In this episode, Dillon and Dr. McElheny aka Dr. Kat, discuss early sports specialization vs long term athletic development models for youth athletes! Which model leads to greater likelihood of becoming an elite athlete? What are the risks/benefits of specializing early?   Dr. Kathryn McElheny is an Assistant Attending Physician at HSS. She is fellowship-trained and board certified in sports medicine and is the Non-operative Medical Director and Associate Team Physician for the New York Mets baseball team.   Her research focus has been on the use of strengthening in the prevention of overuse injuries experienced by novice marathon runners. She is also currently working on several studies evaluating injury incidence and prevention in professional and youth baseball players.   Dr. McElheny is committed to caring for athletes of all ages, levels and disciplines. In the context of her training and board certification in pediatrics, she is especially dedicated to managing injuries experienced by young athletes. In addition, she was a collegiate runner and is an avid baseball fan with a particular passion for treating runners and baseball athletes.   Enjoy!   -Team [P]Rehab   Learn More About Dr. Kathryn D. McElheny   Read Article: "Youth Athlete Sport Specialization – Train Like The Pros"   Link to Learn About [P]Rehab Programs   Link To Submit Questions/Topics   Visit our website: www.theprehabguys.com Follow us on: Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Twitter   Connect with Team [P]Rehab info@theprehabguys.com     [P]Rehabbers thank you for listening and let us know what to talk about next. We hope to help you take control of your health through education! Did you enjoy this? Please rate, review, share, and subscribe. Every bit of feedback, comments, subscriptions, and sharing helps!!!