Early Specialisation vs Early Diversification
6
Audio Transcript Auto-generated
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we live in a society where professional athletes of the
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idols for many of our youth and are under ever
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increasing scrutiny from media outlets to perform at a level
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that is close to perfection.
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Therefore it should come as no real surprise to us
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that parents and young athletes alike believe that specializing in
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a single sport from a young age will give them
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the advantage that is needed to achieve a level supporting
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success. Although this may not be the case in the
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following presentation, I'll break down the contemporary debate between early
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specialization and early diversification, offering what some of the benefits
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are for early diversification and sampling, as well as the
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consequences and risks associated with early specialization.
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Well, then offer two examples of elite sportsmen who have
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used both of these theories before finally wrapping it up
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using uh, with my recommendations for coaches and parents within
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this youth sports community space.
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Okay, so firstly, what is early specialization authors like padre
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a el define it using free criteria.
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The first is that participation must be an intensive training
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or competition in organized sports for longer than eight months
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per year.
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Secondly, participation must be in one sport completely exclusive of
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any other sports or games.
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And thirdly, involves pre puberty, Children, Roughly around the age
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of 12 years.
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Mm right, Yeah.
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So where did this theory even come from?
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According to research the origins of early single sport specialization,
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I said to begun to begin in Eastern europe with
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success and olympic sports programs um, with within sports such
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as gymnastics, swimming and figure skating.
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However, in Western literature.
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The 10 year old or 10,000, our theory devised by
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researchers, Simon Chase a great success in music initially and
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later paved the way for early specialization of Western culture.
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Mhm. This 10,000.
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Our theory is essentially that that is the time it
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takes for 10 years to gain expertise in a particular
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skill. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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What are the potential consequences of early specialization?
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Firstly, there is the chance for burnout.
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Burnout can look like many different things that can can
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lead to stress and anxiety can be over use of
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one's body.
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Um And it could even come in the form of
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withdrawing from the sport.
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You can also create isolation from peers.
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Uh changing the normal identity development of a child as
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well as an increased chance of injury.
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However, what I see to be most important or sorry,
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most consequential from early specialization as a lack of a
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well rounded athlete ability is defined as someone's psych a
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motive, cognitive affective and social demands.
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And if someone is training is purely for expertise or
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skill acquisition, then cognitive affective and social domains are all
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affected negatively.
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This also means that the skills that are being developed
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only within a specific sport.
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So this may mean that different motor skills become much
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tougher to to develop in the process as well.
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Mhm. Mhm.
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So an example for of someone who was a massive
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advocate for early specialization as Tiger Woods.
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So I go has often been the top of the
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poster boy for early specialization.
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Um sure, mainly due to the fact that he has
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had so much professional success as a golfer starting as
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early as two, he was touted as a child Prodigy
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going on tv as you can see on the top
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right photo and press and showing his impressive skills and
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abilities. Um and his father Earl Woods was his only
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coach along the way as a youngster.
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However, as I was growing older, his um trouble was
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followed in both inside and outside of gulf with a
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number of injuries as well as a fears and drug
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abuse. So although it's nearly impossible to associate these problems
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too early specialization itself, it doesn't make me wonder whether
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a lack of a true childhood has led to some
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of these burnout like actions that have been displayed into
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adulthood from target.
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Mhm. So opposing early specialization is early identification.
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Uh this is where youth are encouraged to play multiple
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sports and develop skills through the use of play practice
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and a diverse range of games.
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It has also been the term has also been used
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or been called sampling.
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Okay, Although there is still a lot of research that
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needs to be done in this area.
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Researchers like padre.
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It, I'll propose that development model sports participation framework with
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the following key postulates or recommendations first is that early
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diversification does not hinder elite performance and is linked to
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long term sport participation.
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Ultimately, for me this should be the goal as a
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new sports coach to keep kids within the sport and
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to foster a love of physical education as they grow
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from young adults into adults.
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Yeah, they also state that deliberate play establishes motor and
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cognitive experiences that Children can bring to their chosen support
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And building on this.
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Um late adolescence was around 16 year olds will have
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developed sufficient cognitive effective and motor skills needed before investing
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their time into specialized training into their primary support if
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they wish to do so here in New Zealand were
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rather lucky.
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Um is this idea of early diversification across crosswords is
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an area where sport.
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New Zealand, I look at the upscale, our community coaches
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and parents.
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Um this is most noticeable through the use of the
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balance is better philosophy.
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Some of the key principles of the balance is better.
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Philosophy are as follows.
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Sport is for all kiwis irrespective of their level or
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who they are.
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Um Talent identification should occur later in young people's development,
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adults need to monitor signs of overuse among keen youth
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and all young people should be encouraged to play a
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range of sports, although these are great, it is important
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that as parents and as coaches, we make sure that
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these are put into action and they aren't just words
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or aren't just principles that are put up on sport.
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New Zealand website to look good.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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Yeah. Uh huh.
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So finally my example of support diversification is a former
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Tiger boy student, Michael Collins.
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I personally think Michael Collins embodies what makes you well
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rounded athlete.
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He was the 1st 15 captain and an exceptional cricket
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player for the 1st 11.
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Being named MvP of the national schoolboy cricket competition Gillette
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cup. Although he ended up choosing to play rugby and
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having a very successful professional career.
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I have both read recently and also been told by
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his previous school board coaches and rugby and cricket that
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his attitude and mentality um was what set him apart
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from other sportsmen.
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Michael played cricket up into his final year to target
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boys high school and there is no doubt in my
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mind that is cognitive and effective skills as well as
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social skills were enhanced alongside a socom psycho motor skills
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were playing sport or sport.
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This can be seen as Michael was a leader in
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both the Targo the highlanders um and he was in
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the blue set up as well um being taught to
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be one of the great teammates that they all had
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to conclude there is a growing amount of literature um
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that is coming out debunking the need for early specialization
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examining the importance of early sampling or diversification that may
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lead to a long term love of sport within our
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young kids, kids.
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After my investigation into specialization and diversification, I personally recommend
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that our youth should be encouraged to sample a range
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of diverse sports before specializing in a specific sport later
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into their teenage years, but only if they are motivated
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to do so.
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Thank you for listening.