Olympic Zone: Athletes specializing at younger ages

It’s a long road to the Olympics, but for some, the path is longer than for others. Studies show athletes are specializing younger and younger.

Some say specialization leads to injury and burnout, while others say it’s necessary to reach elite levels.

Coaches at the Bend Endurance Academy work with young athletes to help them be competitive without sacrificing health or enjoyment of the sport.

“Early sport specialization is youth athletes specializing in one sport at an early age,” said Mike Rougeux, climbing director of BEA.

Reitler Hodgert, an intern and assistant Nordic ski coach for BEA, said, “It all started with my mom and dad putting me on skis when I was pretty young. I was about 2 when I started skiing.”

Hodgert’s run has always been crystal clear. “It was never a question if I was going to go into anything but Nordic skiing,” he said.

Now he’s gone full circle at BEA: from pupil of Olympian Ben Husaby to a successful competitor himself to now guiding the next generation.

Hodgert chose to specialize early, but said it’s a decision that should be made individually, not by parents or coaches.

The Bend Endurance Academy offers youth programs in climbing, mountain biking and Nordic skiing.

“Our mission is to get kids outside and active,” Hodgert said.

“We have a lot of kids that do participate in a certain sports at a young age, but a lot of them participate in all three of our sports,” Rougeux said. “So we may have a climber who climbs year-round, but then they also ski in the winter or ride bikes in the summer.”

This is known as sports diversification, and it helps prevent the burnout and lack of enjoyment often felt by those who specialize. Rougeux said cross-training and doing many different motions is helpful to athletes on many levels.

“Skiing is my only competitive sport, but I participate in a lot of sports,” sid BEA athlete Trevor Allison. “I think that definitely helps with your athleticism, being active, and just keeps you in better shape by competing in more than just one sport.”

Still, many of the approximately 60 million young athletes in the United States are feeling the pressure to choose. A new study by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found nearly half of all high school athletes specialize in just one sport, and they’re doing it an average of two years earlier than current professional athletes say they did.

One of the biggest arguments against early sports specialization is that repetitive motions can put stress on a growing body. The National Federation of State High School Associations found high school athletes who specialized were 70 percent more likely to suffer an injury.

BEA works to counter repetitive motion injuries with what’s known as antagonistic strength training.

“So, for climbers, we’re always pulling down with our hands. So we would add in something with our youth kids where we’re doing lots of push exercises, something like pushups or bench dips,” Rougeux said.

The academy wants young athletes to reach new heights, but measures achievement on a different scale.

“I’ll keep skiing for the rest of my life. So I would consider that as a success of the program, that I’ll be an active individual. I’ll be outside for as long as I possibly can,” Hodgert said.