Written by The Highlander movies and television shows were known for the saying, “There can be only one,” when it came to the titular character who was an immortal being and needed to defeat other immortals in combat in order to stay alive and maintain his immortality. Because of the rule about having to defeat his enemy by beheading, and the length of time he had been alive, the Highlander led a very solitary life with few friends. The same can be said when parents push for their children to specialize in one particular sport early in their lives.
Sports specialization has become more prevalent in recent years with parents focusing their children’s sports attention on one sport in particular based on their perception of the child’s strengths or affinity. While this can be a good way for the child to become much more proficient in a particular sport, it can also have some serious drawbacks. Oftentimes, parents may feel that because they could not achieve a high level of proficiency in a sport when they were younger, their child should have the “advantage” that they did not by focusing on one sport in particular. This is even seen with coaches of these teams who will demand that their players only play and practice that one sport, not wanting the child to go out and “cheat” on the primary sport with another one.
When it comes to the positives of sport specialization, obviously the players are going to become much better at the chosen sport than if they were playing multiple sports, especially if the parents and players are devoting upwards of eight months a year to that one sport. There is also the opportunity to get private instruction from coaches who may have high-level experience, along with the chance to compete in tournaments against teams they may not see while playing in recreational leagues. Specialization can also put the child on the radar of college and professional coaches and scouts who could be offering college scholarships or professional contracts to these players. By having a monogamous relationship with one sport, these players are going to develop skills and talents faster than if they were playing two or three sports throughout the year, which can easily put them ahead of other players their age.
The other side to this coin of sport specialization starts to really show the negative impact it can have on one-sport players. First of all, the probability of overuse injury drastically increases as young players are not exercising other aspects of their bodies that should be utilized to fully develop. Along with the higher probability of physical injury comes the emotional and mental stress and fatigue that comes with sport specialization since most of these players are having to travel often for games and tournaments. They are also having to deal with the stress of the higher expectations that they would not normally have to deal with until later in life. Their social skills can start taking a hit on top of this as the players become more isolated from friends at school due to practice and travel commitments. While they may play against a diverse set of opponents, they have less opportunity to develop their social skills as these are their rivals and may have less interaction with these other players. Specialization can place unreasonable expectations on the shoulders of these young athletes of success at the collegiate or professional level, which can be devastating to the player if something happens that prevents them from reaching that level. Lastly, there is a high chance the athlete may become disenchanted or burned out with the sport and see it as a chore more than something to enjoy and have fun with. This can deter them from continuing to play because they have lost the fun that should come from playing sports.
The International Olympic Committee, in a consensus statement related to youth athletic development, stated, “Children who participate in a variety of sports and specialise (sic) only after reaching the age of puberty, for example, tend to be more consistent performers, have fewer injuries and adhere to sports play longer than those who specialise (sic) early.” Even former baseball star Kevin Youkilis has weighed in on the subject of travel baseball and sports specialization by saying, “The thing at the youth level to me is pretty simple: We’re not keeping it local. Everyone’s trying to keep up with the Joneses. They think if their kid plays on four different travel ball teams, that’s their best chance to make it to the major leagues. We have to make sports fun for kids … We need to make it more affordable to for these young players to go out there and play. We have to find all the resources possible to make it fun for kids to become a Division I college baseball player, or being a professional baseball player, and so much pressure put on parents.” Youkilis went on to say that without players enjoying the sport they’re playing, if they are not having fun, they are not going to be playing at the highest levels. He stated that he had seen incredibly talented players in baseball’s minor leagues burn out and not make it to the majors because they no longer loved the game.
How can we prevent burnout, keep kids loving the sports they play, and lessen the chances of injury? The easy answer is to delay specialization. Allow kids to be kids and play multiple sports. Not only will this make burnout less likely, but it can actually benefit them in the long run. There are college coaches who will actively look for multi-sport athletes when they are recruiting for their teams to make sure athletes are well-rounded, and have a broader skillset. Parents can actively encourage their youth athletes to take time one to two days off per week, at least, to allow them to recover both physically and psychologically. They need to have the time to play with their friends, develop other interests, and continue to pursue their education. Parents should also direct their young athletes to focus on fun and skill development like sportsmanship and growing as a person instead of focusing on winning all the time.
While it worked great to be the only one in the Highlander series, being a one-sport athlete may not be the best way to go for younger athletes. Consider the financial, psychological, and physical impact sport specialization can have on your child before pushing for them to focus on one sport, especially at an early age. Lastly, parents should look at the culture they are developing in their house when it comes to pushing for their child to be one-sport athletes. Is it a personal thing for the parent, or is there another reason for it? Encourage them to play, but encourage them to have fun more and you allow them the opportunity to enjoy playing for the right reasons.