Sports Specialization Essay
Sport specialization is the age or time in development of a child’s life where training and competition is focused and limited to one sport. There has been much debate and controversy whether specialization or diversification is the best way to achieve “elite” status. Many famous elite athletes who were specialized to one sport lend credible support to specialization. However, in the sports sciences community, there has been growing support for diversification. A consensus statement suggests that, “For most youth athletes, early specialization (before adolescence) is not recommended.” (American Academy of Pediatrics). With specialization there are some benefits. Children who focus on just one sport do not have to worry about transitioning
…show more content…
to another. They can spend all their time thinking about the single sport they are specialized in. With this focus comes a better understanding and mental focus of the game. In turn, a better understanding of the game bring “elite” status. The late, great Yogi Berra once said, “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.” (Berra). Unfortunately the negatives to children specializing in sports are far greater than the positives. A major concern is the risk of injury and re-injury. Children who specialize before adolescence have a higher risk of injury due to the excessive strain their pre-developed bodies endure. The constant strain on the same muscles over and over again can cause muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue can later turn into muscle tears. These muscle tears can keep the athlete from being one hundred percent for several months if they do not heal properly. If they continue to specialize those same muscles are prone for re-injury for the rest of the season or possibly career. Dr. Jayanthi did a research from 2010 to 2014 over 1,200 young athletes. In this study he found, “Athletes who are highly specialized in a single sport were 1.5 times more likely to develop injuries of any type compared with diversified athletes.” (Wall Street Journal) The study also showed that specialized athletes are two times more likely to encounter serious injuries than those who are diversified. Children who specialize may also encounter “burnout”. Burnout to sports psychologists is the, “physical/emotional exhaustion, sports devaluation, and reduced athletic accomplishment.” (Cox). Those who get burned out are more likely to drop out of sports all together. Of course children can get burned out from sports in other ways than specialization. However, all those other ways are more likely to be present when a child begins specializing. These ways can include the pressure to succeed. Sociologist Jay Coakley introduced the idea of competitive sports being controlling and leaving children with the feeling of disempowerment. There are more than just the physiology negatives with specialization. There are also the psychological negatives. A major psychological disadvantage, and probably the most important, is the lack of adversity. This lack of adversity can put young athletes into a bind when things do not go the right way on the court or field. How does specialization take adversity away from young athletes? Specialization creates a lack of experience in a variety of different circumstances. A child athlete may become frustrated easier with teammates because he/she is the “top dog” of the team. If the child were to play multiple sports, there is a greater chance he/she will not be the top dog on all the teams. This could lead the athlete to be a better teammate and in turn give one a better work ethic. Greater work ethic will lead to becoming a better athlete, player, and teammate in their desired sport. It may also lead to a better chance at athletic scholarships. After all, most college coaches prefer athletes to be diversified. When athletes get a letter from a college about sports, almost all of them ask what other sports the athlete plays. This is not so the coach can guess if the sport he/she is getting recruited for is their preferred sport. It is because the coach wants to know how diversified you are. The more diversified the athlete is, the better chance he/she have at a scholarship. Coaches see the diverseness as room for improvement, and the athlete being a better investment. However, if you have stuck to just playing one sport most your life the coach may not take a chance that you have reached your plateau. (Coach St. John, SDSU)
There are many other ways to become an elite athlete without specializing in one particular sport.
These other ways are also much healthier. The easiest way is to play multiple sports. Playing multiple sports is a way for the muscles used in one sport to take a break, while also being able to strengthen other muscles not used as often. There are many sports that go best with each other when playing multiple sports. For example, ice hockey and field hockey. Yes, they are both forms of hockey. However, they require the different use of muscles. In ice hockey athletes are constantly putting wear and tear on their feet and ankles from skating. When switched over to field hockey in the late spring and summer it gives those joints and muscles a break to heal. Athletes are also given a break from all the contact involved in ice hockey. Even though ice hockey is a faster paced game, both games are similar in the way players move about the field. In both sports, “… you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful.” (Gretzky). This keeps the athletes brain trained through the whole year and will take far less time to get back into midseason form when the ice hockey season starts …show more content…
again.
A way to specialize and cut a great amount of risks from specialization is taking a break. Sports physicians are now recommending that a young athlete should take one month off for every six months of training. This will give the child time to relax and recover, as well as make the chances of burnout lower. This month off does not mean they should become a couch potato and just sit around the house for a month. They can still do small workouts to stay in shape, such as cardio and core work. Physicians do not recommend the lifting of heavy weights if the athlete has not yet reached adolescence. This is due to the possibility of growth stunts from the amount of weight being putting on the body. They can do very low weight dumbbell work such as curls, rows, and tricep extensions. If these new exercises seem to hard just remember what Muhammad Ali said about training, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion.” (Ali).
Training other muscles while playing a single sport is also very healthy for the young athletes. Many do not realize injuries from specialization occur because something other than the injured part is weak. For instance someone who tears ligaments in their knees might not be getting injured because they just have weak knees. This injury can also because of a weakness in their hip muscles and/or their core being weak. Doing exercises to strengthen multiple muscles that are not worked during the one sport the athlete is playing can help prevent injury.
There has been much stipulation over when specialization is okay. Some physicians believe athletes should not specialize until college age. Others believe it is safe to start after the athlete hits puberty. Both sides agree the safest is to wait until college; the real argument is if it is safe before then. When looking at the physical aspect, the most arguable problem is the athlete is still growing. Physicians see the continuous strain and stress being put on the body as a threat to the development of the athlete. The athlete could experience stunted growth, nagging injuries, and even repetitions of serious injuries. Dr. Neeru Jayanthi from Loyola University did a study over how specialization can cause injuries. If parents knew what he discovered they would put a stop to specialization immediately. He discovered athletes who specialize in a single sport are, “70% to 90% more likely to be injured than those who play multiple sports.” (Jayanthi)
According to the “Changing the Game Project” website many parents who are told the science of why specializing is not safe respond with, “That’s not possible. If my child does not specialize early she will be left out, not make the travel or high school team, and have no chance of playing in college. You live in a fantasy world.” (Changing the Game Project). However, there are more problems with specializing than just the physical aspect. Many of the parents who push their kids to specialize do not always look at the mental side of things either. Stress can play a major part in a child’s life, especially a young athlete’s life. Specializing can bring great amounts of stress into an athlete’s life. Most of the stress comes from the pressure to succeed. Young athletes who are specialized can begin to feel as if them not succeeding is letting everyone around them down. They may also start to believe if they do not succeed in sports, they will be a failure in life as well. A lot of pressure is being put on young athletes nowadays, specialization is just adding to that pressure.
There are some disadvantages in sports if specialization does not begin until college.
These disadvantages are mostly performance disadvantages. The athlete will most likely be as good as most of the other athletes at that level. He/she may not have the expertise his/her teammates have, as well as competitors. However, he/she made it to the college level because they are considered great at their desired sport. They may start behind their teammates and competitors, but that does not mean they can not learn and work hard to become better than the rest. Tim Duncan, who is considered one of the best players of the 2000’s in the NBA, started out swimming from a young age. He did not start playing basketball until the ninth grade. He started way behind his teammates and competitors. Now look at where he is at, an almost guaranteed spot in the NBA Hall of Fame. Duncan lived by these words, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”
(Duncan)
Although many believe specialization is a great choice, these people are wrong. Specialization can lead to physical and mental burnout, as well as injury. These injuries can be prolonged due to the over use in these young athletes. For those who are focused on getting into college, coaches and scouts prefer to see that the athlete is diversified in sports. In most cases, those who choose specialization at an early age are not given an advantage on those who choose diversification.
to another. They can spend all their time thinking about the single sport they are specialized in. With this focus comes a better understanding and mental focus of the game. In turn, a better understanding of the game bring “elite” status. The late, great Yogi Berra once said, “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.” (Berra). Unfortunately the negatives to children specializing in sports are far greater than the positives. A major concern is the risk of injury and re-injury. Children who specialize before adolescence have a higher risk of injury due to the excessive strain their pre-developed bodies endure. The constant strain on the same muscles over and over again can cause muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue can later turn into muscle tears. These muscle tears can keep the athlete from being one hundred percent for several months if they do not heal properly. If they continue to specialize those same muscles are prone for re-injury for the rest of the season or possibly career. Dr. Jayanthi did a research from 2010 to 2014 over 1,200 young athletes. In this study he found, “Athletes who are highly specialized in a single sport were 1.5 times more likely to develop injuries of any type compared with diversified athletes.” (Wall Street Journal) The study also showed that specialized athletes are two times more likely to encounter serious injuries than those who are diversified. Children who specialize may also encounter “burnout”. Burnout to sports psychologists is the, “physical/emotional exhaustion, sports devaluation, and reduced athletic accomplishment.” (Cox). Those who get burned out are more likely to drop out of sports all together. Of course children can get burned out from sports in other ways than specialization. However, all those other ways are more likely to be present when a child begins specializing. These ways can include the pressure to succeed. Sociologist Jay Coakley introduced the idea of competitive sports being controlling and leaving children with the feeling of disempowerment. There are more than just the physiology negatives with specialization. There are also the psychological negatives. A major psychological disadvantage, and probably the most important, is the lack of adversity. This lack of adversity can put young athletes into a bind when things do not go the right way on the court or field. How does specialization take adversity away from young athletes? Specialization creates a lack of experience in a variety of different circumstances. A child athlete may become frustrated easier with teammates because he/she is the “top dog” of the team. If the child were to play multiple sports, there is a greater chance he/she will not be the top dog on all the teams. This could lead the athlete to be a better teammate and in turn give one a better work ethic. Greater work ethic will lead to becoming a better athlete, player, and teammate in their desired sport. It may also lead to a better chance at athletic scholarships. After all, most college coaches prefer athletes to be diversified. When athletes get a letter from a college about sports, almost all of them ask what other sports the athlete plays. This is not so the coach can guess if the sport he/she is getting recruited for is their preferred sport. It is because the coach wants to know how diversified you are. The more diversified the athlete is, the better chance he/she have at a scholarship. Coaches see the diverseness as room for improvement, and the athlete being a better investment. However, if you have stuck to just playing one sport most your life the coach may not take a chance that you have reached your plateau. (Coach St. John, SDSU)
There are many other ways to become an elite athlete without specializing in one particular sport.
These other ways are also much healthier. The easiest way is to play multiple sports. Playing multiple sports is a way for the muscles used in one sport to take a break, while also being able to strengthen other muscles not used as often. There are many sports that go best with each other when playing multiple sports. For example, ice hockey and field hockey. Yes, they are both forms of hockey. However, they require the different use of muscles. In ice hockey athletes are constantly putting wear and tear on their feet and ankles from skating. When switched over to field hockey in the late spring and summer it gives those joints and muscles a break to heal. Athletes are also given a break from all the contact involved in ice hockey. Even though ice hockey is a faster paced game, both games are similar in the way players move about the field. In both sports, “… you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful.” (Gretzky). This keeps the athletes brain trained through the whole year and will take far less time to get back into midseason form when the ice hockey season starts …show more content…
again.
A way to specialize and cut a great amount of risks from specialization is taking a break. Sports physicians are now recommending that a young athlete should take one month off for every six months of training. This will give the child time to relax and recover, as well as make the chances of burnout lower. This month off does not mean they should become a couch potato and just sit around the house for a month. They can still do small workouts to stay in shape, such as cardio and core work. Physicians do not recommend the lifting of heavy weights if the athlete has not yet reached adolescence. This is due to the possibility of growth stunts from the amount of weight being putting on the body. They can do very low weight dumbbell work such as curls, rows, and tricep extensions. If these new exercises seem to hard just remember what Muhammad Ali said about training, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion.” (Ali).
Training other muscles while playing a single sport is also very healthy for the young athletes. Many do not realize injuries from specialization occur because something other than the injured part is weak. For instance someone who tears ligaments in their knees might not be getting injured because they just have weak knees. This injury can also because of a weakness in their hip muscles and/or their core being weak. Doing exercises to strengthen multiple muscles that are not worked during the one sport the athlete is playing can help prevent injury.
There has been much stipulation over when specialization is okay. Some physicians believe athletes should not specialize until college age. Others believe it is safe to start after the athlete hits puberty. Both sides agree the safest is to wait until college; the real argument is if it is safe before then. When looking at the physical aspect, the most arguable problem is the athlete is still growing. Physicians see the continuous strain and stress being put on the body as a threat to the development of the athlete. The athlete could experience stunted growth, nagging injuries, and even repetitions of serious injuries. Dr. Neeru Jayanthi from Loyola University did a study over how specialization can cause injuries. If parents knew what he discovered they would put a stop to specialization immediately. He discovered athletes who specialize in a single sport are, “70% to 90% more likely to be injured than those who play multiple sports.” (Jayanthi)
According to the “Changing the Game Project” website many parents who are told the science of why specializing is not safe respond with, “That’s not possible. If my child does not specialize early she will be left out, not make the travel or high school team, and have no chance of playing in college. You live in a fantasy world.” (Changing the Game Project). However, there are more problems with specializing than just the physical aspect. Many of the parents who push their kids to specialize do not always look at the mental side of things either. Stress can play a major part in a child’s life, especially a young athlete’s life. Specializing can bring great amounts of stress into an athlete’s life. Most of the stress comes from the pressure to succeed. Young athletes who are specialized can begin to feel as if them not succeeding is letting everyone around them down. They may also start to believe if they do not succeed in sports, they will be a failure in life as well. A lot of pressure is being put on young athletes nowadays, specialization is just adding to that pressure.
There are some disadvantages in sports if specialization does not begin until college.
These disadvantages are mostly performance disadvantages. The athlete will most likely be as good as most of the other athletes at that level. He/she may not have the expertise his/her teammates have, as well as competitors. However, he/she made it to the college level because they are considered great at their desired sport. They may start behind their teammates and competitors, but that does not mean they can not learn and work hard to become better than the rest. Tim Duncan, who is considered one of the best players of the 2000’s in the NBA, started out swimming from a young age. He did not start playing basketball until the ninth grade. He started way behind his teammates and competitors. Now look at where he is at, an almost guaranteed spot in the NBA Hall of Fame. Duncan lived by these words, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”
(Duncan)
Although many believe specialization is a great choice, these people are wrong. Specialization can lead to physical and mental burnout, as well as injury. These injuries can be prolonged due to the over use in these young athletes. For those who are focused on getting into college, coaches and scouts prefer to see that the athlete is diversified in sports. In most cases, those who choose specialization at an early age are not given an advantage on those who choose diversification.