This article addresses the question of whether early sport specialization provides a "physiological" advantage for future athletic success. It examines the limited literature related to the effects of early specialization on the body's organ systems: the endocrine system, the muscular system, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. The…

In November 2005, the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission issued a statement on "Training the elite child athlete" recommending that "more scientific research be done to better identify the parameters of training the elite child athlete". This paper focuses on a specific issue related to training the child athlete: early…

This anthology of papers is designed to serve both as a textbook and as a synthesis of research efforts in youth sport. Half of the 20 papers are reprinted from the first edition of this volume; of the remainder, some were written especially for this edition, while others are culled from journals and conference proceedings. Five subject sections…