Is sports specialization good for young athletes?

Participating in multiple sports, at least until puberty, decreases the chances of injuries, stress, and burnout in young athletes. For most sports, specializing in a sport later (ie, late adolescence) may lead to a higher chance of the young athlete accomplishing his or her athletic goals.

Is early sport specialization safe for young athletes?

Results: For most sports, there is no evidence that intense training and specialization before puberty are necessary to achieve elite status. Risks of early sports specialization include higher rates of injury, increased psychological stress, and quitting sports at a young age.

What is early sport specialization?

ESS has been defined as intensive training or competition in organized sport by prepubescent children (<12 years of age) for more than 8 months per year, with focus on a single sport to the exclusion of other sport and free play.

What age should you specialize in a sport?

When Is It Appropriate and Safe to Specialize? Current evidence suggests that delaying sport specialization for the majority of sports until after puberty (late adolescence, ∼15 or 16 years of age) will minimize the risks and lead to a higher likelihood of athletic success.

Why early sport specialization is bad?

While early sport specialization can help with skill development, it can also be detrimental in developing overall athleticism. An increased amount of volume of one specific movement while the body is growing can lead to imbalanced development a higher chance of overuse injury.

Are multi sport athletes better?

It is proven that kids who participate in multiple sports become superior athletes. Participating in multiple sports can provide cross training that can improve certain physical skills as well as mental toughness.

Is sport specialization bad?

Why is early sport specialization bad?

Too many coaches and parents push them to focus on one sport long before high school in the belief that they will “miss out” if they don’t. Meanwhile, the research suggests that specializing too early probably prevents most kids from reaching their full potential in their sport.

Can you start playing soccer at 14?

You can start playing soccer at 14, If you’ve been playing other sports – your body has developed the fundamental coordination skills required. But you’ll need to put in the hard work to catch up. If the goal is to become a professional soccer player, then at 14 you’ll need to put in the hours on the training field.

What sport has the most attractive athletes?

Which Sport Has The Sexiest Athletes?

  • Ryan’s Top Four Sexiest Sports.
  • 1) Beach Volleyball: Duh.
  • 2) Soccer: I really like the shiny shorts, for some reason. And the toned legs that sport them.
  • 3) Swimmers: To paraphrase Justin Timberlake, sexy backs.

Who are multi-sport athletes?

A multi-sport athlete is an athlete who competes or trains two or more different sports. Most of these athletes played two or more sports from a young age – especially in high school – before deciding to usually concentrate on just one sport professionally.

What are the recommendations for youth sport specialization?

The statement includes the following recommendations, all aimed at address the health and well-being adolescent and young athletes: 1. Delay specializing in a single sport for as long as possible: Sport specialization is often described as participating and/or training for a single sport year-round.

Which is an example of early sport specialization?

For example, running and biking have a higher rate of cardiovascular transfer than between swimming and running. However, researchers examining early sport specialization participation trends in elite athletes have found that early specialization is not an essential component of elite athletic development (6).

What kind of sports do young people compete in?

Media coverage of national and international competition in sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, swimming, diving, and tennis has focused attention on a number of very talented but very young competitors. The successes of young athletes can serve as a powerful inducement for others to follow.

When to delay specialization in a single sport?

Delay specializing in a single sport for as long as possible: Sport specialization is often described as participating and/or training for a single sport year-round. Adolescent and young athletes should strive to participate, or sample, a variety of sports.