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Apr, 2017

The Perils of Single-Sport Participation

BY JOHN O'SULLIVAN / SUNDAY, 25 JANUARY 2015 / PUBLISHED IN MESSAGES FOR KIDS, PHYSICAL LITERACY, PROBLEMS IN YOUTH SPORTS, SPECIALIZATION

Research shows that early participation in multiple sports leads to better overall motor and athletic development, longer playing careers, increased ability to transfer sports skills to other sports and increased motivation, ownership of the sports experience, and confidence. Multi-sport participation at the youngest ages yields better decision making and pattern recognition, as well as increased creativity. A 2013 American Medical Society for Sports Medicine survey found that 88% of college athletes surveyed participated in more than one sport as a child.

[Some] sports are so dependent upon physical prowess (American football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and others) that the technical skills and tactical know how can be developed later. There are many stories of athletes taking up these sports in their teens, even 20’s, and playing at a very high level because of the ability to transfer skills learned in one sport to another.

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