an excessive increase in PWTLV, which is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in LVEDd and LVEDV, thus resulting in structural limitations at an older age.…”

Raising the Young Athlete: Training and Injury Prevention Strategies

“…Contrary to early sport specialization, early diversification allows young athletes to develop the foundations of athleticism by acquiring fundamental skills such as agility, balance, and coordination. 34,35 Engagement in a secondary sport allows young athletes a break from the repetitive movements of their main sport (jumping, hitting, or throwing activities), which limits the risk of overuse injury and allows for diversification of motor skills, 36 improved decision making, and protection against individual sport burnout. 37 Long-term, "early diversifiers" can expect similar outcomes in elite athletics and scholarship opportunities compared to their "early specializer" counterparts.…”

Early Sport Specialization Impact on Rates of Injury in Collegiate and Professional Sport Participation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the number of adolescent athletes in the United States (U.S.) grew by nearly one million over the last decade, reaching to approximately 7.8 million adolescent athletes [1]. For many of these young athletes, there is pressure from their peers, parents, and coaches to focus on one sport [2][3][4][5]. This sport participation pattern is commonly referred to as early sports specialization (ESS) in the literature [6,7], which is defined as year-round single-sport participation at the exclusion of other sports from a young age [8,9].…”

“…The increasing pressure on adolescent athletes for ESS in the U.S. is fueled in part by the popular belief that ESS leads to increased success with scholarship attainment at collegiate level, reaching elite athletic status (e.g., national team), receiving endorsement and sponsorships, or signing professional sports contracts [2][3][4][5]. However, there is evidence that suggests this may not be the case [13,14], and the potential negative consequences of ESS including increased risk of injury outweigh the benefits [15].…”