All Articles by Brooke de Lench

The growth of early travel teams and specialization in single sport is not in the best interests of children.

Just getting your kids to all their activities can be exhausting to think about, unless you learn how to organize, prioritize and plan ahead.

An athlete who specializes early or plays on an ultra-competitive select team is at increased risk of burnout or withdrawal from sport as a result of chronic stress or burnout.

Early specialization and playing on a select or travel team take their toll on a child's growing bones, joints, and muscles. Prior to high school, most children are simply not physically mature enough to handle the stress that playing a single sport on a year-round or nearly year-round basis places on their bodies.

One of the reasons often cited for early specialization in a single sport is that it promotes the development of the skills a player is going to need to be a successful athlete as a high school player and beyond. The problem is that the emphasis of select teams on winning games and tournaments (the myth that "the more we win, the better we are") may actually deter your child's athletic development.

A failure to be organized can negatively affect the sports experience for everyone in the family - parent and child.

Mothers can play an important role in parenting male athletes, Moms can avoid reinforcing unhealthy gender stereotypes while providing their sons with healthy ways through sports to channel his aggressive impulses. Here are some steps mothers can take to help their sons have an enjoyable sports experience.

Boys, given the way they hard-wired, need sports and competition. But while sports for boys have enormous benefits, they also can create problems, including pressure to conform to macho gender stereotypes.