Is it healthy for a child to play one sport all year? There’s a warning

Q: My 11-year-old plays competitive travel soccer year-round and wants to add a second league this fall. Is specializing in one sport this early safe, or does she need an off-season?

Read more This Kendall bakery is serving fresh challah and friendship for Rosh Hashanah

A: Sports are one of the best things children can do for health, confidence, friendships, and lifelong fitness. My concern for you is the repetitive training without adequate recovery. The growing trend toward year-round, single-sport specialization at a young age carries real physical and emotional risks for growing bodies.

Children’s bones grow faster than their tendons and ligaments can adapt. Growth plates and tendon attachment sites are especially vulnerable to repetitive strain. Envision a young athlete repeating the same mechanical motions, like kicking, sprinting, or overhead throwing, 12 months a year. Without proper rest, overuse injuries like apophysitis, stress fractures, and tendonitis become common. Apart from physical injury, continuous competition without mental downtime frequently leads to early psychological burnout and eventual dropouts.

Things to watch out for: pain that persists after activity, limping, pain at rest or at night, declining performance, unusual fatigue, or a child who no longer enjoys playing. Do not encourage an athlete to “push through” persistent pain, instead hit the pause button and consult a sports medicine physician.

A rule of thumb is to limit organized sports to no more hours per week than the child’s age. An 11-year-old should not exceed 11 hours of structured athletic training and competition weekly. This may shock some parents, but young athletes gain considerable advantage from taking at least one to two days off each week from organized practices, along with two to three months off from their main sport each year.

Read more Phaedra Parks went public with her ‘Traitors’ costar. There’s one problem

Parents should watch the total load, including all teams, practices, tournaments and private lessons. Build recovery into the calendar and vary their activities during the year. Playing multiple sports builds better athletes as different sports develop varied motor skills, increase neuromuscular control, and strengthen other muscles. Strength training, mobility work, sleep, hydration, and adequate nutrition also support injury prevention.

The most successful young athlete isn’t necessarily the one who trains the most. It is the one who stays available, recovers well and still enjoys the game.

Dr. Michael Swartzon, a sports medicine physician with Baptist Health South Florida, works with the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers and InterMiami CF. You can reach him at [email protected]

Read more ‘Senseless.’ North Miami man found guilty of gunning down neighbor and two sons