The Effect of Single Sport Specialization in Youth Sports: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: Large numbers of youth participate in both team and individual sports. In recent years, sports specialization has become increasingly popularized in younger athletes. There is concern that early sports specialization increases the risk of overuse injuries in youth athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of sport specialization in youth athletes, and prospectively examine whether specialization correlates with an increased incidence of athletic injury.