ArticleSports health
Comparing High School Sport Specialization Trends Between Division I and Club Collegiate Athletes.
Article in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Early Sport Specialization in a Pediatric Population: A Rapid Review of Injury, Function, Performance, and Psychological Outcomes.Clinics and practice · 2025Review
- Sport Specialization and Sport Motivation in Middle School-Aged Athletes.Journal of athletic training · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdolescent athletes report that sports specialization improves their ability to receive a collegiate athletics scholarship, though this is not well-understood. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported trends in high school specialization and influences for sport participation between Division I (D-I) and college-aged club (club) athletes. HYPOTHESIS: There would be no difference in high school sport specialization or sport participation influences between D-I and club athletes. STUDY
designRetrospective cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.
methodsA survey included specialization classification (low, moderate, and high) for 9th to 12th grade, age that the athlete started organized sport and his or her collegiate sport, and several influential factors for participation in one's primary high school sport (1 = no influence to 5 = extremely influential). Chi-square analyses were used to compare specialization classifications between groups. Nonparametric tests were used to determine significant differences in age-related variables and influential factors between D-I and club athletes. All analysis were also conducted with boys and girls separately.
resultsParticipants included 266 D-I (girls, 155; 58%) and 180 club (girls, 122; 68%) athletes. Club athletes were more likely to be classified as low specialization at every grade in high school, and this difference was more pronounced between D-I and club female athletes than male athletes. The number of years an athlete was classified as highly specialized in high school was not different between D-I and club athletes. Club athletes were more influenced by playing with friends than D-I athletes and D-I athletes were more influenced by pursuing a collegiate scholarship than club athletes.
conclusionHigh levels of specialization in high school sport may not be necessary for playing at the collegiate level, though some level of specialization in high school might be necessary. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinicians should advocate for healthy long-term athlete development, which does not support high specialization in high school sports.
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