APPLETON (NBC 26) — It’s one of the hottest topics in youth sports: specialization. Athletes who focus on one sport versus athletes who practice multiple sports.
There are advantages.
“They will obviously have skill development and a competitive advantage,” said Chris Weister, director of fitness at Blaze Sports and Fitness in Appleton. “And there is also this: they are passionate about something. So when they get into it, there’s a sense of pleasure.”
And there are disadvantages.
“Maybe they may be a little less rounded as athletes because they haven’t been exposed to other sports,” Weister said. “And then there’s burnout. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Weister coaches young athletes on both sides of the debate. She said sports specialization is a “hot topic” among these athletes and their parents.
Dr. Ryan Ziegler, an orthopedic surgeon at OSMS, said he has seen an increase in sports specialization in recent years.
He said that from a medical perspective, playing just one sport carries risks, especially for athletes under the age of 12.
“Repetitive weight-bearing activities and intense training can lead to overuse injuries at an accelerated rate,” Dr. Ziegler said. “(It) could ultimately lead to reduced efficiency.”
Dr. Zeigler says specializing in one sport year-round means athletes employ the same body parts over and over again.
“We generally see more knee problems in basketball players,” he said. “Basketball players have a higher incidence of elbow and shoulder problems.”
Both Weister and Dr. Ziegler said that if an athlete is truly specializing, it is vital to take a break. They believe that rest can have both physical and mental benefits.
“If it goes on for more than eight months of the year, it puts excess strain on the muscles and joints and increases the risk of injury,” Weister said. “That’s why we recommend taking time off.”
“For example, a month’s leave periodically throughout the year, gradually, or one or two rest days a week,” Dr. Ziegler said. “The benefits can even come from just rest and the little bit of mental rest it provides.”
During a presentation at Blaze Sports and Fitness, Dr. Ziegler listed the advantages of specialization:
- Accelerated sports-specific improvement.
- Increased performance compared to peers.
- Routine: same techniques, equipment, locations.
- Routine: friends, relationships.
He mentioned the disadvantages of specialization:
- Greater susceptibility to injuries.
- Early specialization is one of the strongest predictors of injury.
- Specialized youth athletes are at 70% greater risk compared to multi-sport athletes.
- 50% of injuries treated by pediatric sports medicine are overuse injuries.
- Failure to develop alternative neuromuscular skills.
- Lack of recovery from repetitive activities.
- Mental burnout.
To get a broader perspective, NBC 26 spoke with two of the top high school athletes in the area.
Xzavion Mitchell of Oshkosh North said that in seventh grade, his family encouraged him to focus on basketball.
“They saw something about basketball and my journey into basketball and said, OK, I think it’s time for you to focus on one sport,” Mitchell added. “And I agreed because I was much better at basketball than at any other sport.”
Mitchell focused on basketball throughout the year, playing in some countries on the AAU circuit.
In the spring it paid off. He committed to play college football at Big 12 powerhouse Iowa.
“Playing other sports, I don’t think I would have been in this situation and had this opportunity,” Mitchell said.
“I just felt that focusing on one sport would benefit me the most, and that’s what I did,” he added. “And of course, I am where I am now.”
Last month, Neenah’s Grant Dean committed to play college football at Wisconsin.
Dean is a three-sport athlete: a two-way star on the football field, a sixth-place finisher on the Neenah state basketball team, and a state track and field champion in the 4×400-meter relay.
“I always played a lot of sports when I was younger,” Dean said. “I remember one time I played football and soccer in the same season.”
“I think I was always encouraged to do more sports,” he added. “(My parents) always wanted me to be more active.”
Dean said he believes playing multiple sports played a key role in his development both on and off the field.
“I think it helped me not only in sports,” he said. “I think it helped me in the classroom and just in life. I take responsibility for getting up every morning and working hard at what I do. I think it goes much further than sports.
Experts say communication is key.
“I think the most important thing is that we try to open up communication between the athlete and the parents,” Weister said. “I know that parents always want the best for their children. But sometimes just following their directions (can help).
“So if they seem overworked, tired or need a day off, it’s OK if they leave,” she added.
“If you reach a point between the ages of 12 and 16 where your activities become more intense and focused on one sport, just make sure you get enough rest and recovery,” Dr. Ziegler added.
While it’s ultimately up to each family to decide what’s best for them, Dr. Ziegler said he medically advises against specialization, especially for athletes under the age of 12.
