The ability to specialize isn't completely new, although I didn't realize you could do it in L7 before (I've never seen that - only at 9 and 10). Previously you could specialize and there was a score to qualify to states, regionals, etc, although for example to qualify to level 9 or 10 regionals here you need a 34 (8.5. average) but to qualify as a specialist the score is higher than 8.5. To clarify the 8.5 in the previous post is a mobility score (to move to another level) not the qualification score to qualify to regionals.
I am not sure what we do for level 8 regionals here or if it's even possible since we do qualification to regionals by placement (it's all divided into teams in all age groups, no individuals). Maybe you need to place in your event and then you just compete as an individual. But I don't know anyone who has done it in level 8, so I've never seen it. I do know level 9s and 10s who specialized, but none of them made it past regionals.
I can see the potential for issues but honestly the way it's played out I haven't been unhappy with it. In my state we haven't seen it that much though, and the girls I know who have used it have mostly been juniors and seniors in high school and at the end of the line, so to speak, and most have been seriously injured prior to the season they used it.
Edit: so I just tried to look it up and I think in my state/region (7) it only is at level 9 and 10 for regionals because of the qualification system we use for level 8 regionals. Not absolutely positive but I've definitely only seen it with 9s and 10s anyway. For comparison to qualify to state as a 9 or 10 you need a 32 AA, and 8.5 IES (.5 higher than the AA event average, pretty significant). Petition score at 8.75. Regionals AA qualifying score is a 34 (8.5 average) and IES score is a 9.0 (.5 higher) with petitioning at 9.25.