Why is early Specialisation in sport Bad?

Why is early Specialisation in sport Bad?

Young bodies are vulnerable. Children and teens are still developing. They are more vulnerable to the stresses caused by too much sport and training which means they more at risk of injury and long-term damage.

At what age should kids 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.

What is the effect of early specialization?

Early specialization has shown to be not only physically difficult but also mentally difficult. Athletic burnout can be an unfortunate effect of early specialization in one sport. It can be defined as “physical and emotional exhaustion from the psychological and physiological demands of the athlete’s sport,” (8).

Why kids should not specialize in one sport?

Practicing and competing in one sport year-round can cause the body to wear down, and create overuse injuries and muscle imbalances. “It’s like going to the gym and doing the same exercise, the same lift every day until you get hurt. They’re not giving a chance for their body to develop and grow,” says Dr. Chhabra.

Why is specializing bad?

Concerns with Early Sports Specialization 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.

Why kids should specialize in sports?

Children participating in sports have opportunities to enhance self-esteem, improve self-discipline, socialize with peers and develop physical and mental skills. Being active from a young age helps kids stay healthy and sets the stage for them becoming active adults.

Is early sport specialization good?

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.

At what age should children specialize in a specific sport activity What are the dangers in specializing too soon?

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.

Is early Specialisation in sport good?

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

What happens when sports specialization occurs too early?

When sports specialization occurs too early, detrimental effects may occur, both physically and psychologically. If the timing is correct and sports specialization is performed under the correct conditions, the athlete may be successful in reaching specific goals.

Is it normal to have multiple sports in Middle School?

It is also less common now to have a multisport athlete in middle or high school, because the norm has become for young athletes to specialize in a single sport at younger ages. There is increased pressure to participate at a high level, to specialize in 1 sport early, and to play year-round, often on multiple teams.

What are the negative effects of early specialization?

Let’s leave this as saying that this kind of thinking drives the early specialization model. On the negative side, there is also evidence of higher attrition rates with early specialization, and also potential negative health outcomes.

How is specialization related to hours of practice?

In the paper, it has a rather clumsy definition, where it’s a hybrid of being defined as a focus on a specific sport, as well as being measured in hours of practice in that sport. In many cases, specialization and training volume will be related – the more you focus/specialize, the more time you have for that sport.