Twenty years ago, children across the country played multiple sports to stay in shape, make friends, but mostly, to stay active. If you were an athlete back then, you would go out daily and practice the "sport of the season" will your friends, such as: baseball in the spring; soccer in the fall; and basketball in the winter. Fast forward to now, where most athletes are still following this practice, however, more and more athletes are focusing on just one sport at a younger age. I believe that this "one sport specialization" is wrong because it can harm an athlete's physical, mental, and social well being.
One sport specialization is very harmful to your body now and in the future. Practicing ten or more hours a week while only using a limited amount of muscles causes strain, making you sore and tired. Overuse of these same muscles over long periods of time will make you pull them
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In a study by Ohio State, it found that children who specialize in a sport early in their life led to higher rates of adult physical inactivity causes by uninterested and lack of motivation to do day to day things. It also found that year round sports cause young kids to burnout due to stress, decreased motivation, and lack of enjoyment. Higher stress levels will also create dropping grades in school.
In conclusion, one sport specialization is harmful to young athletes; it negatively effects their mental, physical, and social well being. So what can we do to help this epidemic? Firstly, if you play one sport. Do not be afraid to try something new! It can be an opportunity to help your body heal from year round use, while making new friends and meeting new people. If you do not play sports but still want to help, you can spread the dangers of one sport specialization in hope that it will stop. If one sport specialization is ended, children will play sports and learn to enjoy the game