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Sports specialization before puberty is becoming the norm in youth sports. In an updated clinical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness argues against this trend. Highlights from the report are as follows:
Early diversification with late specialization permits young athletes to experience a variety of physical, cognitive, affective, and psychosocial environments. The skills acquired from diversification can be applied to a variety of sports and permit athletes to specialize when they get older.
Early diversification increases the probability of sustained participation in sports, “fostering positive peer relationships and leadership skills, and creating intrinsic motivation through participation in e…