Sports Specialization
The diversity of health care professionals in our Research Interest Group mirrors that of PRiSM. Our team includes Orthopaedic Surgeons, Sports Medicine Specialists, Athletic Trainers, Researchers, and Physical Therapists. We are interested in identifying and filling current gaps in knowledge relating to sports specialization.
Completed Work:
We created a web-based survey (Qualtrics) filled-out by nearly 800 youth soccer athletes aged 12-18 across the United States.
- How much do teenage soccer athletes specialize?
- How do their rates of specialization affect their injury types and frequency?
- What types of injuries do teenage soccer athletes sustain?
- Are there any regional variations in specialization patterns in youth soccer?
One paper is undergoing revisions prior to publication, another paper is in preparation.
Current/Future work:
Explore the attitudes, knowledge, and viewpoints about youth sports specialization amongst different adult stakeholders (coaches, parents, league & club officials, etc.)
Sportsspecial