Early Sports Specialization: A Physical Therapist’s View

Early sports specialization is one of the leading causes of different overuse injuries. Often times, parents feel pressure to funnel their children into one sport at an early age. The pressure can come from coaches, the desire to obtain a college scholarship, or from other sources. There is a misunderstanding that there is not a direct correlation with focusing on one sport at young age, and developing the skills and knowledge necessary to become elite in that sport. While there are always exceptions, the majority of athletes who specialize in one sport at a young age, are not the ones we see playing...