My husband and I were college athletes. We're not pushing competitive sports on our kids.

The author (right) and her husband were both college athletes.

Courtesy of Rachel Morgan Cautero.

My husband and I were both college athletes who love sports.

We're not pushing our kids to specialize in a sport early and encourage other activities.

We want to avoid injuries and burnout while allowing them to explore their own interests.

My husband and I were both college athletes .

When we had two boys, I think people naturally assumed we'd push the sports route hard.

After all, I was a four-year starter on my college soccer team, while my husband played football for an Ivy League college.

But we've actually taken the opposite approach, and in addition to the expected soccer, baseball, and flag football dalliances, many of my kids' activities are non-sports-related.

Think piano, musical theater, and Cub Scouts.

Our kids are 6 and 8, and we're not pushing sports on them right now.

Here's why.

We want them to be well-rounded Kids around us are engaging in competitive sports earlier and earlier.

Hospital for Special Surgery, citing the National Council of Youth Sports , reports that about 27% of the 60 million children and teens who participate in organized sports each year play only one sport.