By Kirk Mango

April 5th, 2008

Bleacher Report

I suppose the best answer to this question of specialization in sports (and I know I might get some grief for this) is that there really is no best or right answer, at least no right answer for everyone and every situation. There are just too many variables in order for one answer to truly be beneficial for all. In fact, doing so would not only be inappropriate but completely unfair to the athlete and/or situation they might be faced with. So, even though it might seem vague at first, let’s start with some general guidelines (and I do mean general; some will even come up with scenarios that would simply not fit these general guidelines either).
 

I do, in general, believe that young people who participate in sports should, within reason (too many is not good either), participate in a variety of sports. There are several reasons behind this, not the least of which is to help them become more well-rounded individuals. Young athletes should learn and know how to run, jump, shuffle, sprint, jog, hop, and skip along with catching, throwing, shooting, balancing, kicking, batting, etc.

Read on...