Quantifying Parental Influence on Youth Athlete Specialization: A Survey of Athletes’ Parents

Abstract

Background:Youth athlete specialization has been linked to decreased enjoyment, burnout, and increased injury risk, although the impact of specialization on athletic success is unknown. The extent to which parents exert extrinsic influence on this phenomenon remains unclear.Purpose/Hypothesis:The goal of this study was to assess parental influences placed on young athletes to specialize. It was hypothesized that parents generate both direct and indirect pressures on specialized athletes.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A survey tool was designed by an interdisciplinary medical team to evaluate parental influence on youth specialization. Surveys were administered to parents of the senior author’s orthopaedic pediatric patients.Results:Of the 211 parents approached, 201 (95.3%) completed the assessment tool. One-third of parents stated that their children played a single sport only, 53.2% had children who played multiple sports but had a favorite sport, and 13.4% had children who balanced their multiple sports equally. Overall, 115 (57.2%) parents hoped for their children to play collegiately or professionally, and 100 (49.7%) parents encouraged their children to specialize in a single sport. Parents of highly specialized and moderately specialized athletes were more likely to report directly influencing their children’s specialization (P = .038) and to expect their children to play collegiately or professionally (P = .014). Finally, parents who hired personal trainers for their children were more likely to believe that their children held collegiate or professional aspirations (P = .009).Conclusion:Parents influence youth athlete specialization both directly and by investment in elite coaching and personal instruction. Parents of more specialized athletes exert more influence than parents of unspecialized athletes.

Attitudes and Beliefs towards Sport Specialization, College Scholarships, and Financial Investment among High School Baseball Parents

“…These results are consistent with previous research in a larger sample of 1000 parents of adolescent athletes from various sports, which reported that only 43% of parents believed that specialization increased the chances of overuse injury [9]. Previously, sport specialization has been repeatedly identified as a risk factor for injury in various sports [4][5][6]16], although evidence for an association between specialization in baseball and overuse injury is mixed [17]. Our results indicate that many parents may not be aware of the research linking specialization with an increased risk of injury, or perhaps more likely, view the potential benefits of specialization as outweighing the potential injury consequences.…”

Associations of Early Sport Specialization and High Training Volume With Injury Rates in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes

“…5,9 The impetus for this shift toward specialization is likely multifactorial, perhaps stemming from the desire for a competitive advantage, the possibility for scholarships, the positive public perception of elite athletes, or pressure from coaches 33,43 or parents. [6][7][8]32 The concern with this trend of early sport specialization (ESS) and an increased early high training volume (HTV) in youth athletes is that there may be a potential for an increased risk of overuse/overload injuries 12,13,16 as well as acute injuries requiring surgery. ESS and the injuries that can accompany it may also lead to burnout, fear of reinjuries, difficulty returning to preinjury skill levels, and early sport retirement.…”

Can We Reduce the Epidemic of Elbow Injuries in Youth Throwers?

“…13 The relative risk of injury was significantly higher in ultracompetitive regions known to produce high-level collegiate prospects. 18,19 As health care providers become increasingly aware of the epidemic of elbow injuries in young baseball players, accurate distribution of preventative information to the baseball community is necessary. This begins with expanding the role of clinicians from a focus on treatment to a focus on preventative education.…”