Early specialization continues to be both a challenging and frustrating nemesis for parents, coaches, teachers, and the child. Early specialization may affect various components of health, including nutrition, maturation timing, bone health, muscle imbalances, psychological stress and career longevity. Those who do manage to “survive” early sports specialization and train rigorously from a young age may benefit from exceptional anatomical and psychological profiles. As coaches, practitioners, parents, etc., we must continue to read, educate, and understand the growing constraints of sport in order to deliver solutions that are sustainable and realistic over the long-term.
Although some degree of specialization is required during childhood/adolescence, the timing and amount of single-sport participation remains controversial. Highly-focused physical training and the accompanying levels of competition expose athletes to both physical and psychological stresses that are often excessive and unnecessary. In the short-term, a child may tolerate and even benefit from such a routine over their peers. However, the long-term implications can be devastating for an individual’s health and enjoyment of sport.
Issues associated with early specialization can manifest in several ways and can be acute (happen suddenly), or chronic (occur over time). Becoming a successful elite athlete is virtually impossible without performing close to one’s performance limit in both training and competition over extended periods of time. This can, however, place a large physical load on the body. One of the most common concerns presents itself in the form of overuse injuries, where training errors, technical errors, or the simple act of repetitive movements (e.g. passing a ball with a certain foot) can lead to imbalances or injuries. In high/secondary schools, overuse injuries account for 46-50% of all athletic injuries. Over time, these can become devastating for sports participation and can impact an athletes’ personal life, career, and comfort. An effective and safe method to reduce this injury risk can be achieved by allowing children to engage in youth strength training, where supervised and progressive practice can strengthen key muscles, bones, and tendons.
