By Sara Walker, MD, MS Most of us can agree athletic participation yields many benefits for youth development, including fine motor skills, spatial awareness, social and leadership skills, as well as improved physical and mental health. The question becomes: How can we encourage this strong skill development without placing undue pressure on student athletes? The National Council of Youth Sports estimates that approximately 81% (60 million) of children in the United States have registered and participated in youth sports in recent years. However, 70% of children leave sports participation by age 13, a sobering statistic. Two related topics that may correlate with this dropout are early sports specialization and burnout. Much has been said about early sports socialization, particularly with the rise of travel and club teams. It is now quite common to see young athletes playing and competing in their sport yearround, increasing their risk for overuse and growth-plate-related injuries. As a sports medicine physician, I often recommend the following guidelines to my patients: • The number of hours spent in their sport per week should not exceed their age (time in sport should reflect the combination of all concurrent teams’ activities). • At least three months of rest from their primary sport each year. • At least one rest day per week. • Just because they are good athletes does not mean their bodies are biomechanically strong — crosstraining and strength training are still recommended. Upon hearing these recommendations, patients/parents often protest that they need to participate in club/travel teams in order to develop the skills needed to progress to the next level. I point to examples like Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark and tennis professional Roger Federer, who did not specialize down to one sport until their teens. When gymnasts argue that their sport mandates early sports specialization, I mention Olympians Shawn Johnson and Sam Peszek, who have talked about how choosing to continue with gymnastics after trying other sports improved their skill and commitment. Current Women’s National Team member Trinity Thomas competed at state diving championships throughout high school. And Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey didn’t even qualify for elite until she was 17 years old! Burnout is the other massive concern. Talented athletes often feel significant pressure from family members to keep playing in order to earn scholarships or achieve other goals. Yet, according to the NCAA, less than 1 in 14 (8%) of high school athletes play on the varsity team at college, and fewer than 1 in 54 (2%) are awarded athletic scholarships. One question that I like to ask my athletes after sending their parent out of the room is, “If it was only up to you, would you still want to keep playing this sport?” If their answer is no, then upon the parent’s return, I gently start the conversation about the goals of sports participation and the risk of burnout. Kirsten Jones, in her book “Raising Empowered Athletes,” suggests that parents need to examine whether the primary goal is to encourage their child to stay active, learn skills and make Taking the Pressure Off in Sports Placard posted at both ice rink entrances at the Skating Club of Boston, where many elite skaters train. Photo courtesy of Ellen Geminiani, MD. | 24
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