![sports source 2 sports source 2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P98faQuIsek/maxresdefault.jpg)
These definitions exclude athletes who perform a large volume of intense training in a single sport throughout the year but still compete in others concomitantly and those who train intensely in a single sport during parts of the year with variable year-round participation. 42 The distinction of sports specialization should really be focused on children who commit exclusively to a sport during the early-to-middle elementary school years, since later specialization is very common and almost standard in today’s society. 14 Soberlak and Côté developed a different approach when evaluating elite hockey players: sampling (ages 6-12 years), specializing (ages 13-15 years), and investment (ages 16+ years).
![sports source 2 sports source 2](https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/1717568/apex-legends-crash-site.jpg)
16 Côté et al further characterizes the intense training as the ultimate purpose of improving performance (“deliberate practice”) as opposed to enjoyment of the activity (“deliberate play”). 23 Ericsson et al proposed 3 stages in becoming a specialist or expert musician: (1) start at an early age, (2) specialize and increase participation, and (3) dedicate full-time commitment. Some advocate that a minimum volume of training is required to meet the definition, 16, 42 while others define specialization as simply limiting participation to a single sport on a year-round basis, regardless of training volume. 29, 35 Variations on this general theme exist, with disagreement on what volume of training constitutes “intense” and whether year-round participation or exclusion of all other sports is essential for classifying an athlete as specialized. Sports specialization is defined as intense, year-round training in a single sport with the exclusion of other sports. If the child has an injury as a result of training, the medical provider may treat the injury but may not have enough information to provide appropriate training recommendations for injury prevention. The parent may acknowledge and encourage increased participation, not want to interfere with the child-coach relationship, and/or assume that this path is necessary for continued success. 23 This may create a disconnect: initially, a parent introduces the child to the sport successes follow then the coach encourages specialized training to achieve higher level success. 8 Similarly, a survey of 153 high school athletic directors suggested that coaches were the most powerful influence to specialize in a single sport. 42Ī survey of elite young athletes (Training of Young Athletes Study) found that parents were the strongest influence on the initiation of a sport (gymnastics, tennis, swimming, soccer) while coaches were the strongest influence on their decision to perform intense training. In contrast, others believe that fewer hours are needed to achieve elite-level skills and that intense specialized training is more effective during later stages of development. Lesser practice and a delayed start resulted in less expertise. This intense practice is more likely to be successful if begun during the early years of development. 16 To achieve expertise, musicians must practice 10 000 hours over 10 years.
![sports source 2 sports source 2](https://az687141.vo.msecnd.net/6049a72721454fa9a416cd4451a915d3/Images/Products19410-832x832-649292801.jpg)
Ericsson et al defined the necessary components for expert skill acquisition in musicians, and these concepts have been extrapolated to sports. The amount of training necessary to develop elite-level sports skills has long been debated.
![sports source 2 sports source 2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CokQcH77Ew0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Consequently, many children and adolescents participating in sports now aspire to achieve elite levels. 35, 44 This evolution in youth sports may have developed as a result of society’s increasing regard for successful athletes, who enjoy significant recognition and financial rewards for their achievements. 12, 32 Emphasis is placed on developing and attaining sufficient skill levels to excel at many levels of athletics.
SPORTS SOURCE 2 FREE
Youth sports participation has evolved from child-driven, recreational free play for enjoyment to adult-driven, highly structured, deliberate practice devoted to sports-specific skill development.