SPECIALIZATION

A series of studies in the Journal of Athletic Training about the effects of being a specialized athlete at a young age left researchers with a distinct takeaway: Focusing on one sport at too early an age increases the risk of major, career-threatening injury. “The theory is that repetitive activity, performing these repetitive sport-specific tasks over and over again, will stress the tissue … and then eventually lead to a breakdown in that tissue over time,” Dr. David Bell, a professor at the University of Wisconsin who led one of the studies, said. This week, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association is holding its Youth Sports Specialization Awareness Week to raise awareness of the impact of focusing too heavily on one sport and one group of muscles while the body is still developing.