Sports Specialization Essay

Specialization in Sports at a Young Age Kids should not specialize in one single sport. Kids should play multiple sports till around age 12 or 13. This is because there are many health risks of overspecialization, the emphasis about winning at a younger age can bring out the worst in people, and the skills learned playing multiple sports and not just one can help in the sport you are passionate about when you get older. Sports Specialization is intense training in one sport wile excluding others. Specialization at a young age has become more and more common today. Parents and Coaches play a big part in making their kids specialize. Parents want the best for their kids and many of them think that more is better. but is that really the case? Parents often think that the more intense the game is, the more teams the play on, or the more practice they get in while young will help their kid make the highest team in high school or the travel team. Studies have shown that specialization before puperty is not necessary to achieve elite success.(Baker) This is because the kids bodies are not fully developed and will change and grow as they go through puberty. Though out puberty kids will have to change the way they train and
Kids as young as 8 or 9 years old are being primed for the pros. As these kids get older training intensifies and then injuries rooted in repetitive motion or over used bodies are on the rise and putting them at risk for long-term problems as they grow older. (Gonzalez) Today many kids and parents are only worrying about college scholarships and their kids making it to the pros as soon these kids are learning to throw a football or kick a soccer ball. When what they should be worrying about is if their child is having fun. “There could be many more star athletes, but many of them got injured, burnt out or plain old genetics are washed up or passed by before their 18th birthday.”