We have always maintained the virtues of a well-rounded athletic program in youth sports. It is so important, especially for pre-high school children, to cross train and play multiple sports to develop their motor skills and athleticism. Now that the world of “early sport specialization” has been around awhile, studies are showing that concentrating in one sport is detrimental to a child’s physical – and emotional – development for a whole host of reasons. This article from Changing the Game Project speaks to the perils of the “early sports specialization madness.”
Excerpt: “According to all the expert evidence linked to above, evidence provided by actual specialists in sport science, medicine, and psychology, any organization that is allowing, encouraging or forcing a child to play a single sport prior to age 12, and is not actively developing that child in functional movement and all around athleticism, while also mandating rest and time off, is creating a dangerous situation for that child. They are taking huge risks with his or her health, well-being, and lifetime love of activity. End of story.”
American Academy of Pediatrics report about early specialization in youth sports, August 2016: https://www.camptakajo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/e20162148.full_.pdf