1 731 East High Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
After attending the 20th World Congress in Sports Medicine this spring in Melbourne, the most important point that remained in my mind was the possibly deleterious effects of competitive sports on the preadolescent child. This question should be of concern to all pediatric practioners, since the question concerns not only the physical and psychological well-being of the adolescent, but may well be a very influential factor in determining his adult health.
First of all, it is generally accepted that the onset of puberty has a normal span of at least four to five years.