Specialization in sports an issue for young athletes

By Casey Riley

Mercer County Athletic Trainer

My four year old recently started playing youth soccer. When the coach first called I was told she would have two games a week (Monday and Saturday) and two practice days (Tuesday and Thursday). My first thought was, “dang that’s a lot for a four year old.”

Thankfully, her team doesn’t actually meet that many days a week the majority of the time but it got me thinking about how different her and even my high schoolers childhood is different than mine was. Little league for me didn’t start until third grade, not preschool. But now, travel, select and AAU sports start near age 8. Kids spend any down time and summers playing an organized sport instead of kick ball and swinging in the back yard. Kids are also specializing in one sport younger and younger.

So what does this mean to me as an athletic trainer?

This means I’m seeing more and more overuse injuries at a younger and younger age. We are now seeing young kids needing elbow or shoulder surgery from pitching too much and trying to pitch the more difficult and skilled pitches at a young age, when their bodies aren’t equipped to handle it. Athletes are also burning out before they make it out of high school — they have played the same sport for so long they just get tired of playing it.

We as parents want our kids to be successful and we especially want kids to earn scholarships since college has gotten so expensive. Unfortunately, this means playing AAU or select and LOTS of travel, every weekend. They miss out on important events like prom and hanging out with their friends which are important time they need. Kids need free time. They need down time to do kid stuff instead of having every moment of every day scheduled out for them.

Athletes are falling apart and having issues that you normally wouldn’t see until they are in their mid-20s or 30s and now they are having those issues at 13 and 14. We want the best for our kids but what we really are doing is ruining them. The world of AAU and select has become such an important part of youth sports that we as parents feel obligated to get our kids involved but unfortunately we are now seeing the hazards of that decision.

Overall, I know parents are doing what is best for their kids but please try and remember that they are just kids and need some down time. They need play time that isn’t organized and time to just be kids. This is something that even as I patch up kids that have played the same sport since age 4, I have to remind myself as my own children get older. Kids need to be kids and sometimes sports need to take a back seat.

SportsPlus

Boyle County Sports

Overtime win gives Boyle girls regional repeat

News

Kentucky soybean farmers contribute toward popular Halloween treats

News

AG defending state law requiring child sex offers to use full name on social media

Boyle County Sports

Boyle star Quisenberry flips commitment from West Virginia to Kentucky

News

Federal help will push completion of Mountain Parkway project

News

AccuWeather predicting milder winter in Kentucky

News

Kentucky students performed well on ACT scores

Danville Sports

Danville offense shows improvement in loss to Leslie

News

Engage by Cell program brings history to life in Constitution Square, Boyle County

Boyle County Sports

Boyle back in high gear in romp over Russell

Boyle County Sports

Boyle boys head for home after winning fifth straight district title

News

Nominations sought for Governor’s Service Awards

Boyle County Sports

Boyle girls fill the net to win fourth straight district soccer title

News

Nearly 700 trees donated to Western Ky. counties hit by 2021 tornado outbreak

News

Adams warns committee about damage of AI impersonations

News

COVID-19 tests available by mail

News

Art Center to host Fall Festival Oct. 19

Danville Sports

Campbellsville hands Danville fourth straight shutout loss

News

BCTC Danville campus receives $7,500 Hudson-Ellis Grant

Boyle County Sports

Boyle rolls into bye week with rout of LexCath

Features

Holland: There are some things God cannot do

News

McLaughlin-Levrone has fond UK memories

News

Sheriff charged with fatally shooting a judge pleads not guilty in first court appearance

Features

Don’t saw the tree branch you’re sitting on