The starting point guard on our varsity basketball team wants to play football this Fall. Someone asked me if I was OK with that. I gave an emphatic “Yes!” and flabbergasted the questioners with my enthusiasm.
Why? It’s because of a trend toward “sports specialization” in our culture. “These Kids are Ticking Time Bombs” is the title of a recent ESPN article discussing youth basketball (that transcends the sport of basketball). It raises statistical concern regarding specialization in today’s youth sport culture.
This article mainly talks about basketball, and the common questions you might have about the sport, but tennis and volleyball are mentioned as well. I believe this concept transcends the specific sport and more gives credence to support my answer of why I have no problem with my starting point guard playing football this season.
I believe this article speaks more eloquently to the topic than I can do justice. (Warning: Kobe Bryant uses some colorful words at the end of the article.) While the science and statistics are overwhelmingly obvious, we live in a time where youth sports are highly specialized, demanding results that unfortunately are statistically not a reality.
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