An NCAA study across all sports shows that while a majority of college student-athletes began specializing in their sports before the age of 12, many of those athletes wish they’d have played fewer games and participated in more sports.

Athletes surveyed said a major force in sports specialization was parental and family expectations of playing at the college, professional and Olympic level, expectations that the athletes knew early on were unrealistic.

This specialization led to burnout among many of their peers and pressures they feel were unnecessary at such early ages.

Among men’s Division I athletes, sports that ranked highest in specialization were soccer (68 percent), tennis (66), ice hockey (55), basketball (49) and swimming (37). Football came in at 33 percent for the FBS level and 29 percent for the FCS level.

Among women, 87 percent of gymnasts were focused solely on that sport alone by age 12, followed by tennis (72), soccer (62), basketball (55), swimming (55), ice hockey (51) and softball (48).

Most of these athletes also participated in club teams within the same sport outside of their high school seasons.

Among the respondents, 43 percent of football players wished they had played a wider selection of sports while growing up.

According to medical experts, athletes participating in a variety of sports leads to increased skill and muscle development. Athletes who specialize in a sport prior to high school often miss out on obtaining a larger skill set that can be applied later to a specific sport.

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In last month’s NFL Draft, 28 of the 31 players selected in the first round played multiple sports in high school. While the majority of the athletes participated in basketball and track and field, sports such as baseball and wrestling were also represented.

Another major concern when it comes to early specialization in sport is burnout. Driving a child, while still in youth sports, to focus on a particular game can chip away at the fun and passion for the sport.

When athletes were asked if they participated in too many games, 48 percent of football players said yes.

Among other findings:

About 53 percent of FBS football players strongly agreed or agreed that they compete less often in college than in high school.

About 87 percent of FBS football players strongly agreed or agreed that their families expected them to earn a college degree since a young age.

About 64 percent of FBS football players and 50 percent of FCS players believe they are at least somewhat likely to become a professional or Olympic athlete.