Don't Turn Your Child Into A Sports Specialist
by Rick Wolff

Not very long ago, I overheard this all-too-frequent conversation between a baseball coach and one of his top players:

"Son, I know you enjoy playing a variety of sports, but if you want to become something special in baseball, I strongly advise you start playing the sport year-round and give up all those other sports."

"But, coach," the young man answered, "I enjoy playing baseball, but I also like playing soccer and basketball.  And I'm good at those sports, too."

"I understand. But if you specialize in baseball, who knows how good you could be?"

The confused athlete didn't know what to say. After all, he was only 12 years old.

When I speak around the country, one question always pops up: When should my child begin to specialize in just one sport?

To be sure, this is a valid question. But I'm disturbed by its implication that a youngster should focus on just one sport if he or she really wants to get ahead in competitive athletics. I disagree with the notion that as soon as young athletes decide which team sport is their one and only true calling, they should devote themselves to it.

The fact is that most kids who are athletic tend to enjoy a number of sports. Their seasonal interests might favor football or soccer in the fall, basketball or hockey in the winter, and baseball or lacrosse in the spring. Nevertheless, some parents simply don't want their kids to enjoy this sports potpourri. They believe that if their children focus on one sport for 365 days a year, they'll develop superior skills more quickly.

While this athletic theory of "keeping up with and getting ahead of the Jones's" may make sense to some, it doesn't explain why so many well-known athletes didn't take the "singular obsession" path to athletic success. Consider these examples:

Cal Ripken Jr. was an all-state soccer player in high school before he signed to play professional baseball.

Deion Sanders, football and baseball professional, was an all-state basketball player in high school.

All-Star pitcher Tom Glavine was so accomplished in ice hockey that the NHL drafted him out of high school.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was a star basketball player in high school before becoming an Olympic gold medallist in track.

And Cynthia Cooper, the two-time MVP of the WNBA, didn't even pick up a basketball until she was 16.

You get the idea. If your child is an excellent athlete with the constant desire to improve, it doesn't make much difference if he or she decides to specialize in a sport at an early age or plays several sports along the way.   Ultimately, youngsters who are fast enough, or strong enough, or talented enough, will make the grade in whatever sport they select. In the meantime, especially when it comes to team athletics, don't worry about pushing your child into a sport too soon.

Keep in mind that athletic burnout is a real concern, and according to most studies, kids who "burn out" usually do so in their teenage years -- just when they should be enjoying sports the most. To them, playing a single sport on a continuous basis can often take the fun out of the activity. Before too long it goes from being "fun" to being "work."  Individual sports seem particularly susceptible to this. And when a sport becomes work, that's when youngsters start to wonder whether they might want to simply walk away from it all.

Although most kids discover a sport or two they prefer by the time they're 13 or 14, there is no perfect age for specialization. Let your children tell you what sport or sports they want to play, as opposed to your guiding - or pushing them. Remember, it's their childhood, not yours.