Dangers of Sports Specializations

Sports specialization is practicing the same sport year-round to achieve a competitive goal or earn a scholarship. Sports specialization increases the wear and tear of a specific muscle, ligament and skeletal group and can lead to serious injuries down the road. This is known as Sports Specialization Injuries, or SSI. Studies have shown students who play the same sport repeatedly are more likely to obtain an injury during their playing season versus students who practice multiple sports year-round.

Sports specialization is practicing the same sport year-round to achieve a competitive goal or earn a scholarship. Sports specialization increases the wear and tear of a specific muscle, ligament and skeletal group and can lead to serious injuries down the road. This is known as Sports Specialization Injuries, or SSI. Studies have shown students who play the same sport repeatedly are more likely to obtain an injury during their playing season versus students who practice multiple sports year-round.

The Importance of Playing Multiple Sports

Cross-Training Gives Youth Athletes the “Athletic Edge”

Let Michigan Kids Play!

Sports chiropractor explains a few easy things to keep kids from sports burning out.
 

MSU researchers found kids who play multiple sports perform better and are happier. This leads to living a healthy adult life.

Public Education Partners

Chiropractic Helps Prevent Sports Injuries

A chiropractor assists young athletes by providing alignment to the spine and extremities (including arms and legs), and completes body mechanic evaluations including gait analysis to help assess muscular patterns and development. By continually keeping an athlete’s body in his or her healthiest form, he or she will train more efficiently and effectively year-round.

A misaligned spine can interfere with the functions of all other systems, causing athletic performance to suffer. Regular adjustments keep the spine working smoothly, which in turn boosts the body’s overall performance. In one study, athletes showed a 6.12 percent performance increase after receiving chiropractic treatment. Another…

Where to Participate in Youth Sports

Metro Detroit

Sky Hawks

Top Sports Camps Metro Detroit

Even More Metro Sports Camps

Kids Out and About Sports Camps List

Pistons Kids Sports Academy

Lions Sports Camp

i9 Sports

Nike Basketball Camp Saline

Nike Basketball Camp University of Michigan Dearborn

Basketball Camp Whitmore Lake High School

Canton Sports Camps

Tigers Youth Sports Baseball and Softball (statewide)

Wayne-Westland Community Schools

More Wayne Camps

 
Basketball: 4 years +

Detroit PAL

Michigan Youth Basketball

Get Skillz Basketball

i9 Sports

Jr. Pistons

 
Dance: 3 years +

Ambassadors of Dance

Center Stage Dance Co.

The Dance Place

Lil Dumplins

Motor City Dance Factory

STARS Elite Training Center

 
Football: 5 years +

Berkley Steelers Youth Football

Detroit PAL

i9 Sports

Michigan Elite Football Club

Southeast Michigan Youth Football

 
Gymnastics: 15 months +

Bloomfield Gymnastics

Euro Stars Gymnastics

Extreme Gymnastics

GTC Gymnastics

Michigan Academy Gymnastics

Troy Gymnastics

 
Hockey + Figure Skating: 5 years +

Arctic Edge 

Detroit Skating Club

Novi Ice Arenas

Onyx  Ice

Suburban Ice – Macomb

Troy Sports Center

USA Hockey Arena

 
Martial Arts: 4 years +

Belleville Martial Arts Institute

Cutting Edge Ninja Gym

Mada Jiu Jitsu

PKSA Karate

Stars & Stripes Activity Center

S.W.A.G Kids Gym

 
Soccer: 18 months + 

Detroit City Football Club

i9 Sports

Oakland Yard

Royal Oak Football Club

Waza Football Club

 
Swimming: 4 months +

Aqua-Tots Swim School

British Swim School

Goldfish Swim School

PARC Aquatics

SafeSplash Swim School

Troy Gymnastics

YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit

 
Junior Tennis: 4 years +

Ann Arbor Tennis Academy

Beverly Hills Tennis Academy

Franklin Athletic Club

Troy Racquet Club

Southeast Michigan Tennis

 
Livonia:

Holmes Middle School

Baseball

Flag-Football

Soccer

Schoolcraft College

Basketball

Volleyball

Monroe

Girls / Boys Softball / Basketball

Girls Lacrosse

Martial Arts

Tips to Healthy Sport Parenting

  • Avoid over training
  • The amount of time your child should be practicing organized sports per week should be less than their age
  • Encourage more free time with friends and less scheduled time with organized teams
  • Be cautious with paid individual coaching and training until children are older
  • Discuss with your child’s pediatrician prior to making decisions with organized sports, as every child develops differently
  • Make sure your children have an off season to allow them to rest physically as well as psychologically
  • If children specialize in sports they should not begin until they are at least 14-15 years old, or until child is through puberty

Public Education Videos

Michigan Parkour Boost Sports Health

Youth athletes can boost their health by playing multiple sports, and parkour is great for cross-training.

Michigan Kids Play Multiple Sports!

Start planing for the 2024 Michigan Games. It’s a multi-sport Olympic-style event. Find out why 44% of Michigan youth athletes participate in multiple sports!

Michigan, Girls On The Run

Thousands of Michigan girls are participating in Girls On The Run in record numbers. They are shaking off the negative effects of Michigan’s lockdown.

Resources

The Michigan High School Athletic Association. (2018). Second Half | Stories Behind the Scores: The Inherent Risk of Sport Specialization.
Retrieved from https://secondhalf.mhsaa.com/All-News/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7207/The-Inherent-Risk-of-Sport-Specialization

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention. (2018). How Parents Can Help Young Athletes Avoid Overuse Injuries in School Sports.
Retrieved from https://injury.research.chop.edu/blog/posts/how-parents-can-help-young-athletes-avoid-overuse-injuries-school-sports#.XKTviOtKjUI

National Athletic Association: At Your Own Risk. (2019). Information for Parents. Retrieved from https://www.atyourownrisk.org/parents/

National University of Health Sciences. (2018). 4 Ways Chiropractic Medicine Can Provide Lasting Benefits for Young Athletes.
Retrieved from https://blog.nuhs.edu/the-future-of-integrative-health/4-ways-chiropractic-medicine-can-provide-lasting-benefits-for-young-athletes