At the USA Today, Tim Wendel examines youth sports — how they've gotten too specialized, too competitive, and too time-consuming.
"We have reached the point of saturation — a vicious revolving door of never-ending seasons," says Fred Engh, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. "Children can't even take a couple of months' hiatus from a sport for fear of falling behind their peers and being excluded from teams the following seasons. Those elite teams, all those trophies — that's what the parents want."
Wendel notes that only 3.1% of students who play high school girls basketball go on to play in college.
"We have reached the point of saturation — a vicious revolving door of never-ending seasons," says Fred Engh, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. "Children can't even take a couple of months' hiatus from a sport for fear of falling behind their peers and being excluded from teams the following seasons. Those elite teams, all those trophies — that's what the parents want."
Wendel notes that only 3.1% of students who play high school girls basketball go on to play in college.