Why the study?
There is a limited number of comprehensive long-term outcome studies assessing the potential link between early sport specialization and musculoskeletal injury or burnout.
Does early sport specialization impact successful participation and injury occurrence in preteen athletes?
Does early sport specialization impact successful participation and injury occurrence in preteen athletes?
Early sport specialization in preteen athletes may be linked to musculoskeletal injury and burnout, highlighting the need for methodologically sound prospective research.
Inconsistent definitions of early sport specialization limit outcome assessment; leaves open evidence-based youth athlete guidelines.
➤: Early sport specialization has been recognized as a potential factor in the relationship between physical activity and health since the early 1970s. ➤: There is no universally agreed-upon terminology or definition for early sport specialization, but early sport specialization typically encompasses preteen athletes who play 1 sport competitively throughout the year or play on several teams within 1 season, leading to intensive participation without variation in physical activity. ➤: There is a limited number of comprehensive long-term outcome studies that have identified a potential link between early sport specialization and musculoskeletal injury or burnout. ➤: Methodologically sound prospective research looking at chronologic age and years of participation by sports played will help to answer whether there is an impact from early sport specialization on the relationship with successful participation and injury occurrence.
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Agel et al. (2021) studied this question.
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