Is Your Kid Playing Too Much Hockey?

Is your kid playing hockey year-round? In the Soo, it's almost a rite of passage. But what if that level of specialization is actually working against them?

In this episode of the Catalyst Fitness Quickcast, Coach Chris breaks down the science of early sport specialization — and the findings might surprise you.

Research across dozens of studies is clear: early sport specialization (year-round, single-sport training before puberty) is consistently linked to higher overuse injury rates, greater burnout, and — here's the counterintuitive part — worse long-term performance outcomes than kids who play multiple sports.

And the proof isn't just in the lab. It's at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan right now. Canada's RBC Training Ground program deliberately identifies elite athletes in one sport and redirects them to another. The results? Cyclists turned bobsleigh brakewomen. Gymnasts turned freestyle aerial medalists. Hockey players turned Olympic bobsledders. And the Canadian women's speed skating team — three gold medals in Milan — all came from different skating disciplines and multi-sport backgrounds.

This episode also tackles the question every winter sport parent asks: 'But don't sports like hockey and skating require earlier specialization?' The answer is more nuanced than you think — and the distinction between early start age and early specialization may change how you approach your child's development entirely.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why the world's best athletes specialized much later than you think

• What Canada's own sport development model recommends for youth athletes

• The real difference between early exposure and early specialization

• Three practical steps you can take right now if you have a young athlete at home

Whether you're a parent of a young athlete or someone who burned out of sport as a kid and is now trying to find your way back to fitness, this episode is for you.

Listen now, and visit catalystgym.com to learn about our OnRamp program — built specifically for beginners and those returning to fitness.