Some good points in the article. I, too, think that kids should be more well-rounded and be exposed to multiple sports but, if every kid was a great athlete and chose to play three sports, we would probably be crying about the lack of athletic opportunities for kids in high school because the same "studs" are on all three teams.
Specializing in a sport gives an average (or marginal) athlete the opportunity to make a varsity team or earn a starting position. I don't think most parents are specializing their kids in order for them to earn a college scholarship. I think most parents are OK with specialization because their kid seems to like the sport, and this affords them the opportunity to earn a spot on a college roster (most likely D2 or D3). I think most parents are realistic and certainly aware by now that full-rides are very rare.....but it certainly makes sense to aim for a combination of academic and athletic aid (more academic dollars than athletic dollars) if their child is a competitive player, a good student and interested in playing college soccer.
The burn out factor certainly has to be taken into consideration. After playing competitve soccer, year-round for 10 years, many young ladies are no longer interested in playing in college......no matter how great an athlete they are.
