I still think it's a very chicken and egg discussion, but here you go:
One Sport Athletes | High School Sports Stuff
One Sport Athletes | High School Sports Stuff
Interesting blog on multi-sport athletes.
- Thread starter BuckeyeGuy
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I would not say it is a chicken and egg discussion. More like spoons making people fat and flies causing garbage.
I think it could be a good discussion 
Mine playes P/C 6/4... lots of sportz.
Mine playes P/C 6/4... lots of sportz.
- Jul 4, 2012
- 329
- 18
There's no right answer. I will say that my DD just played school basketball and absolutely loved it. She worked on pitching but really nothing else during the season. She's ready to get back to softball now with a clear mind and in a little better condition. To each...
Are they good athletes because they play multiple sports, or do they play multiple sports because they're good athletes? Obviously not that simple, but something to consider.
i don't think college coache's prefer multi sport athletes because they are better athletes. I think it shows them the mental aspect of the kid. How does she compete? How coachable is she? How fast does she grasp game concepts?... The benefit to the player is she uses different muscles. She stays/gets into better shape, she develops coordination. The importance of defense vs offense is learned. So many benefits.
I'm curious about this quote, because I'm sure it occurs more often in football than in softball:
In my time as a multi-sport coach and AD at various sized schools, I’ve often heard kids who are dropping one sport in order to “focus” on another.
My response to all of those kids is simple. When college coaches speak to high school coaches, one of the first questions often asked is, “What other sports does he/she play?” I can remember college football coaches coming to high school basketball games to see our kids play, and there are often college coaches at high school track meets watching kids compete.
Do college softball coaches talk to high school softball coaches? Or do they spend more time speaking with the TB coaches? Do they ask this question of either?
In my time as a multi-sport coach and AD at various sized schools, I’ve often heard kids who are dropping one sport in order to “focus” on another.
My response to all of those kids is simple. When college coaches speak to high school coaches, one of the first questions often asked is, “What other sports does he/she play?” I can remember college football coaches coming to high school basketball games to see our kids play, and there are often college coaches at high school track meets watching kids compete.
Do college softball coaches talk to high school softball coaches? Or do they spend more time speaking with the TB coaches? Do they ask this question of either?
1. BC of the nature of kids' sports Today, it is practically impossible to play multiple sports. My 10 year old, on a C level team, had 1.5 months off after fall ball. Back to practicing every Saturday morning now. Plus she is a pitcher, so take that time off and cut it in half bc she continued attending lessons for most of that time. When should she pick up her 2nd sport? I don't like it, but as I have said before the rec clubs here are a joke. I guess if I was a better mom I would drag her from softball practice and immediately follow that up with volleyball or basketball practice. Oh wait, I have 3 other kids at home.
2. BC of the nature of sports, high school teams are expected to be more competitive. Schools have gotten bigger because of consolidation. Not every kid makes their high school team in every sport they try out for. I would think it's downright difficult to make some of them. If your softball team plays in the Spring, there isn't usually much room on a Volleyball team or a girls' golf team, unless that's the sport you concentrated on. Luckily they play softball in the fall here, maybe my daughter can add track to her resume. I went out for track, wasn't very good at it, but it got you out of school most of the day for meets could be different here, I'm not sure.
2. BC of the nature of sports, high school teams are expected to be more competitive. Schools have gotten bigger because of consolidation. Not every kid makes their high school team in every sport they try out for. I would think it's downright difficult to make some of them. If your softball team plays in the Spring, there isn't usually much room on a Volleyball team or a girls' golf team, unless that's the sport you concentrated on. Luckily they play softball in the fall here, maybe my daughter can add track to her resume. I went out for track, wasn't very good at it, but it got you out of school most of the day for meets
could be different here, I'm not sure.
From a pure sports POV, with a few exceptions, most sports are very skill specific. There are several that can be learned well and be maintained with the exception of sport specific stamina simply by playing other sports. Then there are those sports that have to be worked on constantly to maintain those skills such as golf. IMO, in these types of sports, due to the societal pressures to compete and do well, a non-specializing athlete just can't vie with an athlete that plays and works hard at a certain sport year round.
As an example, although a very young team, our V HS SB team will be comprised of (based on HCs comments which have proven accurate in the past) 2 Seniors, 2 Junior, 8 Sophomores and 1 Freshman. Except for the 2 Seniors, the rest are all TB players and work year round on their game. The 2 Seniors will probably get just enough PT to letter and then ride the bench a majority of the time. Our JV For the most part, will be comprised of the girls who came up through the local rec leagues and played multiple sports through out HS. Now, their Junior year, they have forgone the other sports and have started working exclusively on SB. Unfortunately, for a vast majority of them, it will be too little too late. They probably won't be able to compete for the V starting positions next year as Seniors because IMO, given the same amount of time and work as the TBers, their skills probably won't catch up.
I'm not saying that kids shouldn't be multi-sport athletes. I have seen some kids that are, and have, succeeded at the highest levels available to them at the time in their chosen sport. Bo Jackson easily comes to mind. However, I have found these kids to be the exception rather than the rule in today's hectic society.
When I grew up, like many others on here, life was much simpler. There were no cell phones, internet, instant access to information, etc. etc. When I played sports in HS, I was doing it for the fun of competing not to be the best ever athlete in that sport and possibly catch a college athletic scholarship. In today's society we have so much more pressure, both on ourselves, as well as our children to not only succeed, but excel at whatever we or they do. It would be nice to return to the easy going, play all sports for fun type of days but unfortunately, I just can't see it happening.
As an example, although a very young team, our V HS SB team will be comprised of (based on HCs comments which have proven accurate in the past) 2 Seniors, 2 Junior, 8 Sophomores and 1 Freshman. Except for the 2 Seniors, the rest are all TB players and work year round on their game. The 2 Seniors will probably get just enough PT to letter and then ride the bench a majority of the time. Our JV For the most part, will be comprised of the girls who came up through the local rec leagues and played multiple sports through out HS. Now, their Junior year, they have forgone the other sports and have started working exclusively on SB. Unfortunately, for a vast majority of them, it will be too little too late. They probably won't be able to compete for the V starting positions next year as Seniors because IMO, given the same amount of time and work as the TBers, their skills probably won't catch up.
I'm not saying that kids shouldn't be multi-sport athletes. I have seen some kids that are, and have, succeeded at the highest levels available to them at the time in their chosen sport. Bo Jackson easily comes to mind. However, I have found these kids to be the exception rather than the rule in today's hectic society.
When I grew up, like many others on here, life was much simpler. There were no cell phones, internet, instant access to information, etc. etc. When I played sports in HS, I was doing it for the fun of competing not to be the best ever athlete in that sport and possibly catch a college athletic scholarship. In today's society we have so much more pressure, both on ourselves, as well as our children to not only succeed, but excel at whatever we or they do. It would be nice to return to the easy going, play all sports for fun type of days but unfortunately, I just can't see it happening.
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It is the latter. First and foremost they recruit athletes. A common trait among athletes is that they happen to play multiple sports. However, playing a multiple sport does not make you an athlete. Just as being tall and black does not make you a basketball player.
