LeGrazie—
This is not a recent phenomenon—late 60s and into the 70s I was a serious junior golfer. EVERY golf instructor and club pro around said to play golf year-round and only golf.
Is it more widespread, the early focus? Yes. And it probably seems new because soccer is a young sport in this are. But specialization is a key to being elite—what I think is also true is that for a few, specialization early is not the ONLY way to get where a player wants to be—but it is the most likely route.
