Overuse injuries: stressing the body in the same way over and over again for all or a great part of the year can lead to overuse injuries. Stress fractures, compartment syndrome and other conditions often result from a lack of diversity in athlete’s activities. It is better to challenge your body in different ways throughout the year to develop as an athlete. Different sports will put different stressors on your body leading to better overall athletic performance. Pediatricians across the country have called for children to participate in a variety of physical activities.

Burn out: Playing one sports day after day, week after week, year after year can lead to burn out at a fairly early age. Children are starting organized sports at younger and younger ages. Someone playing hockey starting at the age of four may become tired and bored with the sport by the time they reach middle or high school. Non – specialization provides breaks and other experiences to keep a primary sport interesting, challenging and fun.

The College scholarship myth: As much as parents want their children to receive athletic scholarships, the truth is that a very small percentage of athletes actually attain this goal. A scholarship in itself should not be the driving force behind choosing to participate in only one sport. A person should not bank their health, happiness and future on the small chance of a "full ride." The majority of athletes will benefit more from a variety of athletic experiences even if no scholarship offer ever comes. Besides, most college recruiters are looking for the best all-around athletes. One of their first questions is often: "What else did you do besides playing (insert primary sport here)?" There is evidence to support this. For example, over 75% of the 2004 football recruiting class for the Wisconsin Badgers is listed as playing multiple sports in high school. Also, look at the draft picks each year in the NFL. The majority of those players did not specialize in one sport during their high school careers. How often have you heard this on draft day: "We are going to draft the best overall athlete that is available…" Playing more than one sport is the best way to develop into that overall athlete.

Not achieving your full athletic potential: While focusing on one sport will help you develop the necessary sport-specific skills, you will not develop other athletic skills that would transfer to your primary activity. Speed, balance, mental focus, jumping, twisting are all stressed differently in different sports. Everything you do to become a better athlete will also make you a better (insert sport here) player.