Asking a classroom of children what they want to be when they’re older will yield plenty of different answers. Some say police officer while others may say doctor or teacher. One of the more common responses, however, is professional athlete.

Chasing those lofty goals may lead children to concentrating all of their effort on one sport. However, specializing in one sport from a young age can have its detriments. The Washington Post compiled a series of studies in a recent story, sighting correlations between specialization and burnout, injury and more.

A study done by the Loyola University Chicago took a sample size of 1,200 young athletes. It found that specialization at a young age can make children between 70 and 93 percent more likely to suffer an injury than those that play multiple sports.

It’s not necessary to stick to one sport to play at a higher level. The American Society of Sports Medicine did a study, finding that 88 percent of college athletes played multiple sports as kids. That’s evident right here in Beaufort County. Take, for example, recent Southside graduate Lawrence Brown. He made a name for himself on the gridiron and is going to college to play. However, as much time as he put into football, he also enjoyed playing baseball, basketball and running track.

The summer is a wonderful opportunity for younger athletes to branch out and try other sports. There are all sorts of camps across the county aimed at introducing children to sports they may have never played before.

When the long baseball season becomes a bit monotonous, a boy can take a few days off from the diamond to try his hand at golf. A girl getting ready for the upcoming volleyball season can shake it up a bit and try swimming.

There are plenty of camps going on all summer. With no school going on and all the time in the world, now is a great chance for an aspiring superstar to get out and try something new.