Are Sports Failing Our Children?

The days of playing kickball or neighborhood basketball have been replaced with competitive sports.

- Adrian H. Wood

This refers to today’s trend in which a child plays one sport and plays it intensely. Children as young as 7 are specializing in one sport, year-round, at a highly competitive level and often on multiple teams. Sports specialization schools that combine sports training with academics are also operating across the United States.

Parents like me are left wondering if this is a good thing. Let’s review research from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Aug. 29, 2016 report, “Sports Specialization and Intensive Training in Young Athletes.”

1. Sports are most beneficial because they: foster an enjoyment of physical activity and naturalize socialization with peers; offer a positive experience of team effort; and heighten self-confidence. Children who play sports report a high level of satisfaction and enjoyment.