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Sideline Data – Dr. John DiFiori

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By LeagueApps
December 12, 2018
< 1 min

Who says you can’t have it all? Well, that’s a message far too many youth athletes have heard. Countless kids have been told that they need to choose a single sport to focus on. The age at which this specialization has been forced upon youth athletes continues to skew younger and younger.

Luckily, public opinion may be shifting on this topic. A perfect example was on center stage last week. Saturday’s Heisman Trophy presentation was a celebration of the multi-sport athlete. Kyler Murray, six months removed from signing a multi-million dollar contract with the Oakland Athletics, was crowned the king of college football. His rocket-powered arm, blazing speed, and poise under pressure seemed to translate perfectly from the diamond to the gridiron. His athletic diversity was celebrated and has reignited a national conversation about the benefits of a diverse athletic upbringing.

In this episode of Sideline Data, we’ve enlisted the help of Dr. John DiFiori. Dr. DiFiori is Chief of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Service and Attending Physician at Hospital for Special Surgery. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Sports Medicine for the NBA, where he is involved with the League’s research initiatives and the development and implementation of all policies related to player health and safety.

If you’d like to see our podcast series cover a specific youth sports topic, reach out to us on TwitterFacebook or LinkedIn.