There are several reasons to delay single sport specialization if possible, but these are often sport and child dependent.

• There is no evidence that youth sport specialization is required to achieve athletic success.

• Current evidence suggests that specialization is associated with an increased risk of overuse injuries.

• The decision to specialize is very sport and child dependent. Athletes in some individual technical sports such as gymnastics, diving, and swimming may benefit from “early entry” before age 12. Most other sports,  like many team sports and tennis, are better to focus on in middle adolescence. Other more physical and endurance sports are  considered better for later specialization in late adolescence, such as football, wrestling, and cross country.