3 Reasons to Encourage Your Child to Play Multiple Sports

At Goldsmith Podiatry, we know that our Manhattan parents are concerned about sports injuries due to overuse happening to their children. You may think that the more sports your child plays the greater the risk for an overuse injury, but actually that’s not the case. According to research done by the National Council of Youth Sports children who specialize in one sport, particularly from a young age, leads to higher injury rates. Below are three reasons to let your child play multiple sports.

Decreased Risk of Overuse Injuries

As mentioned above, youth who specialize and play just one sport are more likely to sustain overuse injuries as a result. A high level of specialization is defined as playing a single sport for more than eight months of the year or playing a single sport for more hours per week than the age of the child. In a growing child bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are continually developing. Playing a single sport puts repetitive strain on specific body parts for long periods. Common injury-prone areas include feet, ankles, knees, hips elbows, shoulders, and low back. Allowing your child to play several different sports throughout the year means more parts of the body being used for a shorter duration.

More Time to Recover

Rest is crucial for the body to repair and strengthen itself. Most exercise programs recommend a day of rest between strenuous workouts and even professional athletes have an off-season. Expecting youth to play one sport year-round does not allow that recovery to occur. Children up to the age of about 15 have growth plates where new bone tissue is forming until they are fully developed. These growth plates can be damaged if they are subject to continual stress. Sever’s disease—an inflammation of the growth plate at the back of the heel—is one example of a growth plate condition that many youth suffer with. Without rest periods, the bone at the growth plate can fragment or grow abnormally causing problems in the future.

Better for Mental Health

If your child is dreaming of a professional sport, the best pathway to achieving this is by not playing only that one sport. Youth who are single-sport athletes are much more prone to fatigue, burnout, and quitting. A variety of sports will expose your child to a variety of teammates and coaches which is beneficial to developing minds as well as bodies.

If at any time you are concerned about sport injuries to your child’s toes, feet or ankles contact our Upper West Side office by calling 212-877-1002 for an appointment. Our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia, or Dr. Kristina Ruff will diagnose any conditions or injuries and help your young athlete play their best.