Forcing children into sport-specific training can be detrimental. Jeff Martin explains.
A 400 percent increase—that’s huge.
If we were talking about your deadlift, that would be spectacular. Instead, we’re talking about a 400 percent increase in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children, according to a February 28 episode of Today.
The rise is largely due to children’s lack of general physical conditioning and the increasing trend toward early sport specialization, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the organization Stop Sports Injuries.
What does this kind of knee injury mean long term for a child? Devastation. It isn’t just knee injuries, though. Career-ending elbow and shoulder injuries are on the rise. Concussions as well.
Career-ending injuries at age 12? How could this happen?