The Huffington Post – Jennifer Breheny Wallace
“In a move that surprised many sports parents, last week the USTA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NCAA, U.S. Olympic Committee and three dozen other leading sports organizations joined forces to speak out against the popular “early specialization” trend in youth sports, where children under 12 focus intensively on one sport, at the exclusion of others, year-round. In an ad that appeared in SportsBusiness Journal, a leading trade journal, the group highlighted the risks of early specialization in developing bodies and encouraged instead a multi-sport approach, which “can lead to better performance, less burnout, less social isolation, and, most importantly, more lifelong enjoyment in sports.” “We hope that by coming out and saying multi-sport play is really what’s best for children, that parents and coaches will be better educated and will end this growing trend,” said Sue Hunt, chief marketing officer at the USTA, which spearheaded the ad. “Early specialization and winning is really about the parents,” Hunt told me. “The kids just want to have fun.” Each year an estimated 30-40 million children play youth sports — but it’s a different game than their parents played. Gone are the days of casual after school pick-up games.”(more)