Whats up, doc?
My youngster is starting high school. He wants to try different sports, but I think he should concentrate on one only and become proficient in it. What do you think?
SPORT SPECIALIZATION AND RISK OF OVERUSE INJURIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS
by David H. Bell, PhD. ATC, et.al.
PEDIATRICS, Vol. 142, Nu. 3 Sept. 2018, pg. 84
The question of sports exposure specialization is on the mind of many parents. Many feel that the child who only participates in one sport on a 12 month/year schedule has a higher rate of turning his or her skills into a “cash cow”.
That may be true in some cases. But having spent 18 years as a high school sideline team doctor for football, basketball and volleyball for both girls and boys, it has become apparent that inherent talent always rises to the top.
This article shows “burnout” injuries that can be career-ending occur more frequently in specialized young athletes.
If your child wants to play several sports it would seem wise to allow him to do just that. Protect his young musculoskeletal system to develop before it is only used for one sport that may, because of repetition, damage the back, elbow, knee, etc. and keep the athlete from playing in advanced organized sports.
Don’t get in the vicious trap of living vicariously through your off spring. All that considered, don’t let your child be a victim of “overuse burnout”, either musculoskeletal or psychological.