When the World Athletics Indoor Championships get underway in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, on March 20, be sure to tune in to the men\u2019s seven-event heptathlon and the women\u2019s five-event pentathlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move indoors means there are fewer events compared to the men\u2019s decathlon (10 events) and women\u2019s heptathlon held at outdoor events like the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last fall and the Olympics, but these events deserve the spotlight \u2014 and not just for the incredible athleticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real lessons these events offer have less to do with medals and extend far beyond winning and losing. Instead, this sport setting provides an opportunity to reimagine how we develop athletes. What if the blueprint for building better athletes isn\u2019t about doing multiple sports, but instead about doing multiple events?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each year, North American sport is confronted with the same problem: Growing numbers of children are pressured by parents, coaches and leagues to commit to a single sport. Before they even reach their teens, kids are \u201cencouraged\u201d (and by encouraged we mean pressured) to spend more time specializing in their sport to gain a competitive edge. Yet, research suggests the opposite is true: Studies consistently link early specializaton to burnout, higher rates of overuse injuries and sport dropout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n