Too Much, Too Early: Hidden Risks of Early Sports Specialization
In the face of an epidemic of overuse injuries among young athletes, AdvantEdge is warning parents about the hidden risks of early sports specialization. Experts see the injuries caused by early year round sport specifc training, but parents can take steps to prevent this problem.
(PRWEB) June 30, 2005 -- In the face of an epidemic of overuse injuries among
young athletes, AdvantEdge Sports Performance is warning parents about the
hidden risks of early sports specialization, and giving tips on how they can
prevent this problem.
Many parents fail to recognize that intensive
sport-specific training puts their child at a greater risk of injury. Today,
more athletes are specializing in one sport at an early age. While this may
increase their early skill levels, it also means they are at a greater risk of
injury.
Dr. Brendan Murray, a Santa Monica physician who has worked with
many elite athletes and served US teams internationally, sees the problem. "Too
often, these growing young athletes are trained only in a single sport, focusing
on specific skills and movement patterns while neglecting others. Doing one
sport creates imbalances and in some cases inhibits development of overall
athletic ability. The risk of overuse injuries is far more prevalent than most
parents think," Murray says.
A recent study by the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention found children ages 5 through 13 had the highest
sports related injury rate of any age group, with 59.3 injuries per 1,000
people. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that approximately 50
percent of overuse injuries sustained by youth athletes could be prevented if
more emphasis was placed on the development of fundamental and fitness skills.
"Sport specific training is clearly helpful in teaching skills to young
athletes, but the constant repetition of a single activity or movement is simply
not good for long term development of athletes. Parents need to be aware of
these risks and know that they can be avoided" said Ken Vick, Sports Performance
Director at AdvantEdge’s Southbay location.
“School and club coaches
teach sports-specific skills such as serving a volleyball, kicking a soccer ball
or making a tackle. Instead, we teach the fundamental movement skills, such as
running and jumping, that create a foundation for all athletes,'' continues
Vick. ”Our performance coaches focus on teaching skills that improve all around
athleticism and help prevent injury. We understand the special needs of youth
athletes, the sports science of what works, and why.''
Some tips parents
can follow to avoid the common pitfall of overuse injuries in youth
sports:
1. Don’t practice a single sport year round. Research has shown a
young athlete is better served with periods of competition and practice mixed
with periods of other activities until the late teens.
2. Play a variety
of sports to expose young athletes to a variety of movement skills. This will
give them a wider array of movement skills when learning sport specific skills
later. These foundational skills should include;
a. running and
jumping
b. twisting rolling, balancing
c. hand-eye – foot-eye
coordination
3. Keep a close eye on the young athlete’s physical state.
If you see early aches and pains starting, or nagging injuries that won’t go
away, see a sports medicine professional early.
4. Instead of private
skill training throughout the year, consider working in a quality sports
performance program to build the physical capacity to learn new skills
later.
AdavntEdge is the sports performance training service of
Integrated Performance Systems of El Segundo, CA. They offer performance
enhancement and injury prevention programs appropriate for all levels of sport.
The combined experience of professionals in strength & conditioning, sport
psychology, speed development and sports nutrition provide safe and effective
training programs for world class Olympians, professionals and amateur youth
athletes.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb256455.htm