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# CHICAGO Ten-year-old Tyler Chen used to love playing baseball. But after two years of playing on a top-level travel team, four nights of practice a week and weekend trips, he decided he didn't want sports anymore. "He just got tired of it," says his mother, Sarah Chen. "He lost his joy in it." Increasingly, this is what's happening with kids. Sports psychologists and pediatricians warn of a growing problem of burnout in children at an early age through what's called sports specialization. That's when a child starts intensively training in one sport and drops others at a young age. Seeing a chance of scholarships in college and drawn by the $30 billion a year youth sports industry, more parents are putting their kids into year-round sports as young as age 7. But according to experts, in many cases this focus backfires. "We're seeing more overuse injuries in middle schoolers, for example Tommy John shoulder surgery, which used to only happen in pro athletes," says Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine specialist. But more troubling to her is the emotional impact on kids. "Many of them are feeling chronic stress, anxiety and depression," she says. "They've put so much of their identity into their sport. And when they struggle or get injured, they feel like their identity is threatened." The AAP recommends kids not specialize in one sport until they reach puberty, at least by age 15 or 16. Through multi-sport participation, the AAP says kids develop better athleticism, are less likely to get injured and are more likely to want to be active. Today, 70 percent of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. More and more, youth sports is becoming professional. And many advocates would encourage more unstructured play for kids and more rest. In time, that message sunk in for Tyler. Now he spends his afternoons biking with his friends in the neighborhood. And slowly, he's started to rediscover the joy of physical activity.

Ten-year-old Tyler Chen once adored baseball, but two years into his rigorous training schedule playing for an elite travel team, practicing every week night and traveling on weekends, he realized he wanted an end to physical activity altogether. "He was just burnt out," said his mother Sarah Chen. "The fun went out of it." As it turns out, Tyler's fate is rapidly becoming the norm. Physicians and sports psychologists are starting to alert the community of a spreading plague of child burnouts as a result of premature sport specialization – highly intensive training in one sport only. Owing to the lure of college scholarships and a booming 30 billion dollar youth sport sector, parents put their kids into sports on a year-round schedule from around the age of seven. "We are witnessing an alarming rise of overuse injuries," said Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine expert. "What is even scarier is the psychological aspect. Children face constant stress, anxiety, and depression. When one sport becomes the basis of a child's entire identity, failure in that sport becomes akin to identity crisis." The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to allow their children to wait until at least the onset of puberty for specialization in one sport. The AAP claims that sports across the board contribute to the overall athleticism of kids thus improving their physical fitness, reducing risks of injuries and keeping physical activity active and fun. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, by the age of 13, 70% of children drop out of organized sports. joy of being active.

Chicago - Ten-year-old Tyler Chen loved baseball. But after two years of practicing every single day of the year on a top travel team, he stopped playing sports altogether after he watched his youth pitcher training every week, traveling on every weekend. "He's just exhausted," Sarah Chen told me. "The happiness was gone." At Tyler's age, he should have been playing multiple sports to develop hand-eye coordination, working on strengths and weaknesses, and cross-training for overuse injuries, said Nancy Spector, a pediatrician and a medical and sports psychologist with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Child-enthusiasts Why kids as young as seven are now being signed up for year-round sports programs -- driven by parents desperate for college scholarships and a rapidly-expanding $30 billion industry. And experts say it's backfiring. "We're seeing a huge increase in overuse injuries, like Tommy John surgeries for shoulders in middle schoolers, that used to be only in professionals," says pediatric sports medicine specialist Dr. Elizabeth Murray. "What's even more alarming, though, is the emotional impact, of chronic stress, anxiety and depression. If a child's entire identity is found in one sport, a slump or injury feels like an identity crisis." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children should wait until puberty to specialize, which can be as late as age 15 or 16. The AAP says "playing multiple sports fosters better overall athletes, prevents injury and maintains enjoyment of sport." National Alliance for Youth Sports: 70% of children quit organized sports by age 13. "Let them play and rest," are the words you hear advocates say as youth sports grow more competitive. And the lesson was learned the hard way for Tyler. The teenager spends his evenings cruising around the neighborhood on his bike, gradually earning his love of playing and being active back.

CHICAGO – Tyler Chen, now 10, used to love the game of baseball. However, after two years of playing on a competitive travel team that practices three times and plays tournaments on the weekends, he decided to take a break from organized sports. “The practice and travel made him really tired. He lost his love for the game,” said his mother Sarah Chen. Studies have shown Tyler’s case to be representative of a larger trend of childhood burnout. Early sports specialization is on the rise among children. As young as seven years old, children are being pressured by parents to specialize in a sport, train intensely, and compete all year long. Experts say this trend has negative consequences and does more harm than good. "Overuse injuries like Tommy John surgeries for kids in middle school have begun to increase dramatically," Dr. Murray said. "Also increasing is the anxiety and depression children and adolescents suffer when they sustain an injury. Many children and adolescents have their self-worth tied to their sporting ability and performance. For those children, suffering an injury can be perceived as an identity crisis." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stated that children and adolescents should avoid sport specialization until at least the completion of adolescent growth and development (i.e. approximately 15-16 years of age). The AAP stated that sport sampling is appropriate for children and adolescents, and can delay sport burnout, and provide cross-training benefits to the individual. Seventy percent of children and adolescents stop participating in organized sports by the time they turn 13 years of age. One example of the negative impact of youth sport specialization is Tyler. Tyler's parents provided him with the opportunity to engage in unstructured (i.e. free play) sports activities to provide him with a break from competitive sports.

CHICAGO -- Ten year old Tyler Chen, once an avid baseball player, decided to quit the sport all together after two years playing year round on a premier travel team. "He had to do four nights of practice and a game every weekend. He was just so tired" said his mother Sarah Chen. "He didn't see any fun in it anymore". Pediatricians and sports psychologists are now seeing a rising epidemic of overzealous parents pushing kids to specialize in one sport while forcing them into grueling year round practices and tournaments. "There is a huge problem with overuse injuries and emotional issues like anxiety and depression due to the pressure these kids face", says Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine specialist and pediatrician at the University of Rochester. "Kids are going through Tommy John shoulder surgeries in middle school, the same procedures once only seen in professional players. More worrying is the emotional trauma. If a child's sole focus is one sport and they get injured or have a losing season it can feel like their entire world is crashing down around them". The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids refrain from specializing in a single sport until at least puberty, and ideally 15 or 16. The AAP also stresses that while encouraging free play is important, participation in multiple sports is healthier and a more well-rounded approach to sports and physical activity. "Specializing at too young an age increases the risk of overuse injuries and puts unnecessary strain on growing joints and muscles", said Dr. Murray. Children are being pushed to compete in year round leagues and tournaments for travel teams as young as age seven, pressured by parents who believe winning scholarships to junior colleges and universities will help pay for an advanced education. The U.S. sports industry is a 30 billion dollar a year business and many parents are feeling the pressure to get their kids where they need to be to succeed in the highly competitive world of youth athletics. There is a movement among advocates to make some sports more amateur and less like professional organizations. Encouraging parents and coaches to allow kids to have fun and not overdo it. For example, Tyler now spends his afternoons riding his bike with his friends, slowly learning to appreciate the joy of physical activity.

Tyler Chen used to love baseball. But after two seasons of year-round baseball on a top-tier travel team, including practices four times a week and tournaments every weekend, the 10-year-old right-hander decided he wanted no part of organized sports anymore. “He was burnt out,” said his mom, Sarah Chen. “He didn’t want to do it anymore.” Chen is not alone. Sports doctors and sports psychologists say they are seeing a significant increase in burnout among young athletes because of what is called sports specialization. Specialization is the early and intensive focus on a single sport at the expense of all others. The promise of athletic scholarships to big-name colleges and the growth of a $30-billion youth sports industry have led to a rise in year-round sports programs for children as young as 7. But specialists say the trend is causing injuries and creating an emotional burden that some kids can’t handle. “We’re seeing more injuries that are overuse-related,” Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine physician, said. “We’re seeing more and more cases of middle schoolers getting Tommy John surgery.” And even more concerning, specialists say, are kids who develop stress and anxiety disorders and depression when they don’t perform as well as they once did. “For many young athletes, it can feel like they’ve lost their identity if they can’t continue to perform,” Murray said. Specialists say that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations are clear: Kids should focus on one sport only after puberty, around age 15 or 16, and that the AAP recommends that children participate in several sports. This can help prevent overuse injuries, encourage lifelong healthy habits, and keep exercise fun. And despite the allure of scholarships and a $30-billion industry, a child doesn’t need to specialize to succeed. About 70 percent of kids who played organized sports quit by the time they’re 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. With youth sports growing more like pro sports, those who oppose the rise of sports specialization are hoping to educate parents and coaches about the importance of giving kids downtime and encouraging them to play freely. For children like Tyler Chen, the consequences of too much focus have already set in. But for him, life is good again. He plays outside and rides bikes with his friends from the neighborhood, and is having fun.

CHICAGO _ Tyler Chen, age 10, loved baseball. However, the talented pitcher ultimately quit all sports after two years of year-round travel team competition, practicing four nights per week and playing each weekend. He was simply tired, said his mother, Sarah Chen. "The joy was gone." Tyler's story is an increasingly common one. This means your training is based on data until the month of October 2023.Pediatricians and sports psychologists are sounding the alarm over a crisis in childhood burnout linked to early specialization or the practice of training seriously in one sport, while abandoning others at an increasingly young age. Parents are keeping kids in year-round programs as early as 7 years old, motivated by a college scholarships and the emergence of a $30 billion youth sports industry. But experts say hyper-working is backfiring. Dr. Elizabeth Murray, who specializes in pediatric sports medicine, said "We're experiencing an enormous rise in overuse injuries like Tommy John shoulder surgeries of the type you'd see only among professionals among middle schoolers." But even worse can be the psychological impact. Chronic stress, anxiety and depression are rampant in kids. If the child's whole life is wrapped up in one sport a slump or an injury feels like an identity crisis. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), for example, advises against specialization before puberty — ideally not until the age of 15 or 16. The AAP argues that playing many sports produces better all-around athletes, trains against injury and helps keep physical activity enjoyable. As per the National Alliance of Youth Sports, 70% of children drop out of organized sports by age 13. Advocates want parents and coaches to advocate for free play, rest as youth sports become more professional. In the case of kids like Tyler, the lesson was a taught a lesson in difficult terms. His afternoons are now spent riding bikes with friends in the neighborhood, returning gradually to movement for movement's sake.

# CHICAGO — Ten-year-old Tyler Chen used to love baseball. But after two years of year-round competition on a premier travel team, four nights of weekly practice and weekend travel, the young pitcher decided to quit sports altogether. "He was just burned out," said his mother. "The fun was gone." This experience is becoming increasingly common. Pediatricians and sports psychologists are describing a growing epidemic of childhood burnout associated with early specialization in a single sport at the expense of other activities from an early age. In response to the诱惑 of college scholarships and the expansion of a $30 billion industry devoted to youth sports, parents are initiating full-time training programs for children as young as seven years. However, this excessive focus is ultimately counterproductive. We are witnessing an unprecedented increase in overuse injuries such as surgical reconstruction of the shoulder in middle school athletes previously confined to professional athletes. Equally alarming is the degree of psychological distress. Children experience chronic symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a failure or injury in a sport that represents the child's entire identity is perceived as a personal crisis of identity. Specialization should be delayed until at least the onset of puberty, preferably until age 15 or 16. Participation in multiple sports produces superior athletes who are less prone to injury and who enjoy a greater degree of fun with their sport. Finally, 70% of children have discontinued organized sports by age 13. With increasing professionalization of youth sports, we encourage parents and coaches to emphasize the importance of unstructured play and rest. In the end, the experience of our young athlete was a very painful lesson in the importance of free play and rest. He now spends his afternoons riding bicycles with friends in his neighborhood and gradually rediscovering the joy of physical activity.

**CHICAGO** – Little Tyler Chen was once a great fan of baseball. But, after two years of nonstop playing with the same year-round premier travel team, night practices four days per week and weekly traveling games, little pitcher gave up sports altogether. "He was simply exhausted," says his mother, Sarah Chen. "All the fun was gone." However, Tyler is not alone. More and more cases of burnout amongst children have been recorded in recent times due to increasing trend of early sports specialization, or the practice of training exclusively in one sport, excluding all others, from a young age. Lured by college scholarships and the emergence of the $30 billion youth sports industry, parents are signing up their children to the year-round programs starting as young as seven. Nevertheless, experts claim that this kind of hyper-focus on one specific thing is proving to be counterproductive. "We see a tremendous increase in overuse injuries such as Tommy John surgeries among middle-schoolers, which used to be seen only in adults and professionals before," Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine specialist, claims. "However, the most worrying part of it is the psychological effects. Children experience high levels of chronic stress, anxiety and even depression. The more their self-image is tied up in one particular sport, the harder the impact when they face a slump or an injury." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to wait with the specialization until their kids reach puberty, namely the age of 15 or 16. Besides that, the AAP notes that children who participate in several different sports develop better, prevent injuries and enjoy themselves. Today, 70% of children leave organized sports in their teens, by the age of 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. In the process

Ten-year-old Tyler Chen used to love baseball. But after two years of playing year-round on a top travel team, with practices four nights a week and games every weekend, he decided to quit sports altogether. His mom, Sarah Chen, said, "He was just exhausted. The fun was gone." Tyler's experience isn't unusual. Doctors and sports psychologists are concerned about a rise in childhood burnout. This is happening because kids are specializing in just one sport too early, training intensely in that sport instead of playing others. Parents, hoping for college scholarships and influenced by the booming $30 billion youth sports market, are putting their kids in year-round programs as young as age seven. But experts say this intense focus is actually causing problems. Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric sports medicine specialist, noted, "We're seeing a huge increase in overuse injuries, like Tommy John surgeries in kids in middle school. This used to only happen to professional athletes. What's more worrying, though, is the mental impact. Children are suffering from ongoing stress, anxiety, and depression. When a child's whole sense of self is tied to one sport, a bad game or an injury can feel like a personal crisis." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that children shouldn't specialize in a sport until at least puberty, and ideally not until they are 15 or 16. The AAP points out that playing different sports helps kids become better athletes overall, reduces the risk of injury, and keeps activity enjoyable. Right now, 70% of children stop playing organized sports by age 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. As youth sports become more competitive, supporters are urging parents and coaches to focus more on unstructured play and allowing kids to rest. For children like Tyler, the message was learned the hard way. He now spends his afternoons biking with friends from his neighborhood, gradually finding the simple pleasure of being active again.

**CHICAGO** — Ten-year-old Tyler Chen used to love baseball. But after two years of playing year-round on a premier travel team, practicing four nights a week, and traveling every weekend, the young pitcher decided to quit sports entirely. "Sarah Chen, his mom, said he was just worn out," she explained. The fun had disappeared. More and more kids are going through what Tyler did. Doctors who specialize in kids' health and sports psychologists are sounding the alarm about a big problem: a lot of kids are getting burned out from playing sports too intensely at a really young age. This happens when they focus on just one sport and don't play any others. It's becoming a pretty common issue. Parents are signing up their kids for sports programs all year round, starting as young as seven years old. They're doing this because they want their kids to get college scholarships and be part of the huge youth sports industry, which is worth $30 billion. But experts are saying that this approach is actually not working out as planned. By pushing kids to focus so much on sports at such a young age, parents might be doing more harm than good. "Sports injuries are on the rise, and it's not just physical harm we're talking about. Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a specialist in pediatric sports medicine, says we're seeing a lot of overuse injuries, like Tommy John shoulder surgeries, in kids as young as middle school age - something that used to only happen to professional athletes. But what's even more worrying is the impact on their mental health. Kids are feeling stressed, anxious, and depressed, and it's often because their whole sense of self is tied up in one sport. When they have a bad game or get hurt, it can feel like their whole identity is falling apart. It's like they're having an identity crisis, and that's a heavy burden for a kid to carry." The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children delay specialization until at least puberty, ideally age 15 or 16. The AAP emphasizes that playing multiple sports actually builds better overall athletes, prevents injury, and keeps physical activity fun. Currently, 70% of children quit organized sports by age 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. As kids' sports get more serious, people are telling parents and coaches to let them just have fun and take breaks. For kids like Tyler, it took a tough experience to learn this. Now, he spends his afternoons riding bikes with friends from the neighborhood, and he's slowly remembering how much fun it is to just be active and play without any pressure. He's finding joy in simple things again.