While it's exciting that your daughter is passionate about softball, most pediatricians and child advocates recommend that parents prevent their tweens from specializing in one sport at such a young age. The reason is two-fold.
For starters, doctors are seeing an increasing number of sports-related injuries in children under the age of 15. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are more than 3.5 million sports-related injuries requiring medical attention each year. Many of these injuries are what's known as overuse injuries, or injuries that occur when children's bodies can't handle the physical stress of repetitive movements such as throwing or kicking.
The increase in sports-related injuries is partly due to the fact that children as young as 7 or 8 are participating on select teams, or play a single sport year around. Both behaviors can put a lot of stress on growing muscles and bones.Another reason you might want to reconsider sport specializing is that some research shows that girls who participate in intense training may suffer from other medical problems, such as stress or eating disorders.
It would probably be best to wait a few years before you allow your daughter to specialize in one sport. In the meantime, you can broaden her experiences by introducing her to other sports, as well as non-competitive sport options.
If you decide to allow your daughter to specialize in a single sport, keep a close eye on her progress and make sure that her training provides plenty of time for rest. Also, be sure that your daughter knows how to reduce the possibility of injury, and maintains a healthy outlook on training, exercise, and healthy living.
