Sport Participation and Specialization Characteristics Among Pediatric Soccer Athletes

Higher Family Affluence is Associated With Multi-Sport Participation Among Irish Youth

The impact of early single sport participation among young people has received much attention, with both sport leaders and pediatricians advocating multi-sport participation at least until early adolescence. In this study we explored the association between family socioeconomic status and level of Irish youth specialization in sport. We relied on data from the Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) study, involving a representative sample of 3499 Irish children and adolescents aged 10-15 years. We analyzed data from questions related to the number of sports played, the number of days per week the youth were engaged in sport, and family affluence (as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status). Youth sport specialization before 12 years of age (males 5.7%; females 4.2%) and even between 13-15 years of age (males, 7.8%; females, 5.8%) was uncommon. However, lower levels of specialization were associated with higher socioeconomic status in that more children with high family affluence participated in multiple sports. Careful consideration should be given to whether low socioeconomic status may act as a barrier to participation in multiple sports.

Evaluating Adult Decision-Making Modifiers in Support of Youth Contact-Sport Participation

CONTEXT

Nearly 44 million youth participate in organized youth sports programs in the United States each year. However, approximately 25% of parents have considered removing their children from sports due to the fear of concussion.

OBJECTIVE

To determine which adult decision-making modifiers (eg, gender, educational attainment, career type) influenced support for youth contact-sports participation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Midwestern university and medical center.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of staff and faculty (N = 5761; 73.9% female) from 2017 to 2018.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Support for youth contact-sports participation using multivariate binary logistic regression to calculate odds ratios and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

The sample was split between adults with children (AWCs; n = 3465, age = 45.39 ± 13.27 years, 76.72% female) and adults without children (AWOCs; n = 2296, age = 30.84 ± 9.01 years, 70.26% female). Among AWCs, those who obtained a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to support contact-sports participation. Females were more inclined to allow all contact sports, specifically football (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.64, 3.01) and ice hockey (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.42, 2.78). Overall, previous adult sport participation, increasing number of children, and child gender were significant modifying variables in greater support of youth contact-sports participation among AWCs (P < .001). Among AWOCs, previous sport participation in football (OR = 3.27; 95% CI = 2.14, 4.87), ice hockey (OR = 4.26; 95% CI = 2.23, 8.17), or soccer (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.48, 3.54) increased the likelihood of an adult supporting contact-sports participation. Lastly, all adults were less inclined to support a daughter participating in any contact sport than a son.

CONCLUSIONS

These results reveal adult- and child-specific variables that may influence youth contact-sports participation. These decisions may be developed through the lens of certain gender role beliefs and may lead adults to perceive certain sports as more appropriate for sons than daughters.

Sport specialization of female figure skaters: cumulative effects on low back injuries

Objective: 1) to determine the proportion of sport specialization among female figure skaters, 2) to compare proportion of low back injuries between specialized female figure skaters and non-specialized female figure skaters, and 3) to identify an independent risk factor(s) for low back injuries in female figure skaters.Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was used. Young female figure skaters were asked questions related to sport specialization and any history of low back injuries. The primary outcome variables were status of sport specialization, weekly training hours, and low back injury. Descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square analyses, and binary logistic regressions were used.Results: Responses from 132 female figure skaters (mean age: 16.3 ± 2.7 years, age range: 8-22 years) were analyzed. Sixty-two percent (82/132) of figure skaters were specialized. Specialized female figure skaters spent more time in training (11.3 ± 6.5 hours/week) than non-specialized skaters (7.6 ± 4.9 hours/week, p = 0.001). No statistical differences were found in proportion of low back injury history between specialized (25.6%) and non-specialized female figure skaters (24.0%, p = 0.836). Chronological age was also identified as an independent risk factor for low back injuries in female figure skaters (aOR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.54, p = 0.048).Conclusions: The majority of female figure skaters in this cohort were specialized. An association between chronological age and low back injuries, found in the current study, may be a result of cumulative effects of participating in figure skating over time.

A 5-Year Retrospective Assessment of Clinical Presentation Associated With Sports Injury in Young People Presenting to a Tertiary Eye Center

PURPOSE

To examine the incidence and initial presentation of sports-related ocular injury in youth.

METHODS

This retrospective case series study was performed at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts. Inclusion criteria were visit dates between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015, age 5 to 25 years, an ocular injury International Classifcation of Disease code, and a sports-related mechanism of injury.

RESULTS

The final sample was 223 patients, representing approximately 20% of all youth eye injuries (mean age: 16.2 years (range: 6 to 24 years); 78.9% boys, 21.2% girls). The most common diagnosis was hyphema (72.2%). Most injuries occurred with soccer (23.3%), baseball (17.0%), and basketball (11.7%), with a mean visual acuity of 20/40, 20/50, and 20/50, respectively. The injuries with the lowest mean visual acuity resulted from paintball (20/500) and airsoft gun shooting (20/200). Thirty-three patients (14.7%) required surgical intervention. The average number of follow-up visits within 1 year was five.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 20% of youth ocular injury visits were sports related, with male teenagers affected most. Hyphema was the most common type of sports-related eye injury posing a lifelong risk of ocular complications. Popular youth sports such as soccer, baseball, and basketball caused the most eye injuries. Shooting sports with paintball and airsoft guns were associated with the greatest loss of vision. Patients infrequently reported the use of protective eyewear at the time of injury. Protective eye equipment should be worn by youth participating in sports to prevent ocular trauma and the potential for surgical intervention. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2021;58(6):377-384.].

What Defines Early Specialization: A Systematic Review of Literature

Introduction: While practitioners and organizations advise against early specialization, the lack of a consistent and clear definition of early specialization reduces the impact of recommendations and policies in youth sport. An important first step in understanding the consequences of early specialization is establishing what early specialization is. Objectives: This PRISMA-guided systematic review aimed to determine the types, characteristics, and general content of early specialization papers within the literature, and examine how early specialization has been defined and measured in order to advance knowledge toward a clear and consistent definition of early specialization. Data sources: Four different electronic databases were searched (SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Sports Medicine and Education Index, and Scopus). Both non data-driven and data-driven studies were included to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the literature. Eligibility Criteria: In order to be included in the review, the paper must: (a) Focus on specialization and explicitly use the term "specialization" (b) Focus on sport and athletes (c) Be papers from a peer-reviewed (d) Be in English. And finally, (e) be available in full text. Results: One thousand three hundred and seventy one articles were screened resulting in 129 articles included in the review after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results indicated a clear discrepancy between key components of early specialization and the approaches used to classify early specializers. Conclusion: Future research should work toward developing a valid and reliable approach to classifying early specializers and establishing a consistent definition across studies.