The race to be the best

Maybe early specialisation in one sport isn't the only way to win.

In Singapore, we have a fixation on specialisation in one sport as early as 4-5 years old. Our schooling system encourages it by dangling sports achievement as one of the "fast pass" into elite secondary schools.

So guess what? My eldest child plays tennis. My second child plays soccer. My third child is a rhythmic gymnast. And my youngest is ...errrh...neglected. I ran out of time in a day after the 3rd child.

Because we invest so much time and money in one child in that one sport, the expectations are high. We expect them to be disciplined, to be passionate, to be focused. We also hope for them to do well academically on top of their gruelling 12-hour per week training.

Oh yes, did I mention that they should peak when they are 12 years old so that they can get into a good secondary school?

In the US, the looser structure to sports engagement is interesting.

They are less hung up on one narrow path. Instead, the focus is on the players' overall athletic ability and well being.

From young, children are encouraged to take on a variety of sports. They rarely specialise very young. There are a few benefits to this. For one, it reduces repetitive injuries specific to that one sport. Furthermore, it trains up different areas of your body, which makes you more versatile as an athlete.

Also, it reduces the stake of your child having to excel only in that one sport. This creates a natural hedge for performance stress.

Does it work?

Meet the newly-crowned Fifa World Cup Champions - US Women Soccer Team.

Striker Christen Press, now 30 years old, played tennis and track during high school. Team co-captain Alex Morgan, 30 years old, played volleyball, softball, basketball and track before specialising in soccer.

On a slight aside, tennis giant Roger Federer, 37 years old, credits his hand-eye coordination to the wide range of sports he played as a child, including badminton and basketball.

The exposure to a different kind of sporting philosophy in the US and the examples of successful sportspersons, make me question whether I should be encouraging my children to try other sports.

It also challenges my thinking that sports isn't a zero-sum game. It doesn't end when one stops playing that sport. Instead, it goes on to become a foundation for another sport, or a character trait for the rest of your life.

Looks like there is hope for my neglected littlest child after all.

A version of this blog was published in The Straits Times Forum on 22 July 2019, "Let children try different sports to groom better athletes."

"One does not simply eat one cookie." - Cookie Monster, Sesame Street