The other side to the "Multi-Sport Athlete"

[black17]

Feel free to listen to anyone on the internet, or no one on the internet, or even just some people on the internet. In other words, do what you think is right. If you chose to specialize, just be sure to give yourself a two week break every 6 months or one 3 week break every year.

The stuff about multi-sport athletes is really not directed to high school age kids. Its about younger kids that need to develop the right motor skills to be well rounded athletically and to have general good health.

You can rest assured, in a few years, multi-sport athletes will be the worst thing in the universe you can do for yourself. Its just the ebb and flow of humanity. The reality is it doesn't matter very much.

In my opinion, injuries come from simply over-training or training incorrectly. Kids today prep for amateur sports like many pros of old do. Both of my sports kids do too. They just want to be the best they can be. I'm not going to stop them from doing it if thats what they want but i will make sure they are not doing things in a manner that I feel is unsafe and unsustainable long term.

 

[_MIA_]

You’ll have to divide and conquer and hopefully have other parents willing to help with rides. DS is in the same boat as dd, plays soccer and BB in HS but baseball is his primary sport. Once it is softball and baseball season, dh goes with him and I go with dd. There are some weeks during the summer that we barely see each other. Right now is our “downtime.”

My kids are 11,5 (6 in a few days) and 2 (3 in April) so the issue is going to be in about 2 or 3 years when all 3 of them are doing some sort of sport and my oldest isn't driving yet.

 

[uncdrew]

I look at it as if 2 players are similar in skill and one has worked 52 weeks a year 5 days a week on one sport and the other plays 3 sports and only focuses on softball 30 weeks a year. When college happens? And the 3 sport girl focuses on softball 52 weeks, she is going to grow more as a player then the girl who just to keep up had to work all year at it.

I agree.

But the odds that two players are so similar that this thought even comes up is pretty slim. There will be something that makes one player more attractive than the other one. Parents, grades, attitude, side-line cheering, etc.

 

[Rick M]

I wonder how much of the “ceiling space” coaches claim to be looking for is an effect of them wanting their athletes to do things “the right way” i.e. their way.

If a coach has to choose between a good athlete who can be molded versus an 18-year-old who has been squishing bugs for 10 years but still rakes, is the former a better choice?

I can see where all the reps that specialized players bring could deeply ingrain some bad habits and a coach who is there to teach would rather have the kid who is more malleable.


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[bmakj]

I think the whole ceiling issue is that a multisport athlete is going to have more potential for improvement/growth in a sport, than one who has been concentrating solely on one sport for several years, they are already close to their potential (but this says nothing about their ceiling relative to each other). kinda reminds about something I heard someone say about coaches kids, they are what they are, they are probably not going to develop as much as some of the other kids might, simply because they are further ahead in skill/experience. Also, multisport athletes in HS, if playing at least one sport club/travel year round, have to develop good time management skills, and this bodes well for them in college as well.

both DDs has always played multiple sports. when they were younger, mostly rec, tried virtually every sport offered in our area except lacross and gymnastics. around MS each of them became more focused on one or two sports.

currently DD1 plays club field hockey year round, swims in winter and summer, but FH is priority 1. mainly still swimming to swim with DD2 the one year they have together in HS coming up, and for conditioning. Was gonna try golf team at HS last spring before spring sports were wiped out, mainly because I was amazed at hot well she hit the ball at the driving range (175 yds and straight, with virtually no experience).

DD2 currently swims winter and summer, plays travel softball (year round) and middle school field hockey (just started the latter, mainly so she can play with DD1 the one year they have together in HS). DD2 is gonna try to earn 12 letters in HS, probably has about a 20% chance (unlikely to letter in FH or softball freshman year, almost certainly will for swimming). luckily club swimming in winter has very flexible practice schedule (ie they hold practice 6 times a week for the 5 month season, they like them to do 3), and she only plays school FH.

I cannot imagine trying to juggle more than two club/travel sports for a child today. it is difficult enought with two, and if swim was not so flexible, she would probably have to drop either club swim or travel softball. as it is, she is missing at least one workout/practice a week right now for softball (but she is still doing her individual lessons, and makes two practices a week when not cancelled for snow). but let them play rec or school whatever is in season, low $ investment, and if they miss some, they miss some. even if it is not their sport, they are probably just by their athleticism going to be one of the better players, so coaches generally not mind so much.

 

[bmakj]

My kids are 11,5 (6 in a few days) and 2 (3 in April) so the issue is going to be in about 2 or 3 years when all 3 of them are doing some sort of sport and my oldest isn't driving yet.

I hear you, we also have three, it worked out that the oldest was not really much into sports or any other type of organized activities. but the jump from two to three is actually more of a jump than 1 to 2 I always said, because we realized we were outnumbered. this is where geography and social circle of teams become more of a factor in picking teams, unfortunately.

 

[Imalt]

My daughter is 8 and plays softball, runs track and plays basketball. She stands out now because she is just a better athlete than most of the girls her age at this point. We practice softball all year round, but her favorite sport without a doubt is track. Unfortunately in Ohio track is a short season for her. I don't know what sports she will stick with or like when she gets older. At some point the other girls will catch up to her athletically and she will have to work a lot harder to be good at a particular sport. I hope she sticks with softball because that's what I like watching the most, but that will be her choice.

 

[_MIA_]

I hear you, we also have three, it worked out that the oldest was not really much into sports or any other type of organized activities. but the jump from two to three is actually more of a jump than 1 to 2 I always said, because we realized we were outnumbered. this is where geography and social circle of teams become more of a factor in picking teams, unfortunately.

Yeah with 2 you can divide and conquer. With 3 I may need to make friends with some parent on a team .....looks like the 2 YO won't be doing anything.

 

[erniekru]

I think the statement, multi sport athletes are a good thing comes from looking at it from a MACRO perspective. On an individual perspective, sure, the athlete that specializes in one sport, or "thing", will be better than the same person who dilutes their efforts with multiple things.

On the macro side, I'd GUESS that out of 100 players starting softball at 6u/8u, 90 will no longer play at 18u. Out of the 10 who still play, maybe 3-4 play in college?? IMO, the parents aren't able (or willing) to honestly evaluate and determine if their DD is one of the 3-4% and pursue it ruthlessly for their kids. Is the juice worth the squeeze if you look at it on the averages?

Softball is so crazy, my DD started at 5yo, has played year round since she was 8yo and is now a HS freshman. She wanted to play water polo for a couple of different reasons, but she LOVES the change.. I like seeing her learning something new. I could easily have prevented her from it, believe me, it is a burden juggling another varsity sport. It would be so easy for me to nix the effort... Think of all the instances of parents preventing learning new things because the singular focus of high level sports.

Honest story to laugh about.. DD's first catching coach has a DD that plays for Oregon. He got a call from his daughter and they discussed how she doesn't know how to ride a bike! He said, (paraphrasing) "crap, I guess I never got around to teaching her.. It was always softball!). Her story is a success story as she loves what and where she's doing it, but to dismiss the fact that kids are missing out on a lot of life due to the singular focus is disingenuous.

 

[bmakj]

Yeah with 2 you can divide and conquer. With 3 I may need to make friends with some parent on a team .....looks like the 2 YO won't be doing anything.

until your oldest is driving, make certain your youngest convinces one of her friends to do the same activities, ready made carpool option