AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness Blog

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The Uneven Playing Field

BY THE TIME JANELLE PIERSON SPRINTED ONTO THE FIELD for the start of the Florida high-school soccer playoffs in January, she had competed in hundreds of games since joining her first team at 5. She played soccer year-round — often for two teams at a time when the seasons of her school and club teams overlapped. Like many American children deeply involved in sports, Janelle, a high-school senior, had traveled like a professional athlete since her early teens, routinely flying to out-of-state tournaments.

Highlights sports specialization, ACL injuries and gender differences, and quotes Becky Demorest, MD, Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness AAP.

See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/magazine/11Girls-t.html?hp for link to article.