Youth sports have been a very popular recreation in America. It allows kids to have the chance to play a sport at a young age. However, large numbers of the young athletes only play a single sport, and the types of adults that are spectators or coaches of youth sports are mainly split into two opposing sides. One half helps the kids succeed in the sport they are playing and let the kid choose if they want to play that sport, and the other half force the child to play a sport that they may not like and gravitate towards the child’s every mistake like a moth to a flame. This can cause a multitude problems for the child and can often be overwhelming. This has created an argument that is still being debated on today. Some people say that specializing in one sport is positive since it gives kids the competitive edge they need. Others say that it is damaging to a child’s health due to the negative effects it can have both physically and mentally. The truth of the matter is that specializing in a single sport at a young age is proven to be harmful. A large number of kids are forced to play a sport, which can create a lot of stress and more injuries. With that being said, specializing is definitely not for young athletes.
The first reason why youth should not specialize in one sport is that it can often lead to injuries and burnout. A study put out by the University of Wisconsin Health Sports Medicine Center found that kids who specialized were 50 percent more likely to be injured