Is There Just One Type of Multisport Pathway? A Scoping Review of Multisport Engagement in Early Athlete Development.

Multisport engagement is positioned as the antithesis to specialization within youth development pathways. However, different terms are used to describe the multisport pathway, which may create confusion regarding what the pathway should look like. This review investigated all published research examining the multisport pathway, with a focus on terminology, and how different terms have led to varying interpretations of this research.

Proportions of Early Specializers Varies According to Methods and Skill Level.

Sport researchers have warned about the lack of a clear and consistent definition of early specialization, while others have raised concerns around the validity of methods used to classify athletes as 'specializers'. The current investigation includes two studies examining the implications of varying classification methods for exploring both specialization and early specialization in sport. Study 1 examined whether different approaches to defining and measuring specialization affected the classification of athletes throughout development and provided a 'profile' of the sample in terms of developmental milestones related to specialization.

Revisiting Early Sport Specialization: What's the Problem?

Context: The assumed risks of early specialization in sport are well known, with several international consensus statements advising against specialization in early athlete development. However, there have been recent calls for more focused research in this area.

Evidence Acquisition: Research evidence from several scientific disciplines (eg, sport psychology, sports medicine, human development) were synthesized to develop a framework for practitioners working with adolescent athletes.

What Defines Early Specialization: A Systematic Review of Literature.

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. 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.