High School Sport Specialization and Injury in Collegiate Club-Sport Athletes

Abstract

Context: Sport specialization during adolescence may affect future injury risk. This association has been demonstrated in some professional sports athletes. Objective: Determine the association between adolescent sport specialization levels in high school and injuries sustained during collegiate club sports. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Paper and online surveys. Patients: Collegiate club sport athletes. Intervention: An anonymous survey was administered from September 2019–May 2020. The survey included sport specialization classification via commonly used 3-point scale (Low, Moderate, High) for each high school year (9th–12th), high school sports participation, and collegiate club sport injury history. The number of years an individual was highly specialized in high school was calculated (0–4 years). Individuals who participated in the same sport in high school and college were compared to individuals who were playing a different sport in college than their high school sports. Main Outcome Measures: An injury related to sport club activities and classified as arising from a contact, non-contact, or overuse mechanism that required the individual to seek medical treatment or diagnosis. Injuries were classified into overuse and acute injury mechanisms for the upper and lower extremity, (UE and LE respectively) and head/neck. Results: Single sport participation or number of years highly specialized in high school sport were not associated with college club sport injuries (p>0.1). Individuals who played a different collegiate club sport than their high school sports were more likely to report a LE and head/neck acute injury compared to athletes who played the same collegiate and high school sport (LE=20% vs 8%, χ2=7.4 p=0.006; head/neck=16% vs 3%, χ2=19.4 p<0.001). Conclusions: Adolescent sport specialization was not associated with reported club sport injuries in collegiate club sport athletes. Collegiate club sport athletic trainers should be aware that incoming students exploring a new sport may be at risk for LE and head/neck acute injuries.

Contribution of sex, sports and activity types and curriculum load distribution to intracurricular injury risk in physical education teacher education: a cohort study

“…In contrast, expertise from extracurricular sports participation might influence injury risks for specific intracurricular sports. 36 These and other possible factors contributing to intracurricular injury risks need to be investigated from a socioecological perspective to develop adequate preventive and rehabilitative measures. 10 A limitation of our analyses based on incidence rates is that the burden of injuries, apart from incidence rate, exposure time and the number of participants, is affected by the injury duration.…”

“…High increases in cumulative intracurricular and extracurricular exposure times might contribute to higher injury risks during the first year. In contrast, expertise from extracurricular sports participation might influence injury risks for specific intracurricular sports 36. These and other possible factors contributing to intracurricular injury risks need to be investigated from a socioecological perspective to develop adequate preventive and rehabilitative measures 10…”

Early single sport specialization does not improve pitching velocity, motion, strength, or utilization in high school baseball pitchers

“…In our study, single-sport specialization was common, but 47% of pitchers still played other sports. Biese et al (2021) 2 conducted a survey study and found that 79% of collegiate athletes were multisport athletes in high school. Rugg et al (2020) 22 conducted a similar survey study of collegiate athletes and found that baseball athletes were more likely to specialize later in their careers than gymnasts, tennis players, swimmers, and soccer players.…”

“… 10 , 18 , 19 , 20 Two prior survey studies at the collegiate level were unable to find any association between injury and a history of single-sport specialization. 2 , 22 However, a study of professional baseball players did demonstrate a relationship between early single-sport specialization and injury while playing professionally. 25 Two prior studies at the high school level have demonstrated an association between single-sport specialization and risk for injury in high school athletes.…”

“… 9 10 , 18 , 19 , 20 For instance, two prior survey studies of collegiate athletes were not able to demonstrate any association between single-sport specialization in the precollege years and injury during their college careers. 2 , 22 However, several prior studies have demonstrated a relationship between single-sport specialization and injury in professional basketball players, 23 professional baseball players, 25 and high school athletes. 1 , 17 …”