There was a time in my life when if you asked me who I was I would have answered: “Kristina Sewell, softball player.” Softball was what I knew, year round, from age 10 until 23. I played travel ball during the summer, fall ball during the fall, and then softball season during the spring. I would go to practice after school, then come home and pitch with my dad after practice. On weekends, I would have homework, pitching lessons, and games. I lived, ate, and breathed softball year round.
I was by and large a single-sport athlete—and not always by my own choice. My parents strongly encouraged me to focus on softball because it was my area of greatest talent and, in the long run, possibly a way for me to reach college. Looking back now, I wish I had taken advantage of being a multi-sport athlete. I wanted to play volleyball and soccer, but those sports would have “conflicted” with my softball schedule. I was allowed to run cross country because it was less of a conflict and would condition me for softball. As a pitcher and a runner, I was essentially involved in two repetitive-motion sports. It’s no wonder to me now at 28 why my shoulder and knees give me problems. To be clear, I don’t blame my parents for any of it as they were simply encouraging me to commit and give my best effort in one sport.
My generation was just the beginning of what I am calling the “sports specialization” era, where there were double and triple the amount of single-sport athletes compared to multi-sport athletes than there used to be. Where have all the multi-sport athletes gone?
As a high school coach and teacher, I witness sports specialization on a fairly regular basis. I know many student athletes who will not participate in other school sports because it conflicts with their “main” sport. There are fewer “football, basketball, and track” athletes and a lot more “strictly football” athletes. I also know a number of student athletes who by their own choice or their parents’ were forced to choose one sport to focus on.
Sports specialization is a problem in the world of athletics, and the amount of single-sport athletes is growing each year, despite the fact that numerous renowned coaches, doctors, and sports scientists consistently cite the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete.
The biggest and most glaring problem for single-sport athletes is the increased rate of injury. According a study from the University of Wisconsin, it is more common for single-sport athletes to sustain injuries, particularly overuse injuries. A separate study from Loyola University showed that specialization athletes are 70 to 93 percent more likely to sustain an injury and are more likely to suffer from adult physical inactivity. Sports specialization in female athletes also leads to increased risk of knee disorders and injuries.
Part of the reason sports specialization has come about is the push for athletes to pursue college scholarships and elite level sports careers. The advent of travel ball in sports like baseball, softball, soccer, and basketball have increased the number of athletes playing a sport year round.
I am assuming that parents and some coaches believe that more focused commitment and practice time will lead athletes to be more successful in their chosen sport. Hate to break it to you all, but that’s not how it works. Instead of helping athletes, we’re inhibiting and injuring them.
Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll shared his thoughts on single-sport athletes in an interview with the Changing the Game Project, an organization committed to educating athletes, coaches, and parents about the risk of single-sport specialization.
Carroll said he always asks his athletes if they play other sports; he isn’t fond of athletes who play a single sport. A majority of coaches feel that being a multi-sport athlete is a bigger sign of athleticism and is more appealing. The other thing that people need to realize is often there is a lot of crossover between seemingly different sports that will help develop skills and strategies for other sports.
There are massive amounts of research from sports scientists that show the benefits of participating in multiple sports. It allows for better all-around athletes, more creative players, and not to mention healthy players. Playing multiple sports allows athletes to build different muscles, and bottom line, it always leads to less injury.
From a personal standpoint, I don’t agree with young athletes being forced to choose between sports. For one, athletes should participate in other sports because it decreases the risk of burnout and allows the athlete some freedom of choice. I also struggled as a single-sport athlete because I defined myself under that one sport. Being a multiple-sport athlete allows for multiple avenues of personal development and discovery.
On top of everything else, young single-sport athletes are asking for injury. While I am not a parent, I do feel as though parents should be more mindful of the toll that such excessive single-sport participation can have on a developing body. Young athletes’ bodies are growing and developing, and constant single-sport participation has nearly doubled the amount of overuse injuries. Take me for example, I have tendinitis in every joint of my right arm (my pitching arm).
Participating in multiple sports increases your chances of collegiate recognition, it doesn’t diminish the chances. Collegiate coaches want well-rounded and versatile athletes who can athletically perform in various sports.
I hope that further education and attention being brought to this issue will help with the dawn of more multi-sport athletes. Allow your young athletes to explore their variety of athletic talents; don’t limit them and hurt their bodies by pushing for one sport.
But what do I know? I’m just a Benchwarmer who should have been a softball player, volleyball player, and cross country runner.
Sports Contributor Kristina Sewell can be reached through Managing Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2017.