TAMPA, FL (WFLA) — All week 8 On Your Side is looking into what’s okay and not okay when it comes to kids. Now we’re looking at intense athletics for kids. Is it okay to let our kids specialize in one sport at a young age?
America has a problem with child obesity. That’s a fact. According to KidsData.org “nearly one third of children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese in the U.S.”
That being said, Dr. Diane Straub, a Professor of Pediatrics with USF, worries parents are pushing their kids too early to specialize in sports.
“Being in a lot of different sports is great,” Straub said. “We have this tendency recently to specialize kids way too young. A lot of their overuse injuries are a direct result of parents pushing. We need to be careful we’re not putting that kind of pressure on our kids.”
Straub believes coaching is key when it comes to keeping kids healthy.
“For example, if they’re pitching incorrectly, they’ll injure their elbow,” Straub said. “Kids can get chronic arthritis from training errors and over use injuries at a young age. It’s not worth it.”
8 On Your Side visited Dale Mabry CrossFit to check out the kids class. The instructor, Sunny Alexander, agrees with Dr. Straub. She emphasizes technique.
“We do not load children until they have mechanics down,” Alexander said. “Our little kids are not lifting weights whatsoever. We start kids on PVC pipes and once they start moving correct and safe they’ll get a light load and we’ll go from there.”
John Hinkle works out at the gym and brings his 6-year-old daughter as well. He doesn’t worry about her overdoing it.
“I’ve never seen her pick up a weight here,” Hinkle said. “They’re running around or playing games or hula hooping. They’re not throwing up wall balls.”
14-year-old Melina Oigeron works out at the gym five days a week. Her newest goal is for her dead lifts to get to 200. Right now she’s at 185. 8 on Your Side asked Dr. Straub how she feels about this kind of exercise for a young teen. She admitted it makes her nervous but says it’s really on a case by case basis and parents need to ask their children how they feel after workouts.
“They’re not like adults where you can say no pain no gain. It’s not okay for kids of a certain age to be sore the next day,” Straub said. “I think its great for families to exercise together the right way.”
