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College Recruits Feel the Pressure of Specialization

By Jasmine Middleton, Youth1, 05/24/18, 12:00PM PDT

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“I have seen so many kids get burned out because they have given up their other sports for one, and by the time college comes around they don’t even want to play anymore.”

Single-sport specialization among young kids is on the rise. According to a March 2017 study by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 45 percent of high school athletes said they only play one sport. This percentage has gone up drastically in recent years.

For youth who dream of playing at the next level, many may believe they can only play collegiately if they focus on one sport the whole year. The reality, however, is college coaches see few benefits to specializing in one sport at a young age.