“To be a pro, train like a pro: should your youth athlete specialize in one sport?”

Youth sports continue to gain popularity and it is reported 30-45 million youth (6-18 years of age) participate in athletics per year. Youth participation in sports has many advantages including improved fitness and psychological health. As sports have evolved and athletes aspire to make it to the big leagues, somewhere along the lines people thought that specializing in only one sport would increase their chances of getting that huge paycheck one day.

In reality, only .02 to .5 percent of high school athletes make it to the professional level. Furthermore, the IYCA (International Youth Fitness Association) reports year round specialization of sport before the age of 18 leads to ½ the chance of reaching it to collegiate or professional levels. I’m not great at math but I’m pretty sure this takes the .02-.5 percent and further decreases it to .01-.25 likelihood of a high school athlete making it to the next level if they specialize in sport.

The specialization of sport has led to a 50 percent increase in overuse injuries and limits the youth athlete's ability to fully develop good foundational movement. In other words, ½ of youth athlete injuries are preventable by appropriate rest periods. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend youth athletes limit 1 sporting activity to a maximum of 5 days per week, at least one day off per week from any organized physical activity, and athletes should have at least 2-3 months off per year from their particular sport. I think the recommendation is very important; 2 days off from organized physical activity doesn't mean video games and being sedentary, rather it means be a KID. Climb a tree, jump on objects, jump off of objects, run into stuff, wrestle around with your friends. Normal play helps the youth athlete develop foundational movement skills that will allow them to excel in multiple sports.

Youth athletes need to focus on development, not on scholarships or playing one sport year round. Some sports rely on straight/linear movements while others rely on cutting/rotational movements. One is not better than the other, rather it is advisable for the youth athlete to develop movement in all planes of motion.

Lastly, to be a pro train like a pro. Pro's have dedicated off-seasons where they train foundational movements and only 18 percent of professional players were single-sport athletes, which (check my math again) leaves 82 percent that played multiple sports as youth athletes. Check this out:
Top 10 NFL players ranked by overall offensive/defensive attributes in the 2017 season: 0 single-sport athletes

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots - baseball. In the 1995 draft, the Montreal Expos picked him in the 18th round.
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts - basketball and baseball.
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints - baseball and basketball.
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers - soccer, basketball and baseball.
5. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers - basketball and baseball.
6. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings - track and field: 100m, 200m, triple jump and long jump.
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers - baseball and basketball.
8. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans - track and field: 100m.
9. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers - baseball and basketball.
10. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles - baseball and basketball.

And a quote from Kobe Byrant -  “I’m comfortable (with basketball) footwork because I played soccer,” said Bryant. “From changing up rhythms to foot speed, to being comfortable with having my right foot as my pivot foot and my left foot as my pivot foot.”

References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee  of Sports Medicine and Fitness. Pediatrics. 2000;106:154-157
2. Brenner JS. Pediatrics. 2007; 119(6): 1242-5.
3. From http://iyca.org/early-sport-specialization-part-2/
4. Arroyave, Luis (2006). “NBA’s Kobe Bryant almost became a soccer player”.Chicago Tribune.
5. From http://elsbethvaino.com/2012/06/does-early-specialization-help/