Many youth groups train in Phoenix. We get kids from all over the country who live here and train in their sport year round because of the Arizona weather. Unfortunately, this intensive training isolates a lot of children from their peer groups. Playing a single sport on a competitive travel team becomes a kind of a job for them. Often, they are pulled from school and, unfortunately, academics become less of a focus.
Considerable pressure from some coaches is another concern with very early sports specialization. Some coaches have a list of intense requirements that a child needs to meet in order to excel in that sport. This can be lot of pressure on a 7-year-old.
My general advice is that when you counsel parents, tell them to make sure their kid is having fun. The point of playing and joining sports teams is to have a good time. Take the emphasis off being competitive; that’s something that adults think is more important. Kids start playing sports because it’s fun.
Dr. Wilson is a sports medicine specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and a member of the pediatric faculty at the University of Arizona, Phoenix. She said she has no relevant financial disclosures.