If there is one question I get asked more than any other about kids and sports it is how much sports is enough? Or, to put it another way, is there such a thing as too much sports? You wouldn't think there could be such a thing as kids playing too much sports, what with the number of overweight and out of shape kids in this country, but there honestly is a point where a child is participating at a level beyond what his or her growing body can handle. In the end, finding the "right" amount is a question of finding the right balance. A good place to start in finding that balance is to look at the guidelines, based on age and developmental stage, developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness.
But before I outline the official recommendations for each age, I have to warn you:
these recommendations are likely not what you are doing or what your community
is advocating. At the moment, kids are being pushed harder than what the American Academy of Pediatrics and other sports experts are recommending. For now, just mull over the official recommendations; then we’ll tackle the question of how you can get closer
to what your child really needs given a youth sports culture that makes it
difficult to even come close to these standards.
Preschoolers are a wonderful and energetic group. But, developmentally, they are a still a bit like an unmolded mound of clay. They are still learning to move their bodies and have an unending need to explore the world. Often, there is a huge disconnect between what their minds want them to do and what their bodies are capable of doing. A good preschool program will be a well-tuned mix of skill-building and fun. This group needs to blow off steam and laugh. They need to learn while doing and exploring. The best programs will teach skills and reinforce those skills without your child really knowing they are being taught!
The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, has these recommendations for preschool sports programs:
The elementary school and tween years are an
interesting time for kids in general but especially for sports development. The
rapid growth makes some kids seem like
superstars while others can barely kick a ball. Studies have demonstrated no
correlation between prepubertal sports success and postpubertal sports success.
What this really means is kids who are superstars during this period not only
may not be superstars when their hormones kick in but other kids who once had
no apparent athletic skills may suddenly shine as they grow into their bodies during puberty.
This is a time where skill building and development of the entire body is important. The push for specialization driven by some of these kids becoming young superstars is creating a dramatic rise in overuse injuries in this group of kids, as well as emotional burn out.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness recommends [3] the following for these kids:
Older kids can handle more sports but programs still need to focus on self-esteem and empowerment. Fun still needs to be a large component, as does active participation by all members of the team. With so many kids getting reduced playing time on some teams as funa and skill development take a back seat to winning, one could easily argue that this point is not being advanced by most of our kids' youth sports programs.
Now that you have read these official recommendations, you can see where most youth sports programs fall short. The most blatant aspect missing for all our kids, at all ages, is the fun factor. Our children deserve fun and safe playing experiences on the field and more free time to explore the world off the field. We have to be sure they have a balance between structured and unstructured play and a childhood that takes into account all their needs. A focus on one to the exclusion of the other will have negative consequences. Keep that in mind and you’ll know when your child needs a redirect in their sports game plan.
Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD is a pediatrician living in the Boston area and the founder and Editor-In-Chief of Pediatrics Now [4]. [4]
Links:
[1] https://momsteam.com/node/1474
[2] https://momsteam.com/node/1061
[3] http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;107/6/1459.pdf
[4] http://www.pediatricsnow.com/
[5] https://momsteam.com/successful-parenting/unstructured-free-play-important-for-child-development-experts-say
[6] https://momsteam.com/successful-parenting/early-bloomers-late-bloomers-gifted-athlete-advantages-disadvantages
[7] https://momsteam.com/successful-parenting/youth-sports-parenting-basics/child-development/understanding-child-development
[8] https://momsteam.com/successful-parenting/setting-realistic-expectations-for-youth-athletes