Athlete Development Through Multiple Sport Participation


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Some coaches and parents believe sport specialization is essential for earning the coveted scholarship. Others—including high-profile college coaches—believe multi-sport participation shapes better all-around athletes and teammates, reduces overuse injuries, and hedges against burnout.

 

In the case an athlete should “specialize,” what does that mean? Should she drop out of all activities and do one sport to the exclusion of all other activities? How narrowly should she specialize? Is specialization for everyone?

 

Join Dr. Robin Vealey, co-author of the book Best Practice for Youth Sport, for an insightful discussion on these issues in the webinar Athlete Development Through Multiple Sport Participation. The webinar is geared toward middle school, high school, and club coaches, and sport administrators and parents of athletes at these levels.

Dr. Robin Vealey is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Miami University (Ohio). She teaches courses in sport psychology, coaching effectiveness, and children in sport, and she has received multiple teaching and mentoring awards. Dr. Vealey’s research has focused on self-confidence, burnout, mental skills training, and coaching effectiveness. She has authored three books, "Coaching for the Inner Edge," "Competitive Anxiety in Sport," and "Best Practice for Youth Sport". Dr. Vealey is a fellow, certified consultant, and past-president of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and former editor of The Sport Psychologist. She is also a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and a member of the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. She has served as a sport psychology consultant for elite, collegiate, high school, and youth athletes and coaches. A former collegiate basketball player in the Athletic Hall of Fame at Marshall University (WV), she has coached basketball at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. Dr. Vealey now enjoys the mental challenge of golf.