Youth sports could be hurting your children in ways you don’t realize.
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Recently, I have entered into the wild world of adolescent sports. When my son turned five, he started playing in a rec soccer league for fun.
It is understandable why so many parents want their children to specialize because the pressure is real.
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My wife and I were excited for him to learn to play with other kids, be part of team, and release some energy. However, we were shocked when we learned kids as young as six were starting to specialize in sports, try-out for travel leagues (yes some kids this young get cut), and even being recruited by other coaches.
All of this blew my mind because I didn’t remember sports being so intense when I was younger. As children, we played a number of different sports. As our bodies developed, we learned what sports we were good at and then trended toward that sport.
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It is understandable why so many parents want their children to specialize because the pressure is real. Sometimes, it almost feels like we are back in school because it similar to peer pressure. Parents feel like their children won’t be given a second look in high school if they don’t get them in travel leagues and specialize.
As a father, I wanted to make sure we were doing what was right for our children. So I started asking questions like: does it make sense for our children to specialize in sports so young? Should they “try-out” for travel leagues at such a young age? What are the consequences of playing the same sport all year round?
I concluded that it isn’t wise for young children to specialize in sports. Here are five reasons parents shouldn’t have their young children specialize in a single sport.
1. Too early to know
When I am watching youth sports, I see a number of athletic children playing. Sometimes it is difficult to think some of these kids are the same age as my children, but we are discussing six and seven year olds.
Just because a child excels at soccer or baseball at age seven, doesn’t mean that child will be a Division One athlete. Many times the smaller kids will grow, heavier kids may thin out, and bigger kids may not grow as fast.
It is too early for a child to specialize because their bodies will change dramatically between first grade and high school. This could impact the sports they play and is a great reason kids should play multiple sports.
To back this up further, a UCLA sports specialization study surveying 296 Division One male and female athletes found that 70% did not specialize in one sport until after the age 12.
2. Burn out
According to many experts, children who specialize too early are at a much greater risk to burnout due to stress and lack of enjoyment.
Many articles I read have indicated kids get burnt out playing the same sport from such a young age. It can start to feel like a job to them. When anything starts to feel like a job, it loses the fun.
As parents, we need to make sure our children enjoy what they are doing. There will be enough time in their lives to have a job.
3. Injuries
The data available overwhelmingly indicates children who specialize in sports are more prone to injuries.
Some of the travel leagues children participate in are year round. These growing, developing kids are training harder than some adults. They are using the same body parts over and over again, which puts a lot of stress on their underdeveloped joints, tendons, and bones. This can have a devastating impact on their bodies.
According to a study by Dr. Neeru Jayanthi of Loyola University, athletes in his study (1200) who specialized in a single sport were 70%-93% more likely to be injured than children who played multiple sports.
Instead of specializing at such a young age, let your children explore sports. There are plenty of options available and there is no reason any sport needs to be year round for an eight year old.
4. Cost
Supporting specialization in a sport can be expensive. In most cases, the cost is well over $1,000. Additionally, you need to factor in uniforms, shoes, camps, hotels, ect. These costs add up quickly and you may be paying well over $5,000 a year for your children.
Personally, I love sports. I play basketball regularly, run, and watch football all winter.
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As a family, you need to determine if that is the best use of the money. Would it make more sense to put that towards a college education? Maybe contribute more to a retirement account. Or maybe pay down bills.
5. Too much emphasis on sports
Personally, I love sports. I play basketball regularly, run, and watch football all winter. Although I enjoy sports, I don’t want my children to think sports are the only thing in the world that matters.
I want to expose my children to more than sports. I want them to understand entrepreneurship, be veracious readers, learn to volunteer, and discover their passion. If they are in one sport year round, this makes all of the other things very difficult.
Many parents will disagree with my thoughts on sports specialization. In some cases it does work. However, with my children I am trying to accomplish balanced childhoods, more meaning, and try multiple sports.
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Photo: Flickr/ The City Project