The Value of Letting Children Play Multiple Sports
by Melinda Burris
There is an ongoing debate in the sports community: If your child shows athletic prowess, is it better to go with specialization training or encourage your kids to take part in a variety of sports? This article discusses the two approaches and the pros and cons of each. What we found may surprise you!
What specialization training actually means is even contested. A research study published in Sports Health describes it as “intense, year-round training in a single sport with the exclusion of other sports.” The publication further defines it as a situation “where a highly specialized athlete may be able to (1) choose a main sport, (2) participate for greater than 8 months per year in 1 main sport, and (3) quit all other sports to focus on 1 sport.”1 There are three different levels of specialization, low, moderate, and high depending on the number of criteria listed above that apply to the child.1
Proponents of specialization training contend that to hold their own with the world’s elite athletes, it is vital to have the child be super focused on one particular sport so they can make it in the ultra-competitive world of professional athletics. These parents may be surprised to learn that leading coaches, recruiters, and other sports experts assert athletes who play multiple sports in childhood are not only better-rounded people, but they are also superior athletes. The experts also argue that a multiple sport approach improves the child’s chances of achieving success in their preferred sport.1
Yet, it has been noted that specialization in youth sports continues to climb in the United States. One explanation offered for this is parents and their children looking to earn an athletic scholarship to attend college without going into crippling debt due to education loans.2 While the soaring costs of higher education make this desire understandable, the question arises: Is choosing specialization putting your child at higher risk of repetitive use injuries and burnout?
Specializing obviously gives young athletes the opportunity to devote all their attention to mastering the skills required in their sport of choice, but studies show it does have significant downsides. Youths who play just one sport and continue playing after the season is over do have a higher number of injuries from the constant repetition of doing the same movements.2 They are also prone to muscle imbalances. Many kids grow bored playing one sport and end up quitting.3 What’s more, many top athletes including Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky played multiple sports when they were growing up.
“I played everything. I played lacrosse, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that in the winter you played hockey and when the season was over, you hung up your skates and you played something else.” ~Wayne Gretzky
Proponents of the multi-sport approach contend that athletes who participate in a wide range of sports have greater overall athleticism, are more skilled, and show more creativity. Because they must master a wider range of skills to adapt to the challenges each sport presents, the result is a player who is adept at many things and more agile as well.3 The argument is made that it is better for the child psychologically as well as physically to take part in different activities.3 By switching gears and turning their focus to another sport, the young athlete maintains their conditioning. Taking a break from their primary sport can also preserve the individual’s love of the game, as opposed to burning out from the constant physical and mental stress to perfect one game at such a young age.
What Do the Experts Say?
In 2015, The International Olympic Committee weighed in on this controversial topic when they released their Consensus Statement on Youth Athletic Development. The statement urged the adoption of evidence-based best practices and a timely, helpful response to the needs and perspective of the individual athlete.
This section speaks directly to the specialization versus multi-sports debate, “Commit to the psychological development of resilient and adaptable athletes characterized by mental capability and robustness, high self-regulation, and enduring personal excellence qualities—that is, upholding the ideals of Olympism… Encourage children to participate in a variety of different unstructured (ie, deliberate play) and structured age-appropriate sport-related activities and settings, to develop a wide range of athletic and social skills and attributes that will encourage sustained sport participation and enjoyment.”3 This is a profound statement that unquestionably supports giving young athletes the opportunity to try not only a mix of team or regulated sports but also to engage in creative play. The statement’s emphasis on protecting the enjoyment young athletes find in sports and meeting individual needs to avoid burnout sends a clear message: The IOC believes the best, most resilient, and happiest athletes are those who are exposed to a variety of play and athletics.
Summary
The consensus from coaches, recruiters, the IOC, and other sports experts is that a multi-sport approach teaches kids how to cope with adversity. The star basketball player may struggle in soccer, and this can be an important lesson in humility and how to be a better team player. The experts also agree that cross-training improves physical health and well-being and serves to teach adaptability and increased mental focus.2,4
If you listen to most great players, they express a genuine love of the game and a desire to compete with themselves to continue improving even after they have achieved major success and even superstar status. So, let’s preserve the love of the game, whatever it may be, so the youth athlete is eager for each new season to begin!
References:
- com. (n.d.). The Benefits of Playing Multiple Sports.
- Kautz, J. (25 March 2022). To Raise a Better Athlete, Don’t Specialize.
- Wood, J. (27 January 2021). The Multi-Sport Athlete: Why the Majority of Elite Athletes Make it to the Top of Their Sport.
- SportsCamps.org (n.d.). The Benefits of Being a Multisport Athlete.
