Forum: Pitfalls of specialising too early in school sports

As Singapore aims to improve its sporting performance internationally, it may be timely to review how young athletes are developed in our schools. Frameworks such as LEAPS 2.0 and Direct School Admission (DSA) were designed to recognise commitment and talent. However, they may be unintentionally encouraging children to specialise too early, with long-term consequences.

Under LEAPS 2.0, students are incentivised to remain in a single co-curricular activity for four or five years to secure the full two bonus points for post-secondary admission. When combined with DSA obligations, this places pressure on children as young as 12 to commit to one sport before they have reached physical maturity or fully identified their strengths.

Sports science indicates that ages 12 to 15 are best spent exploring multiple sports. Early specialisation increases the risk of injury and burnout, and disadvantages late bloomers who develop physically at a slower pace. Yet our system tends to reward early maturers who perform better at younger ages.

This is compounded by squad limits in competitions such as the National School Games. When only a few students can be registered to compete, many receive limited opportunities for development. In a points-driven environment, those outside the main squad often lose motivation and eventually leave sports, even though some may simply need more time to progress.

If Singapore hopes to nurture future elite athletes, we should reconsider how closely academic incentives are tied to early sporting outcomes. A system that values broad physical development and long-term growth may better serve both our students and our national sporting ambitions.

David Chang