Don’t specialize in one sport — doctors orders?
July 7th, 2008 - byThat’s what the American Academy of Pediatrics is saying. According to Quad City Times columnist Eric Page:
The American Academy of Pediatrics says athletes should be discouraged from specialization in a single sport to avoid physical and psychological damage. The risks range from overuse injuries such as stress fractures to delayed menstruation, eating disorders, emotional stress and burnout.
You can read Page’s article here, but the gist of the article is this: Explore extra-curricular activities outside of just one specific sport year round.
My take? It’s a tricky subject, that’s for sure. Whenever I talk to parents, I always ask if their student-athlete plays in a summer league, or plays with a club, or goes to camps. These are items that show commitment and desire to improve to college coaches, so for serious student-athletes, participation in them can’t hurt as far as recruitung is concerned.
So one might say that I’m only adding to the “problem.” But here’s the thing – I also ask, “Does Jimmy Bob play any other sports?”
I’m all for dedication for a specific sport, but I’m also for sanity and common sense. Here’s the secret to knowing when enough is enough:
When your sport is no longer fun, it’s time to take a break.
By break, I don’t necessarily mean becoming a vegetable. A “break” can be a number of things — another sport, a play or musical, band, choir, a specialty club. While I don’t recommend doing this during your school team’s season if you’re looking to be recruited and get an athletic scholarship, if you’re not enjoying your sport, why are you wanting to play in college?
Take two tablets of common sense and call me in the morning.
