It has become quite common for a child to specialize in one sport at an early age. The thought process is that the more repetition and experience someone can get at one sport, the better the athlete will be. This logic seems to make a lot of sense–especially now, when AAU teams are playing year round, athletes and their parents feel as if they will be left behind if they do not participate in a sport this way.
The truth is that athletes are more likely to obtain injuries when they commit to playing one sport, year round, at a young age. According to the Department of Sports Medicine at Loyola University of Chicago, fifty percent of all Middle and High School injuries are due to specializing in one sport. Athletes can decrease their injury rate and improve their athleticism dramatically, when they play multiple sports.
Playing one year-round sport, puts the same stresses on an athlete’s body, over a long period of time. The pitcher throwing baseballs, a tennis player’s swing, a golfer’s swing, the jumping and landing of a basketball player, etc. If there is no break, or working of the body in different movements, something will soon give.
We recommend playing multiple sports as long as possible, but are aware of the fact that athletes eventually need to specialize. When an athlete commits to playing one sport year-round, proper training will greatly reduce their chances of injury, while significantly improving performance. Call us now, and let us help you discover your potential!
Sincerely,
Donny Mateaki and the DM Athletics Team
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