Sports specialization

[Inky29]

Thought I'd get some feedback from the fine folks on here. Currently my daughter plays multiple sports and that's good with me, however more and more folks are trying to get her to specialize in one sport saying that it will help her development. Personally I think it's hogwash because I think having her a more well rounded athlete is much more important at her age (she's just 12 BTW). I figure IF she truly wants to try to play at a higher level that if she waits until she's 15 or so and let her pick a sport she wants to play exclusively she'd be better suited for success.

So am I completely off in my thinking or is there something to the whole specialization thing? I just think there's way to much pressure put on kids these days to specialize in one sport.

 

[tcpoke]

The way I look at it (and see things the same way with my kids) is that it is highly unlikely that your daughter is going to be a professional or Olympic caliber athlete, so let her do what ever she enjoys. If that is multiple sports or a single sport, so be it. I agree that early on it is beneficial to expose kids to as many sports/activities as possible so they can make a truly informed decision on what they enjoy. The one guarantee is that they won't enjoy something they've never experienced.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[osu2082]

Originally posted by tcpoke:
The way I look at it (and see things the same way with my kids) is that it is highly unlikely that your daughter is going to be a professional or Olympic caliber athlete, so let her do what ever she enjoys. If that is multiple sports or a single sport, so be it. I agree that early on it is beneficial to expose kids to as many sports/activities as possible so they can make a truly informed decision on what they enjoy. The one guarantee is that they won't enjoy something they've never experienced.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I'll echo what TC said in that as a parent you (we) have to be realistic as to what our goal is with our kids playing sports. Is it to help develop teamwork, discipline and all the other solid benefits sports brings or is there a goal of earning a college scholarship. I would even say that if one of the parents did not play college sports the chances of a kid doing so is much less likely.

There have been studies that show kids who have played and excelled at multiple sports end up better athletes and players when they do switch to just one or two sports.

I would say however that at 12 if she is showing a high level of talent in a particular sport that is a pretty good age to start to focus her training and skills if that is what she wants. If she just enjoys playing sports then let her play as many as she wants. Each kid is different but it sounds like you are doing a good job so far!

 

[100TonsofOrangeFury]

Hard to improve on these two replies, but I'll throw this out: how as a parent or a young athlete do you decide "what is important"? It's almost a throw-away line "oh, it's just 10 year old soccer/baseball/softball" etc. Like those years don't matter. You can dismiss 9 or 10 or 11 and it doesn't matter or something. Nevermind that kids invest TONS of hours and parents money at these years, and that there's a HUGE sports culture at these ages that suggests it DOES MATTER to a whole lot of people. And IMO, who is anyone else to tell these people what should be their priorities, or when it "should matter"?

But to come back to the previous replies, at any given point in a kid's life, you have to ask "what is important to us?" Default answer for a lot of people is "making the high school team". If that's the case, 12 years old is definitely the time to give some emphasis to a particular favorite sport. While puberty will play a huge part in her chances, having developed the fine skill level and adjusted to high level competition is also critical. I hear a lot of parents whistle past the graveyard on this topic, like a fairy is going to come along and turn their 13 year old piano player son into a starting shortstop because he hit puberty. This is of course a fantasy.

 

[HighStickHarry_]

So many times I've seen kids pushed into specialization. It is burn out city mentally and often physically.

 

[inspoke]

Inky,

If I remember correctly, one of your daughter's sports is fairly high level soccer. Will she be playing ECNL once she reaches U14? If so, she likely will be told that soccer will need to be her number 1 priority. If she is not going to play ECNL, she will probably be able to find a soccer team that will allow multiple sports.

My older daughter (she is a senior now) played high school basketball and ECNL through her sophomore year and decided to stop basketball to concentrate on soccer after that. My younger daughter (currently a sophomore) is currently playing high school basketball as well as ECNL. Her ECNL coaches don't like it and threaten to punish her (actually did punish her by not starting her one game at a showcase in Florida for missing an ECNL practice for a high school basketball game). I suspect with the depth of the soccer talent pool in Dallas that your daughter would not be allowed to play ECNL if there was any concern of a conflict with another sport.

It is my personal opinion that your daughter should play whatever she wants to until a decision HAS to be made. She doesn't need ECNL to play college soccer. However, playing ECNL will make her a better player and provide greater exposure to college soccer coaches. If playing college soccer is a priority for you or her, keep in mind that offers for the best players in this part of the country begin as early as their freshman year of high school. It seems a long way off but its not that far away.

Another piece of advice that I received a long time ago: keep them so busy that they don't have time to screw up. The less free time they have, the less trouble you will have with them. Playing multiple sports certainly assists with this.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

The link below is to a podcast that covers this topic as part of a larger discussion.

Here is a link to a blog I've seen several coaches put on Facebook this week as well.

From the podcast, up until about 13 you get a lot of benefit from playing as many different sports as possible, and then specializing after that. However, if you enjoy multiple sports, why not keep playing?

You Are Not So Smart

 

[Inky29]

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. My thoughts have always been to let her get through all the growing pains and puberty stage and see where we are at on the other side. IF she still has the passion for something and wants to pursue it then we will load up and find her the training she needs. Her goals are much loftier than mine.

I really don't care if someone specializes or not, I just hate the implications that if you don't specialize right now or even younger then you will fall behind and never be able to catch up, at least not before they become teenagers.

 

[Inky29]

inspoke, she's still about a year away from ECNL. Still not 100% sure on ECNL to be honest, she's more than capable of playing at that level but that's is the reason we are starting to get the "you need to focus on one sport" talks from folks. She's starting to play some other sports and we are starting to hear that it's going to take away from her chances if she starts losing focus. Insane.

 

[inspoke]

What soccer club does your daughter play for now?