JOHN DOHERTY: Sports specialization leaves athletes spent

In February, the organizations Journal of Athletic Training (JAT) was devoted entirely to the practice.

As the year went on, the publication continued to feature studies on the topic.

Then, with the year coming to a close and to coincide with its annual Youth Sports Specialization Week, the NATA hosted a virtual media briefing on October 23 to review emerging trends and the research that had been published.

According to the NATA, 60 million school-aged children formally play at least one sport annually.

Unfortunately, among that same group and those a little older up to age 24, there are 2.5 million sports-related injuries each year.

Those numbers are good business for emergency rooms and sports medicine clinics but they take a toll on insurance costs, family finances, and the overall health including mental health of the afflicted athlete.

In a press release provided after the media briefing, the NATA defined sports specialization as intentional and focused participation in a single sport for a majority of the year that restricts opportunities for engagement in other sports and activities.

Such a pursuit of one sport to the exclusion of all others is thought to enhance one's chances of earning a sports-related college scholarship, an Olympic medal, and/or a professional sports career.

Instead, the NATA warns, Sport specialization at an early age has been associated with an increased risk of burnout and injury.

Of those 2.5 million injuries referenced earlier, at least half that find their way to an emergency room are not from trauma but overuse.

The driving force behind all that overuse? The NATA blames specialization.

Individual rather than team sports such as figure skating, golf, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis have traditionally had the highest rate of early specialization.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Tennis found that 70% of elite 10-year-olds were specializing, meaning they play only tennis.

By age 18, the number was 95%.

Yet, specialization has become more and more common in team sports, too, with often unfortunate results.

The May issue of JAT included a study of basketball players at 12 high schools, comparing those who played the sport alone with those who played multiple sports.

The investigation found, Players who participated in basketball year-round were twice as likely to sustain an injury compared to those who did not play year-round.

Similarly, players who reported participating in basketball skills camps were at increased risk of injury compared to athletes who did not participate in basketball skills camps.

Basketball is not alone with specialization/overuse issues.

At the start of the World Series, MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark accused big league teams of blowing out pitchers day in and day out.

An AP story regarding Clarks comments reported, Over the past 10 years, the average fastball velocity has risen from 93.3 mph to 95.5 during the 2024 regular season ...

with 484 pitchers going on the injured list this year, nearly double the 2014 total.

However, the root of pitching injuries is buried deep in the youth and high school levels.

Dr.

Jim Andrews was the go-to orthopedic surgeon for major leaguers needing elbow reconstruction until he retired earlier this year.

Whenever he spoke to youth and high school baseball coaches, he would tell them that they may have never seen Tommy John surgery but the procedure had seen them.

Hoping to preserve the elbows and shoulders of pitchers before they get to the professional level, MLB offers the following recommendations by age (published in the February issue of JAT): Major League Baseballs Pitch Smart Policy Guidelines for Adolescent Pitchers Required Rest (pitches, n) AgeDaily Max (Pitches in Game, n)0 Days1 Day2 Days3 Days4 Days5 Days 785012021353650NANANA 9107512021353650516566+NA Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts 11128512021353650516566+NA 13149512021353650516566+NA 15169513031454660617576+NA 171810513031454660618081+NA 192212013031454660618081105106+ Abbreviation: NA, not applicable *** For basketball players making the transition this winter from middle to high school or, more specifically, from freshman to varsity, the temptation will be strong to forsake all other sports going forward.

Ditto for baseball players -- particularly pitchers -- at these levels this coming spring.

Whether they give in to the temptation or not, the NATA offers them the following guidelines to stay healthy: Delay specializing in a single sport for as long as possible.

One team at a time.

Less than eight months per year.

No more hours/week than age in years.

Two days of rest per week.

Rest and recovery time from organized sport participation.

One team at a time also means one sport at a time.

No more hours/week than age in years is a simple concept but seems entirely foreign to many parents and coaches.

Believe it or not, though, the NCAA has a similar rule, limiting collegiate athletes to 20 hours per week.

I would love to know how many high school teams take two days per week of rest.

At least in Indiana, they are guaranteed one day off with the no Sunday contact rule.

While conditioning is important, rest and recovery are every bit as much so.

When one season is over, switching to another sport is beneficial, giving heavily used body parts a break while also acquiring skills that translate well to all sports.

The time away from a preferred sport is, perhaps, even more beneficial to mental health, preventing burn-out and keeping the activity in perspective as a fun game and not a job..

This article has been shared from the original article on nwitimes, here is the link to the original article.