Try several sports, specialise late
What it is
Two or three different activities across the year beats one all year — fewer injuries, less dropout.
Always on
- Different movement patterns protect the growth plates that repetition irritates.
- Keep one full rest day a week and a real off-season.
- Specialising before about 14 raises injury and burnout risk without improving the long-term outcome.
Related
Sources
- Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020) — World Health Organization
- Bright Futures periodicity schedule — American Academy of Pediatrics
Compiled with AI assistance from the public sources listed above. Not yet reviewed by a clinician — check anything important against the source, with Tipat Halav or with your doctor.