article The Inherent Risk of Sport Specialization

A growing concern in the high school community, an issue that is seldom discussed, is the increasing number of injuries caused when a teenage boy or girl participates in the same sport all year long. It’s called “sports specialization,” and oftentimes results in serious injury to muscles, joints, ligaments and bones.

It can ruin promising careers, cost families tens of thousands of dollars, and literally change lives.

As the enclosed op-ed piece points out, there is a solution that’s easy and inexpensive. Teenage athletes are encouraged to participate in multiple sports in high school instead of just one. And as many professionals would attest, it’s a process that can actually help them become more adept at their primary sport.

This is a story that needs to be told as there are dozens, if not hundreds, of young athletes in your community who are at risk because of intense year-round training programs their bodies are not mature enough to handle.

Re-published by request from the KHSAA.

By Bob Gardner, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Julian Tackett, Commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

One of the responsibilities that parents take most seriously is protecting their children from injury, whether it is buckling seat belts in a car or wearing a helmet while riding a bike. And when their kids become teenagers and want to participate in sports or other activities, parents do everything they can to keep their sons and daughters from getting hurt.

But not all injuries are caused by a twist, fall, collision or accident. Many are caused when young athletes repeat the same athletic activity so often that muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones don’t have time to recover—especially among middle school and high school students. These injuries can end promising careers, cost families tens of thousands of dollars, squash dreams and literally change lives.

Examples include elbow and arm injuries to teenagers who play baseball or softball all year long, shoulder injuries to year-round swimmers, wrist and elbow injuries to gymnasts, and stress fractures to soccer players.

The culprit, most often, is what’s commonly known as “sport specialization,” the process of playing the same sport all year long with the goal of either gaining a competitive edge or earning a college scholarship. It involves intense, year-round training in a single sport.

Research shows that sports specialization is putting teenage athletes at risk. According to a study commissioned by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin, high school athletes who specialize in a single sport are 70 percent more likely to suffer an injury during their playing season than those who play multiple sports.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says much the same. It reports that “overuse injuries” (injuries caused when an athletic activity is repeated so often that parts of the body do not have enough time to heal) are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries to middle school and high school students.

There is a solution. Young athletes should be encouraged to play multiple sports.

When student-athletes cross-train, they work different muscle groups and joints which, in fact, results in better overall conditioning. They also develop a new set of athletic skills like hand-eye coordination, balance, endurance, explosion and agility that are transferable to their primary sport. It’s no coincidence that 30 of the 32 first-round picks in the 2017 National Football League draft played multiple sports in high school.

Parents can play a key role in preventing these overuse injuries by encouraging their kids to play multiple sports rather than pushing them to specialize in one sport. They will have more fun, will be less likely to suffer burnout and will actually become better athletes.

5/1/18 – The Inherent Risk of Sport Specialization | Kentucky High School Athletic Association

Beyond the potential for injury you only get a chance to play all those organized sports once.

When you are in high school I think you should soak up as much as possible.

I most definitely agree with the article. Look at ACL injuries for year round soccer players. I have been told part of the reason is over development of some muscles vs underdevelopment of others causing a mismatch. My son is going to try three sports as a freshman. I am not sure how long it will last due to his aspirations to play in college in his favorite, but he wants to try. It would not be an option at some schools where each sport is filled with "specialists" so he is lucky. We actually went one step farther with my daughter and completely shut her down for 6 weeks last summer from club/school sports. Her body needed a rest from five day a week practices playing two club sports. She came back rested and better than ever. The problem is more people need to say no to the rat race that is youth sports currently.

I most definitely agree with the article. Look at ACL injuries for year round soccer players. I have been told part of the reason is over development of some muscles vs underdevelopment of others causing a mismatch. My son is going to try three sports as a freshman. I am not sure how long it will last due to his aspirations to play in college in his favorite, but he wants to try. It would not be an option at some schools where each sport is filled with "specialists" so he is lucky. We actually went one step farther with my daughter and completely shut her down for 6 weeks last summer from club/school sports. Her body needed a rest from five day a week practices playing two club sports. She came back rested and better than ever. The problem is more people need to say no to the rat race that is youth sports currently.

Proper training can avoid a lot of those issues though, so that you develop other muscles and such to prevent those kind of injuries.

Thats the bigger issue IMO. Parents and kids dont know how to specialize in a single sport. You have to have rest time periodically, you have to do different training for other muscles and such. In other words, it not that they are specializing, its how they are doing it.

I recall an article in the Enquirer years ago that said the same thing. A local orthopedic surgeon said they are seeing injuries in young people that they only used to see in athletes beyond high school. If memory serves me, I believe an example he gave was of Tommy John surgeries. His larger point was that the repeated use of the same muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments, in the same way year-round wears them out. He said this wasn't a problem when kids played a sport for a season and then concentrated on a different sport the next season because the different sports used the same muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. differently.

Does anyone disagree and think high school student-athletes should specialize in only one sport?

Does anyone disagree and think high school student-athletes should specialize in only one sport?

If they want too, I dont see an issue with it.

Interestingly enough, this stat showed up on Facebook yesterday (can't account for the validity of it). But, supposedly 29 of the 32 first round choices in the recent NFL draft all played multiple sports in high school.

Does anyone disagree and think high school student-athletes should specialize in only one sport?

While I don’t disagree, there’s really no hard fast rule. While the majority of kids really won’t benefit from specialization, there are some that do. And some kids really only have interest in playing one sport. My biggest complaint is when kids (or more accurately, parents) start thinking about specialization at a very young age. It’s really a conversation that shouldn’t even be discussed until high school. Neither of my boys specialized, and my youngest will still be playing a sport in college.

Interestingly enough, this stat showed up on Facebook yesterday (can't account for the validity of it). But, supposedly 29 of the 32 first round choices in the recent NFL draft all played multiple sports in high school.

This is kind of a chicken or egg argument. Did they become successful because they played multiple sports, or was it because they were just really great athletes who happened to enjoyed competing in more than one sport?

Interestingly enough, this stat showed up on Facebook yesterday (can't account for the validity of it). But, supposedly 29 of the 32 first round choices in the recent NFL draft all played multiple sports in high school.

Not to mention 1st round NFL Draft Choices are the elite of the elite of the elite meaning I am sure it was pretty easy for most of them to dominate in nearly anything they decided to dominate in high school.

While I don’t disagree, there’s really no hard fast rule. While the majority of kids really won’t benefit from specialization, there are some that do. And some kids really only have interest in playing one sport. My biggest complaint is when kids (or more accurately, parents) start thinking about specialization at a very young age. It’s really a conversation that shouldn’t even be discussed until high school. Neither of my boys specialized, and my youngest will still be playing a sport in college.

I know right.

Often times the larger issue here is parents with psychological disorders.

If they want too, I dont see an issue with it.

Generally speaking I don't see "an issue" either. Lots of kids are just playing to play and don't have the skill set to play more than one sport in high school.

I know certain football coaches that are against their athletes participating in spring sports, as they feel it takes away and conflicts with weightlifting/conditioning and spring practice. I personally am for a multi-sport athlete but feel that athletes that participate in sports like lacrosse, that is still a club sport and not yet sanctioned by the KHSAA, are sometimes given a ultimatum of choosing between football or lacrosse.

This is kind of a chicken or egg argument. Did they become successful because they played multiple sports, or was it because they were just really great athletes who happened to enjoyed competing in more than one sport?

My daughter is playing multiple sports in H.S. and it's a juggling act. But interesting enough her first scholarship offer (hopefully more to come) is in her "fun" sport. So now she's starting to take it a little more seriously.