Exploring Coaches' Perceptions of Youth Sport Specialization: A Comparison of High School and Club Sport Contexts.

CONCLUSIONS: Club sport coaches were more likely to possess attitudes in favor of sport specialization. Additionally, coaches' background characteristics did not predict their perceptions of specialization, suggesting that the competitive context itself (high school versus club) may be the most salient influencer of these perceptions. Athletes and sports medicine practitioners should be aware of the heightened expectation of specialized participation and resulting increased injury risk in these contexts. Pediatric sport researchers and practitioners should continue to explore how these different group perceptions manifest in participation behaviors and may link to overall athlete health, wellbeing, and development. PMID: 31633416 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Journal of Athletic Training - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: J Athl Train Source Type: research