League Apps reports on single sport specialization and the benefits of a diverse athletic upbringing. In a recent podcast episode of 'Sideline Data', they interview John P. DiFiori, MD, FACSM, chief of primary care sports medicine service at HSS.

"There's a concern that single sport specialization over a long period of time may predispose individuals to simply lose interest in the sport really before they're able to fully engage at the adolescent level or beyond," says Dr. DiFiori, who notes that's a problem from multiple standpoints including long-term health.

"Individuals are actually at a greater chance of having success if they participated in multiple sports as a youngster. For example, in basketball, the data showed that most successful basketball athlete did not specialize in basketball to the exclusion of other sports until they were 15 or 16 years old," adds Dr. DiFiori.

Listen to the full podcast at LeagueApps.com.