By Dennis Meszler, PT, MPT, SCS, Athletic Performance Center (APC) Cary
(Active Alex 11/2011 - Full Article)

What ever happened to the three sport athlete? It does not seem to even be a possibility anymore. Things have become much more competitive and specialized these days. Many athletes are focusing on one sport year round, and even competing in more than one league at a time. That type of focus never used to happen until athletes reached college. Now it is happening in middle school and even elementary school at times.

This type of focus is great for building technical skill and allowing mastery of the sports-specific techniques; but it comes with concerns as well. More and more research, especially related to throwing sports like baseball and softball, is pointing out the significant increase in injury risk demonstrated with long-term, uninterrupted competition. One of the main conclusions to this type of research is that “cross-training” may be safer and in the long run more productive.

In sports health professions we get worried about several things when we hear about early sport specialization. Repetitive stress and overuse injuries, as well as physical and mental fatigue, are among the most common. I have seen five throwers in my clinic in the past two weeks for shoulder pain. Three were so inflamed they had to stop throwing all together but never had one incident that started the process. It just started with what they considered normal soreness and gradually got worse and worse. All five will most likely get better by following their physical therapy treatment progressions, but I can guarantee you all five do not want to be dealing with these concerns at an early age.

The body needs appropriate rest time to recover from athletic competition, even if it was not something that seemed that stressful. Until we have had time to recover fully, we are less capable of handling the same stress next time around. Proper recovery can not only help you prevent tissue breakdown and injury but can make you more effective and efficient by allowing the body to heal the micro trauma caused by the last competition. That healing process is what makes muscles bigger, and ligaments and tendons stronger. Proper recovery time also allows for the mental break necessary to maintain the sharp focus needed to compete at a high level. We’ve all seen the golfer start hooking every shot, the pitcher not able to even throw the ball back to the catcher let alone throw a strike, or the star shooting guard miss three free throws in a row late in the game. Those things are probably as much if not more mental than physical.

It may be difficult to get into a second or third sport these days -- scheduling can be a nightmare, there could be financial limitations or merely the fact that the other sport is dominated by many other “specialized” athletes and there are no more spots available. So how can you get that cross training affect that can build general athleticism missing in over specialized athletes? The Athletic Performance Center will customize the appropriate program for you to work on speed, power, agility, strength, and endurance…all the things necessary to build a better athlete. Our team is made up of professionals in sports physical therapy, sports performance training and exercise science, chiropractic, nutrition, Pilates and massage therapy. Our program will take into account your competition schedule so you peak at the right time and maximize recovery periods so you can avoid the issues noted above. The better the athlete, the better your performance will be when it is time to go back to your sport.

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