OT: doctors and coaches worry that kids are playing too much basketball

[Cheriehoop]

I feel like it depends on the position in baseball. Pitching can be extremely strenuous on a young persons arm as throwing overhand is a unnatural motion. And being a catcher can be very rough on your back and hips.

And knees. My youngest son was a catcher through college and ended up with 2 major back surgeries by the age of 20 after his junior year that ended his college baseball career.

 

[Brooky03]

The genie is out of the bottle on the one sport kid, who is an economy of his own. Special coaching and camps, year round travel, showcases, etc. A lot of people making money off a kid (or more likely his parents) with a dream of scholly or pay check. Only way to put the genie back is providing proof that it is dangerous.

‘Dangerous’ is relative. I’ve been seeing references to an increased injury risk of about 20-40% for specialized athletes. Sounds like a big increase but I think the standard injury risk/rate is pretty low. Let’s say it’s 5% (I assume this is on the high end). That would increase the risk from 5% to 7%. Not an insignificant change, but not a drastic change either.

Most kids who play sports won’t get a significant injury. That seems to be true for specialization and non-specialization. It’s like the football concussion issue. Most football players won’t have even minor brain damage, but some will. Is ‘some’ enough to keep kids away? Depends who ya ask, I suppose.