Don’t Specialize Too Soon: Why Multi-Sport Athletes Dominate Long-Term
AJ Middleton doesn’t just talk athletic development—he lives it. One of his most pressing messages to high school athletes and coaches: stop chasing early specialization. Instead, develop traits.
At Seattle Prep, AJ encourages athletes to run track, play football, and compete in field sports across seasons. Why? Because traits transfer.
"If you're only throwing a baseball year-round, but you're not sprinting, cutting, jumping, or rotating with intent—your toolbox is incomplete." — AJ Middleton
The research backs him up. A 2019 study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that athletes who specialized early were 70% more likely to suffer injuries than their multi-sport peers. Meanwhile, studies from the NSCAand Aspen Institute show that multi-sport athletes tend to perform better, have longer careers, and develop stronger problem-solving skills.
By playing multiple sports:
Athletes learn varied movement patterns.
They build resilience against overuse injuries.
They develop competitiveness in unfamiliar roles.
Coach Tip: If your athletes insist on specializing, at least make sure their training exposes them to movement variety and general athletic qualities. Teach them to “fill the bucket” year-round—even if they think the bucket only says 'soccer'.
Listen to the Full Episode
Want to hear the full conversation with Coach AJ Middleton?
🎧 Listen now on:
Spotify - AJ MIDDLETON #97
Apple Podcasts - AJ MIDDLETON #97
YouTube - AJ MIDDLETON #97
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