Multi-Sport Athletes

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What are some of your opinions out there, on playing multi-sports in high school? Obviously, if you want to excel in one sport you must commit to it. I have heard two-sport athletes benefit from using different muscle groups. Of course there is the risk of injury and it may affect softball season. I have heard differing viewpoints so let's hear what you have to say.

 

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Play as many sports as you can as it makes you more well rounded as an athlete and as a person. Although this is a little cliche, it is true. Don't worry about injuries - that could happen walking down the street. Also most girls (98%) are not going on to play college sports, so let them enjoy all the benefits of playing sports with their highschool friends.

Highschool sports is where most build lasting memories and friendships, so don't take that away from the girls.

 

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Joy of playing in small school when ur DD is a good athlete.. Will letter in 5 sports this year .. So C C E R .. Cross Country ..Basketball ..Softball and track... It's hectic but she wouldn't trade it for anything.. Is it too much? maybe but except for CC coach no one else minds and she is only running CC to improve her stamina and her sister needs a 5th runner on the team so team can advance to regionals...

Also, as long as she keeps her grades up.. 27 ACT score as a freshman.. we're proud parents... only 3 more years of this with her and 4 more with her sister...

 

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I think it's great to play multiple sports in high school if kids and coaches can make it work. My dd plays volleyball and softball. She wants to play softball in college, but she does miss out on opportunities in the fall like clinics, camps and tournaments because she has volleyball 5-6 days a week all fall.

 

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Play as many sports as possible, but beware of burnout and putting the other teams your on in difficult situations, like being short players or missing practices. It's not fair to the rest of the team. It can also cause conflicts on a team."Playing Time". You might have girls that show up to practice all the time and your DD misses practice here and there but gets to start every game, it's going to cause problems on the team.

 

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Play as many sports as possible, but beware of burnout and putting the other teams your on in difficult situations, like being short players or missing practices. It's not fair to the rest of the team. It can also cause conflicts on a team."Playing Time". You might have girls that show up to practice all the time and your DD misses practice here and there but gets to start every game, it's going to cause problems on the team.

Only if there are poor rules/expectations laid out by the Coach. I don't know a Coach that wouldn't want one of their talented Athletes cross training during the OFF SEASON! Any secondary sport to Softball will certainly condition and strengthen them more then any Travel or High School Fast Pitch team will. I know I encouraged it, but with some extremely clear expectations of when activities were optional vs. mandatory.

IE: Running off to a ****** Tourney during the real Fast Pitch season would be a problem.

Going to a school event or other sport in fall, NO PROBLEM....

To each there own, as every team, coach, kid and family have their own goals. The key is to make sure you've put yourself/child in a place where most if not everyone is on the same page.

 

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Only if there are poor rules/expectations laid out by the Coach. I don't know a Coach that wouldn't want one of their talented Athletes cross training during the OFF SEASON! Any secondary sport to Softball will certainly condition and strengthen them more then any Travel or High School Fast Pitch team will. I know I encouraged it, but with some extremely clear expectations of when activities were optional vs. mandatory.

IE: Running off to a ****** Tourney during the real Fast Pitch season would be a problem.

Going to a school event or other sport in fall, NO PROBLEM....

To each there own, as every team, coach, kid and family have their own goals. The key is to make sure you've put yourself/child in a place where most if not everyone is on the same page.

I agree.

 

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I am so glad mine gave up the English version of Futbol!! The girls game has become so violent and the knees getting blown out is far more than ever. Our HS last year had 3 ACLS, worked a game two weeks ago and 1 broken leg, 1 rolled ankle and another one all in 60 minutes.

Unbelievable. yeah it can happen anywhere, but in So##$% it is more prevelant than ever

 

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Entering the girls high school sports D1 arena has been disheartening for us. Volleyball coach very territorial and anti any other sport to the point of threatening the players that went to Nationals in softball with not making the team for which 2 were cut and trying out for basketball before he says it is okay with not making the team next year. Every volleyball player is to attend every Saturday tournament for every volleyball team in the school whether their team is playing or not and forgo all family and other sport activities that interfere or don't even bother trying out the next year. And car washes will be on Sundays making this a 7 day a week commitment (no fall ball or fall tournaments allowed). The AD is anti female athlete as well making dealing with the situation even more frustrating but we trudge on hoping softball will be a better experience but not holding our breaths.

One would think that a coach by his/her very nature would want an athlete to be the best athlete they can be in whatever sport or sports they choose to participate in. The coaches of kids should be willing to work together so these kids can play as many sports as they want with obvious etiquette rules in play so as to not leave one of their teams in the learch. Two and three sport athletes should not be a rarity as it has been shown cross training helps prevent overuse of certain muscle groups and joints and makes the athletes better.

 

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"...there is pressure from other coaches to only participate in "their" sport."

This is where you "Man-Up" and tell those coaches to kiss-off and get a life! Who has your DD's best interest in mind - parents or a high school coach? Who knows what's REALLY best for her? Now go back and read the post by LAKEFP which says it all - straight to the point!

 

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Daughter played sokker year round because coaches said she needed to, it messed with her schedule for basketball and softball.
Now she plays softball (it seems like year round) because she wants to and looks forward to camps, fall ball, tournies and indoor, and she is encouraged to play basketball and do whatever else she wants. She is making time for softball and trying to put togethet a workout plan that will help with it and the big orange ball.
I'm pretty stoked about that

 

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It seems that some coaches think only of themselfs not the players.It is not there best interest that I care about its my kids.I feel she will get looked at more at the select level rather than the school level.If they try to make her pick one she will not play either for school and stay select fastpitch and aau basketball.
I feel it is not there place to limit my kid to futher there ego.
jmho

 

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It seems that some coaches think only of themselfs not the players.It is not there best interest that I care about its my kids.I feel she will get looked at more at the select level rather than the school level.If they try to make her pick one she will not play either for school and stay select fastpitch and aau basketball.
I feel it is not there place to limit my kid to futher there ego.
jmho

100% agree with toledoted!!

 

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We ran head into this last month. Last spring, VB coach had warned DD about missing "voluntary" summmer VB league, because she was playing softball. Same thing happened to another girl from our school who was on an elite team. Well, tryouts come aroung and DD (sophomore) tests as 2nd best player in the program. Two days later, she gets the "committment speech", and gets demoted back to freshman team. Welll......she no longer has to worry about playing school volleyball anymore. Heck, we were worried about being a varsity softball player and a State qualifier in track.........We do have to give props to our AD, and the two varsity coaches IN THE SAME SEASON who got along better and worked with our DD more than the VB coacches did in the offseason.

 

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Slightly off topic, but people should keep all of these comments in mind when they complain about the OHSAA rules that limit coaching contact and number of players on a single team. That's why these rules are in place and I for one support them! Without them everyone would be a single sport athlete, and that would just be sad.

 

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I think when the girls choose to be single-sport athletes, it will NOT be on the high school team. It is the high school coaches (in our case, volleyball) who are turning the multi-sport athletes off by making them choose.

 

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I am having the time of my life. My twin daughters are entering HS and will hopefully be playing basketball this Winter, and softball in the spring for their HS. I have coached them in summer softball and in MS basketball and now that they are in HS I will be able to sit backand watch. I really am looking forward to that. Many people that know me think I won't be able to stand it watching someone else coach them, but I am really looking forward to it.

They both love basketball, but they REALLY love softball. That is their words, not mine. They tried so((er, but both gave it up a couple years ago. I was thrilled when the did give it up. The thing with that sport....injuries seem to be extreme and plentiful, and the demands are overwhelming. So((er is the sport that started all the specialization **** by being the first to go year round with spring and summer leagues, School ball in the fall, and then indoor in the winter. So many teams try to get you to commit to all this and allow no time for other sports.

I think the days of 3 sport stars is over, unless you are at a small school that needs participation form every athlete they can get. I also think they need a beak at some point to let the body heal and rest. The problem my girls have is they go back to back with basketball and softball. As long as they are having fun I am in support of anything they try athletically.

I think if your daughter wants to play it all, more power to her. Most people would let their son go out and play every sport imaginable, so why not let your daughter?

Little known fact, kids that are busy in school extracurriculars actually do better in school academically.

This time flies by, so if you are having fun and your kids are too, go ahead and do it. It'll be over before you know it.

 

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Despite what HS coaches think, when you talk to the College Coaches, they like the multi sport athlete, especially if the grades are good. The girls know how to manage their time and commitments. Older dd is a one sport athlete, but conditions outside of the HS environment, other is a 3 sport player, she is wearing us out not herself.
You should see her calendar, and maintains a 3.8 average or better.

 

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As a coach I push for the multiple sports for conditioning and just the use of different muscles. One of my dd's only plays softball and the other does volleyball and softball.

Not in favor of a softball player running track also since they are at the same time of year. Don't feel it's fair to either team that the girl isn't at practice for one or the other and still is a starter for both. Gets hurt doing one and then isn't any good for the other team.

 

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Evil Dad, good post. This goes back to the post they like Athletes. Many are getting kids that are not in the best of shape and can only play one position. Example First base. We are lucky our high coaches like the kids to play different sports to keep in shape. They seem to work together so we have very few conflicts. My dd plays sokker and her coach knows she also plays softball year round.