Early sport specialization vs. multi-sport for your child
This question is becoming more and more common in parenting, coaching, and education circles. Certainly all parents want their child to learn, grow, and enjoy safe sport.
Unfortunately, the rise in popularity and power of both the professional athlete and the business of professional sport presents a glamorous and attractive but unrealistic future for youth athletes.
Why choose early sport specialization?
Specialization in a single sport has traditionally been chosen by some parents as the best route to reach elite levels within Olympic and professional sport. Early sport specialization is when the child only participates in one sport, at a young age, often at the exclusion of other sports.
In some instances, specialization may be helpful due to the physical requirements of the sport and the flexibility of the child. Gymnastics, swimming, and figure skating come to mind. However, even in these few sports, coaches, trainers, and sport associations are now identifying the risk of early sport specialization and are questioning the advantages.
Guest post by Bob Duff
Bob Duff is a Canadian journalist and author who has covered sports for more than three decades. Through conversations with movers and shakers within the sports world, Duff has unearthed many opinions on the benefits of seasonal sport and, in the case of some elite professional athletes, how they believe participating in other sports has allowed them to excel in their chosen sport. Duff is a four-time Professional Hockey Writers’ Association Award winner. He’s also a four-time recipient of the Ontario Newspaper Award for sportswriting.
Multi sport: Another option for young athletes
An alternative to early sport specialization is seasonal, or multi-sport. Seasonal sports have a beginning and end date, typically not longer than eight months. Multi-sport participation suggests that the child participates in two or more sports in a calendar year, when affordable and practical for the family.
A growing number of subject matter experts in professional and Olympic sport, education, parenting, sport associations, and medical and mental health sectors are advocating for this model. Multi-sport is safer, more socially engaging, enjoyable, and memorable.
What are the benefits of multi-sport participation in youth sports?
Here are a few advantages of multi-sport for your consideration. Several thought leaders agree that parents, coaches, sport volunteers, and educators need to consider the larger, more holistic question of children’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
- Injury prevention: The rate of overuse injuries among children who specialize at a young age is far greater than those who experience a multitude of sports. Those who specialize in one sport are putting far too much stress on the same joints and muscles. In the development stage of their life, this can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Dr. Robert Litchfield of the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic has been witness to the alarming number of adolescent pitchers who are undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery due to overworking their pitching arms. “They’re just operating on these young kids non-stop,” Litchfield said. “And zero percent go on to play professionally.” For more about what you, as a parent, should know, read this: What parents should know about kids’ sports injuries
- High sporting IQ: Learning to play a number of sports helps with developing a variety of skills. Many of these skills will prove transferable to other sports and will actually make you a better player in sports beyond the one you’re currently playing. “Athletes play sports,” said Damian Warner, an Olympic gold medal winner in the decathlon. “They’re not people that just play one individual sport.” In fact, research shows that most players will demonstrate better performance after taking part in multisport as youth.
- Better sportsmanship: Learning more skills on the playing field also helps develop a child’s cognitive skills. Multi-sport participants tend to be more compassionate toward others and hold a better understanding of why some children will struggle to compete in some sports, because they’ve experienced a similar journey while learning to play a variety of pursuits. Coaches need to encourage multi-sport among the children playing for them. It’s a good idea to try different sports. “If we can change one coach’s behaviour, then we affect many children,” said Lorraine Lafreniere, CEO of the Coaching Association of Canada.
- Increased mental toughness: Every sport is different in the demands it places upon your body, the skills you must develop to play, and even in the rules you must learn to abide by while playing. “There’s more to the game than just showing up and picking up a racquet, kicking a ball, or shooting a basketball,” former CFL linebacker Frank Renaud said. “There’s a whole mental component to the game that’s hardly talked about.” The physical and mental flexibility required to play a number of sports helps to develop a more well-rounded mental resilience and better problem-solving skills in youngsters.
- Avoiding burnout: Too much of something, even if it’s something they truly enjoy, is not going to be good for a child. “You want your brain at 100 percent,” Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros said. “By not giving yourself that chance (to recharge), you’re at a deficit to start the next season.” Variety is the spice of life and youngsters should be taking advantage of all the opportunities that surround them. By specializing in one sport, chances are much greater they will tire of the pursuit and give it up at a younger age.
- Improved schooling: Research shows that versatile students are stronger students. The achievements they’re making on the playing field transfer into success in the classroom. “Sport specialization is associated with more stress, burnout, and dropout,” said Stephanie Cowle, director of knowledge translation for Parachute. Those who specialize are going to feel the weight of stress to succeed and by having all their eggs in one basket, it’s much easier for their entire life to suddenly shatter.
- More confidence: No one is going to be a star at every sport. By participating in a multitude of sports, kids are learning important life skills such as teamwork, cooperation and how to be a good teammate and be supportive of others. “The ones that tend to be successful tend to participate in multiple different sports,” said Dr. Leigh Vanderloo, scientific director for ParticipACTION Canada.
- Sport connects culture: By joining in a variety of team or individual sports both indoors and outdoors, children will be introduced to different cultural groups. In particular, new Canadians bring different sport norms and protocols with them which makes the entire youth sport experience richer for all.
You are the advocate for your child
As a parent, your job is to protect your child’s well-being and safety. Is that coach who wants your child to specialize in one sport 12 months a year suggesting it for their benefit or to simply try to increase the team’s chances of winning a few more games? “You need to be an advocate for your child,” emphasized Dr. Litchfield. “Multi-sport is the way to go.”
This is the message being relayed by the Give and Go Sport Education documentary. The objective of this film is to equip Canadian athletes, parents, educators, and sport leaders with a research-based tool to better understand and promote a healthy balance between sport and life. The film incorporates insights from amateur sport organizations, professional athletes, and national advocacy groups in order to emphasize the value of seasonal sport to growing children. Find out more about it here.
Sport specialization is being dangled in front of parents as the best route to turn their youngsters into the next Sidney Crosby or Christine Sinclair. In reality, barely one per cent of all youth sport participants will ever know what it’s like to play as a professional. Your child is going to be better served as an athlete and a person by sampling a variety of sporting experiences.
In the long run, seasonal, multi-sport participants tend to stay in sport longer as participants, officials, volunteers and administrators. And this helps to build and grow sports communities–for everyone.
