Should young athletes specialize early or play multiple sports?
I've been coaching youth soccer for six years, and I notice parents increasingly push kids toward early specialization in one sport, hoping for college scholarships or pro careers. But I also see burnout and overuse injuries rising — we had two 13-year-olds with stress fractures last season alone. My question is: should young athletes play multiple sports until they're older, or is focusing on one sport the better path to elite performance?