providing insights on the effects of early sport specialization in youth athletes

PROVIDING INSIGHTSON THE EFFECTS OF

EARLY SPORT SPECIALIZATIONIN YOUTH ATHLETES

Paul Christianson, M.S.

JOPERD October 2010The Promises and Pitfalls of Sport

Specialization in Youth Sport

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT/PERMANENT 

IMPLICATIONSPSYCHOLOGICAL | PHYSIOLOGICAL

BIOMECHANICAL | MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

GREAT? CREEPY?

DANIEL COYLE: THE TALENT CODE

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT10,000 HOURS | 10 YEARS

Andres Ericcsen

"DELIBERATE PRACTICE"

(INSERT DEFINITION OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE)

DELIBERATE PRACTICE

SWING INSTRUCTOR | PERSONAL TRAINER | GOLF PSYCHOLOGISTNUTRITIONIST | OTHER EXPERTS

ONLY 10,000 HOURS!!

+ =

CAN YOU BLAME THEM?

MINIMAL RESOURCES

DO IT YOURSELF TAKE OUT A SECOND MORTGAGE

DO IT YOURSELF

EGO ORIENTATION

• Physical Conditioning• Repetitive Skill/Drill• Local Coach/Guru• Practice at Home• Parents Live Vicariously

Through Children

DO IT YOURSELFPRACTICE MAKES

PERFECT/PERMANENT 

HIGH RISK IMPLICATIONSPSYCHOLOGICAL | PHYSIOLOGICAL

BIOMECHANICAL | MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Overuse injuries. Burnout. Depression.

SPORT PREP ACADEMY• Physical Conditioning

• Mental Conditioning• Communication Training• Physical Therapy• Nutrition Training• Life Skills• College Placement

MASTERY ORIENTATION

SPORT PREP ACADEMYDELIBERATE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

 LOW RISK IMPLICATIONS

PSYCHOLOGICAL | PHYSIOLOGICALBIOMECHANICAL | MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

CONTROLLED VARIABLES. No Parents.

THE GAME WITHIN THE GAMESKILL DEVELOPMENT

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENTMULTIPLE "PILLARS"

PHYSICAL | MENTAL | COMMUNICATION | NUTRITIONLIFE SKILLS | VISION

JOPERD October 2010The Promises and Pitfalls of Sport

Specialization in Youth Sport

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT/PERMANENT 

IMPLICATIONSPSYCHOLOGICAL | PHYSIOLOGICAL

BIOMECHANICAL | MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

BRING THE ACADEMYTO THE PARENTS

AFFORDABLE

CONTROL FOR NEGATIVE VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY SPORT-SPECIALIZATION IN

YOUTH ATHLETES

References

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2000). Intensive training and sports specialization in young athletes. Pediatrics, 106, 154-157.Baker, J., & Combley, S. (2008). Does practice make perfect? The role of training in developing the expert athlete. In D. 

Farrow, J. Baker, & C. MacMahon (Eds.), Developing Sport Expertise (pp. 29-42). New York: Routledge.Baker, J., Cobley, S., & Fraser-Thomas, J. (2009). What do we know about early sport specialization? Not much!. High Ability Studies, 20(1), 77-89.Baxter-Jones, A., Maffuli, N., & Helms, P. (1993). Low injury in rates in elite athletes. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 68, 130-132.Bloom, B. S. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York: Ballantine.Branta, C. (2010). Sport Specialization: Developmental and Learning Issues. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 1-58.Brenner, J. S. (2007). Overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout in child and adolescent athletes. Pediatrics, 1119, 1242-1245.Brylinsky, J. (2010). Practice Makes Perfect and Other Curricular Myths in the Sport Specialization Debate. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 1-58.Côté, J. (1999). The Influence of the Family in the Development of Talent in Sport. Sport Psychologist, 13(4), 395.

Ericsson, K. (Ed.). (1996). The road to excellence: The acquisition of expert performance in the arts and sciences, sports, and games. Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Ericsson, K., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363-406

Ericsson, K.A., & Charness, N. (1994) Expert performance: Its structure and acquisition. American Psychologist, 49, 725-747.

Gould, D. (2010). Early Sport Specialization: A Psychological Perspective. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 33-37

Intensive Training and Sports Specialization in Young Athletes. (2000). Pediatrics, 106(1), 154.

Kaleth, A., & Mikesky, A. (2010). Impact of Early Sport Specialization: A Physiological Perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 1-58.

Landers, R. Q., Carson, R. L., & Bonnie Tjeerdsma, B. (2010). The promises and pitfalls of sport specialization in youth sport. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 14-15.

Mattson, J., & Richards, J. (2010). Early Specialization in Youth Sport: A Biomechanical Perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 1-58.