{"id":2389,"date":"2014-08-14T13:10:46","date_gmt":"2014-08-14T13:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2389"},"modified":"2025-07-21T05:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:48:19","slug":"should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Young Athletes Specialize in One Sport?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/sports-parents-share-stories-about-kids-perfectionism.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/sports-parents-share-stories-about-kids-perfectionism.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/sports-parents-share-stories-about-kids-perfectionism-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_Hurtful_or_Beneficial_For_Kids_to_Specialize_in_Sports\"><\/span>Is it Hurtful or Beneficial For Kids to Specialize in Sports?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on\/#Is_it_Hurtful_or_Beneficial_For_Kids_to_Specialize_in_Sports\" >Is it Hurtful or Beneficial For Kids to Specialize in Sports?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on\/#Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\" >Related Articles on Youth Sports:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on\/#Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\" >Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>These days, kids as young as 7 have begun <strong>specializing<\/strong> in one sport. That means that they are practicing the sport year-round to <strong>boost<\/strong> their <strong>performance-<\/strong> not just for the fun of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such <strong>early specialization<\/strong>&#8211;and <strong>specialization<\/strong> in general&#8211;has its drawbacks, says Greg Chertok, a sport &amp; exercise <strong>psychology<\/strong> consultant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids who start <strong>specializing<\/strong> at such an early age run the risk of <strong>over-training, burnout<\/strong> and overuse <strong>injuries,<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important for <strong>young athletes<\/strong> to take a few days a week off or a few months a year, he says. But that&#8217;s not happening. It&#8217;s up to parents to ensure kids are playing sports in ways that don&#8217;t hurt them, he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of <strong>encouraging<\/strong> young kids to <strong>specialize<\/strong>, Chertok suggest that parents encourage them to participate in different sports. He calls this &#8220;sampling.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;You want to establish a range of motor and <strong>cognitive experiences,<\/strong> and give them different social options,&#8221;<\/em> he says. <em>&#8220;It&#8217;s been established that early sampling can improve kids&#8217; life skills, <strong>time management, communication<\/strong> and <strong>leadership skills,&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s more, kids who take part in more than one sport are exposed to <strong>positive<\/strong> values such as respect in different environments, driving home important life lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s not the only reason to be cautious about kids who specialize in one sport. Their identity can get wrapped up in how well they perform in that sport, cautions Chertok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Some kids invest 100% of their identity into one sport,&#8221;<\/em> he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they perform badly, it hurts their <strong>self-esteem,<\/strong> he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;There&#8217;s a big difference between saying, &#8216;I&#8217;m a baseball player,&#8221; as opposed to &#8216;I play baseball,'&#8221;<\/em> Chertok says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to learn more about how to help your sports kids boost their <strong>confidence,<\/strong> improve their performance and reap the many benefits of youth sports-over the long haul?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology, we&#8217;ve got lots of resources for you- beginning with our interview with Chertok. Exclusive members can access that interview here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Kids&#8217; Sports Psychology<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve also got videos, ebooks, article and much more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Related Articles on Youth Sports:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/when-parents-force-kids-to-specialize-in-one-sport\/\"><strong>When Parents Force Kids to Specialize in One Sport<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/be-all-in-with-christie-pearce-rampone\/\"><strong>\u201cBe All In\u201d with Christie Pearce Rampone<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/mental-training-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Mental Training for Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_Young_Athletes_Boost_Confidence_in_Sports\"><\/span>Help Young Athletes Boost Confidence in Sports!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ultimate-sports-parent-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultimate Sports Parent\" class=\"wp-image-11157\" style=\"width:167px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Every day, we receive letters from parents like you who want their children and teens to excel in sports. However, these parents can <strong>see fear, doubt, and frustration on the faces of their kids<\/strong> who struggle with the \u201cinner\u201d game of sports. But these parents have no idea how to help their kids <strong>overcome the worries, expectations and self-defeating thoughts<\/strong> that prevent their young athletes from feeling confident and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can benefit from our 1<strong>5-plus years\u2019 of work in sports psychology and sports parenting research<\/strong>. Now, you can <strong>tap into our secrets to sports success<\/strong> through a cutting-edge, 14-day program that helps young athletes overcome the top \u201cmental game\u201d challenges that sports parents face\u2014and the top <strong>challenges young athletes face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-fbab03ed\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-fa7bf2e7 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/ultimate-sports-parent-workbook-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-33bcee1d gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/the-ultimate-sports-parent-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it Hurtful or Beneficial For Kids to Specialize in Sports? These days, kids as young as 7 have begun specializing in one sport. That means that they are practicing the sport year-round to boost their performance- not just for the fun of it. Such early specialization&#8211;and specialization in general&#8211;has &#8230; <a title=\"Should Young Athletes Specialize in One Sport?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-young-athletes-specialize-in-one-sport-the-debate-goes-on\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Should Young Athletes Specialize in One Sport?\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,17,6],"tags":[439,571,321,251],"class_list":["post-2389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-in-sports","category-sports-parenting","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-burn-out-in-sports","tag-early-specialization-in-sports","tag-young-athletes","tag-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}