One-Trick Ponies

Brunswick, Maine, is a soccer town. Before 1970 it was a football town because that was the only game in town. But soccer rose in popularity, and now the Dragons are perennial contenders for and frequent winners of the State Class A title. Football faded and just barely survived.

Fortunately, my children began playing soccer when the sport was still a one-season activity. They were skilled enough to play on the early elite teams that rarely traveled across county or state lines to compete. But with each passing year, I have watched many of my patients being asked to make ever-greater commitments to soccer. A spring season was added to the traditional fall season, and indoor facilities were built. Now any child who seriously wants to play in high school is expected to sharpen his or her skills in a winter league. Elite teams now travel routinely out of state for weekend-long tournaments.

©photoaged/FOTOLIA

While some children abandon other sports when they are in middle school to put their eggs in the soccer basket, thankfully the majority continue to play one or two other sports in high school. I know that this trend toward premature overspecialization has reached further heights of absurdity in other communities. Luckily, Brunswick is a small town in a small state that is often shielded from some of the strongest winds of change.

However, the gale is growing stronger. The United States Soccer Federation has tilted the field even more toward premature overspecialization. A youngster who wants to participate in one of the federation’s U.S. Soccer Development Academies must commit to a nearly year-round season that effectively eliminates their ability to play for their school teams. They must become a soccer player and not much else.

One could argue that by skimming off the cream of the crop, more of the normally gifted athletes will have a chance to participate. However, this plus is microscopic compared to fate of the unfortunate one-trick ponies who have been robbed of the sense of community that comes when a student can play for his own school team.

One must wonder if premature overspecialization might also increase the risk of injury, an injury that might not have occurred had the youngster not burned his bridges to other sports. Even if one shares the vision of improving our ability to compete on the international stage, one must consider how many exceptional professional athletes excelled in several sports in high school. The strategy fails to acknowledge the well-known phenomenon of cross-sport skill development. And, are we now to believe that late-bloomers have become extinct?

While formalizing and fostering premature overspecialization seem like a bad idea to me now, I must admit that early in my parenting career I had a different view. Every parent who notices that his child can kick a ball farther than his preschool peers can fall victim to the seduction. Visions of Division I scholarships and professional signing bonuses can cloud a new parent’s fertile mind. Decisions to overcommit a child’s time and a family’s resources to a single activity can accumulate unchecked by reality. Sadly, when one child seems to have exceptional skills, siblings are relegated to a life as traveling spectators. Luckily, I was rescued by my wife and three children, whose good sense equaled their exceptional athletic skills.

Is this an issue for pediatricians to address with parents? Obviously, it pales in comparison to decisions about immunizations. But, I don’t hesitate to carefully share my views when the level of commitment seems to be having a negative influence on a child or his family.

Dr. Wilkoff practices general pediatrics in a multispecialty group practice in Brunswick, Maine. E-mail him at [email protected].

Brunswick, Maine, is a soccer town. Before 1970 it was a football town because that was the only game in town. But soccer rose in popularity, and now the Dragons are perennial contenders for and frequent winners of the State Class A title. Football faded and just barely survived.

Fortunately, my children began playing soccer when the sport was still a one-season activity. They were skilled enough to play on the early elite teams that rarely traveled across county or state lines to compete. But with each passing year, I have watched many of my patients being asked to make ever-greater commitments to soccer. A spring season was added to the traditional fall season, and indoor facilities were built. Now any child who seriously wants to play in high school is expected to sharpen his or her skills in a winter league. Elite teams now travel routinely out of state for weekend-long tournaments.

©photoaged/FOTOLIA

While some children abandon other sports when they are in middle school to put their eggs in the soccer basket, thankfully the majority continue to play one or two other sports in high school. I know that this trend toward premature overspecialization has reached further heights of absurdity in other communities. Luckily, Brunswick is a small town in a small state that is often shielded from some of the strongest winds of change.

However, the gale is growing stronger. The United States Soccer Federation has tilted the field even more toward premature overspecialization. A youngster who wants to participate in one of the federation’s U.S. Soccer Development Academies must commit to a nearly year-round season that effectively eliminates their ability to play for their school teams. They must become a soccer player and not much else.

One could argue that by skimming off the cream of the crop, more of the normally gifted athletes will have a chance to participate. However, this plus is microscopic compared to fate of the unfortunate one-trick ponies who have been robbed of the sense of community that comes when a student can play for his own school team.

One must wonder if premature overspecialization might also increase the risk of injury, an injury that might not have occurred had the youngster not burned his bridges to other sports. Even if one shares the vision of improving our ability to compete on the international stage, one must consider how many exceptional professional athletes excelled in several sports in high school. The strategy fails to acknowledge the well-known phenomenon of cross-sport skill development. And, are we now to believe that late-bloomers have become extinct?

While formalizing and fostering premature overspecialization seem like a bad idea to me now, I must admit that early in my parenting career I had a different view. Every parent who notices that his child can kick a ball farther than his preschool peers can fall victim to the seduction. Visions of Division I scholarships and professional signing bonuses can cloud a new parent’s fertile mind. Decisions to overcommit a child’s time and a family’s resources to a single activity can accumulate unchecked by reality. Sadly, when one child seems to have exceptional skills, siblings are relegated to a life as traveling spectators. Luckily, I was rescued by my wife and three children, whose good sense equaled their exceptional athletic skills.

Is this an issue for pediatricians to address with parents? Obviously, it pales in comparison to decisions about immunizations. But, I don’t hesitate to carefully share my views when the level of commitment seems to be having a negative influence on a child or his family.

Dr. Wilkoff practices general pediatrics in a multispecialty group practice in Brunswick, Maine. E-mail him at [email protected].

Brunswick, Maine, is a soccer town. Before 1970 it was a football town because that was the only game in town. But soccer rose in popularity, and now the Dragons are perennial contenders for and frequent winners of the State Class A title. Football faded and just barely survived.

Fortunately, my children began playing soccer when the sport was still a one-season activity. They were skilled enough to play on the early elite teams that rarely traveled across county or state lines to compete. But with each passing year, I have watched many of my patients being asked to make ever-greater commitments to soccer. A spring season was added to the traditional fall season, and indoor facilities were built. Now any child who seriously wants to play in high school is expected to sharpen his or her skills in a winter league. Elite teams now travel routinely out of state for weekend-long tournaments.

©photoaged/FOTOLIA

While some children abandon other sports when they are in middle school to put their eggs in the soccer basket, thankfully the majority continue to play one or two other sports in high school. I know that this trend toward premature overspecialization has reached further heights of absurdity in other communities. Luckily, Brunswick is a small town in a small state that is often shielded from some of the strongest winds of change.

However, the gale is growing stronger. The United States Soccer Federation has tilted the field even more toward premature overspecialization. A youngster who wants to participate in one of the federation’s U.S. Soccer Development Academies must commit to a nearly year-round season that effectively eliminates their ability to play for their school teams. They must become a soccer player and not much else.

One could argue that by skimming off the cream of the crop, more of the normally gifted athletes will have a chance to participate. However, this plus is microscopic compared to fate of the unfortunate one-trick ponies who have been robbed of the sense of community that comes when a student can play for his own school team.

One must wonder if premature overspecialization might also increase the risk of injury, an injury that might not have occurred had the youngster not burned his bridges to other sports. Even if one shares the vision of improving our ability to compete on the international stage, one must consider how many exceptional professional athletes excelled in several sports in high school. The strategy fails to acknowledge the well-known phenomenon of cross-sport skill development. And, are we now to believe that late-bloomers have become extinct?

While formalizing and fostering premature overspecialization seem like a bad idea to me now, I must admit that early in my parenting career I had a different view. Every parent who notices that his child can kick a ball farther than his preschool peers can fall victim to the seduction. Visions of Division I scholarships and professional signing bonuses can cloud a new parent’s fertile mind. Decisions to overcommit a child’s time and a family’s resources to a single activity can accumulate unchecked by reality. Sadly, when one child seems to have exceptional skills, siblings are relegated to a life as traveling spectators. Luckily, I was rescued by my wife and three children, whose good sense equaled their exceptional athletic skills.

Is this an issue for pediatricians to address with parents? Obviously, it pales in comparison to decisions about immunizations. But, I don’t hesitate to carefully share my views when the level of commitment seems to be having a negative influence on a child or his family.

Dr. Wilkoff practices general pediatrics in a multispecialty group practice in Brunswick, Maine. E-mail him at [email protected].