High School Sport Specialization and Injury in Collegiate Club-Sport Athletes

Abstract

Context Sport specialization during adolescence may affect future injury risk. This association has been demonstrated in some professional sport athletes. Objective To determine the association between adolescent sport specialization levels in high school and injuries sustained during collegiate club sports. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Paper and online surveys. Patients or Other Participants Collegiate club-sport athletes. Main Outcome Measures(s) An anonymous survey was administered from September 2019 to May 2020. The survey included sport specialization classification via a commonly used 3-point scale (low, moderate, high) for each high school year (9th–12th), high school sports participation, and collegiate club-sport injury history. The number of years (0–4) an individual was highly specialized in high school was calculated. Individuals who participated in the same sport in high school and college were compared with individuals who played a different sport in college than in high school. An injury related to sport club activities was classified as arising from a contact, noncontact, or overuse mechanism required and the individual to seek medical treatment or diagnosis. Injuries were classified into overuse and acute mechanisms for the upper extremity, lower extremity (LE), and head/neck. Results Single-sport participation and the number of years highly specialized in high school sport were not associated with college club-sport injuries (P > .1). Individuals who played a different collegiate club sport than their high school sport were more likely to report an LE or head/neck acute injury compared with athletes who played the same collegiate and high school sport (LE = 20% versus 8%, χ2 = 7.4, P = .006; head/neck = 16% versus 3%, χ2 = 19.4, P < .001). Conclusions Adolescent sport specialization was not associated with reported injuries in collegiate club-sport athletes. Collegiate club-sport athletic trainers should be aware that incoming students exploring a new sport may be at risk for LE and head/neck acute injuries.