Word of the Day
Sport specialization means devoting the majority of training and competition to a single sport, sport discipline or position. Sports requiring flexibility and acrobatic skills such as gymnastics, diving or figure skating, where athletes compete at high levels younger than in most other sports, are called “early specialization” sports. Most other sports, where top athletes are in their 20s or older, are called “normal specialization” sports. Early overspecialization – focusing on only one sport before adolescence – may help young athletes perform better at an early age, but is generally harmful to their long-term development and their ability to peak when they are at the optimum age for performance in normal specialization sports.