Don Holl

CRANBERRY TWP — To specialize or not to specialize. That was the question at Revolution Physical Therapy in Cranberry Township Wednesday.

More and more young athletes are playing and training for one particular sport year-round, but there is evidence that this approach can end up holding them back as opposed to giving them an edge.

Seneca Valley varsity football coach Don Holl offered his opinion, which was accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation.

“If a set of parents made their six-year old kid pick a college major, people would say they are out of their mind,” said Holl. “But there are a lot of parents out there who are forcing their kids to pick just one sport and I think we’re going backwards in terms of athletic development because of it.

“My uncle was a trainer for the Buffalo Bills for 37 years, so we always heard about things from a trainer’s point of view,” he said.

Holl first outlined the reasons young athletes are pushed to specialize.

“Most people believe that more is better,” he said. “They figure that if 10,000 reps of something makes them an expert, then 20,000 would make them even better.

“Two, parents believe it is a matter of competitive survival. They are told that if they want their son or daughter to get that basketball scholarship, then they better be playing basketball all the time. Finally, athletes themselves are always looking for an edge. They feel the more they work at something, the better off they’ll be.”

But for every reason there is to specialize, there is a counterpoint.

There are injuries that occur because an athlete overuses the same muscles and ligaments while focusing on just one sport.

“They can become physically and mentally burned out,” Holl said. “If they don’t try other sports, they will never know of their untapped potential in another area.”

Holl then presented a blueprint that could be useful in outlining a child’s athletic opportunities.

Concerning elite athletes, a study conducted by Jean Cote in 1999 found that between the ages of six and 13, the athletes’ parents encouraged them to play multiple sports. From ages 13-15, the young athlete and parents selected a preferred sport, but still the youth gained experience and exposure in other sports. From age 15 and up, the athlete focused on mastering the preferred sport.

Opinions vary as to when an athlete should start specializing in a sport.

“For most kids, I don’t think it is in high school,” said Holl. “For some it may be, but there are kids out there who believe that since they go to a Quad A school, they have to play soccer year-round if they want to make the team. Somebody is telling them that and it’s not true, but people buy into it.”

Names were given of famous athletes who played more than one sport, even into the collegiate ranks, including John Elway, Dave Winfield, Jim Brown, and Charlie Ward.

Holl was previously an assistant football coach at Gannon University.

“I’m not sure when specializing in a sport really became popular, but I saw it in recruiting at Gannon,” he said. “You could tell the kids who just played football.”

When it comes to high school athletes playing more than one sport, Holl believes coaches need to make a concerted effort to make it happen.

“During the summer months, a football coach may want one of his players to go to some 7-on-7 drills,” he said. “At the same time, the basketball coach may want him to play in an AAU tournament. That’s something that we as adults have to figure out so the kid doesn’t get pulled in every direction.

“It all comes down to communication between coaches.”