Multi Sport Players

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I was interested in opinions on when should athletes commit to one or two sports. As we know most college athletes play only one sport. There are a few who play two. At what age is it best for the player to focus on one sport and why?

 

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My DD's sports were softball and track. Both are spring sports so she had to make a decision her freshman year. While she loved track (she was a sprinter), she said her first love was softball. She was a little sad that she had to make a choice but that's life. It's full of choices.

 

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As long as the sports are in different seasons, if they are able, let them play multiple sports.
I have a problem when the sports overlap, like soccer goes about year round and then travelball is almost year round.
Play softball in the spring and soccer in the fall. But even at 11yo there are coaches that want 100% commitment to their sport and at this age I will not do it. Once in college yes most athletes play only one sport, but the schools also ask if they played multiple sports in HS, I feel it shows them that the student athlete is very disciplined in their work ethic. jmho

 

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i think by sometime around your freshman year in high school you find the one sport that you are really good at. thats the one you should put most of your time into. for example pitching.. you can't just decide to pitch during spring/summer it takes alot of time and practice all year round , but that doesn't mean you can't play other sports you just have to put your main sport ahead of it.

another example. i have a dd who plays soccer and basketball. you can't generally go without shooting basketball and be successful. its like pitching you have to work on it all year long several times a week.

you can play any and all sports but to be successful in certain sports you need to concentrate on the one you excell and enjoy the most. (and it really depends on what position you play in those sports, some are easier to play multi sports )

 

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My DD is a junior in HS, is pitching on an 18u team this year and is scheduled to play in several college showcases. She wants to go to college and play softball. She currently runs crosscountry for her HS team and plays Varsity basketball. She lifts weights at home 3 days a week and does jump stretch 2 days a week. ?She also pitches at least every other day. This was the first year she was unable to attend basketball camps during the summer with her HS team because of her travel ball schedule, but she works on her own all summer doing shooting and drills in order to keep her starting position. Her other coaches know that softball is her number one priority, and her softball coach knows what other sports she plays. When it is basketball season, then she is committed to that team. ?If they can work it out and want to play other sports, I think its great!
I would agree that by their freshman year they should decide which sports are most important to them.

 

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They should be playing as many sports as they want. Their high school years produce memories for their lifetime. If by the time they are seniors, they are being actively recruited by several schools for a particular sport, then maybe focus on one.

I used used to coach a kid who was first all-Ohio in baseball, captain of the basketball team, and a super quarterback. He played all three sports through high school, went to college on a football scholarship and is now playing in the NFL.

Let kids enjoy themselves in high school.

 

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OK, that is a teaser if I ever saw one.... ;D

Who is the NFL player?

 

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How many kids play football year round?

How many of you played only one sport year round when you were a kid?

 

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I agree let the kids be kids and form great memories of their school years.
If they can handle it, enjoy it, and keep their grades up, god blessed them with alot!!! Let them enjoy it.
Wish I could find the article about young female athletes and the odds on teenage troubles and pregnancy (I'm sure it's the same with boys). It was a great article, I'll keep searching.
I'd rather have them busy and tired (by their choice) then looking for something to do out of boredom which is usually not a good thing.
In our house, good grades you can get involved with as much as you want (sports or clubs).....bad grades all bets are off and that includes hanging out with friends. Has worked so far with all three girls that range in age from 12 to 21. Not saying they are angels but they hold up their end of the deal.

 

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Most atheletes get good grades and can juggle multiple sports. Unfortunatly,by high school, most are forced into choosing only one sport because some coaches threaten loss of starting positions. They expect kids to attend all camps...practices etc. which can be impossible when some sports are conditioning during the off season! I think the kids should be able to experience everything they want during high school and the coaches should be glad they are doing other sports instead of laying by the pool or sittin in front of Tv...computer etc. Sorry....just a sore subject with me!

 

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>I apologize for this being slightly off topic, but what really annoys me is all the hoopla over childhood obesity, and knowing that in our children's school district, gym is offered as a 2-day-a-week-1-semester course, and fitness (a course similar to gym) is an elective that runs 5-days-a week-year-long--and fitness is the first class to fill up, which means that every student that wishes to take fitness can't.As a benevolent act, they(the school district) take pop and junk food out of the cafeteria (kudos for that), but the activity has to go hand-in-hand with the dietary changes! >

 

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Johniies-

Josh Betts-Indianapolis Colts/Miami-Ohio/Vandalia-Butler

 

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When this topic comes up, it usually turns to coaches and how they look upon girls playing in other sports. I would not discourage either my daughter or girls I coach from playing in multiple sports. However, with the year-round opportunities that exist in some sports including fastpitch, the girls who don't focus on one starting around high school may find themselves at a disadvantage in terms of being behind skill-wise. Of course, there are exceptions to this ... some girls are phenomenal athletes and go from sport to sport and not lose a beat, while other girls choose to only focus on one and and will just never excel at it.

 

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do54's advice is right on the money. College coaches want athletes that are not only good ball players, but can also juggle a tough and demanding workout/practice/class schedule. If a multi-sport athlete is also a very good, organized student, they have a leg up on the competition (other recruits). You can always teach a talented athlete softball skills, but what coach wants to teach them chemistry and organizational skills just to keep them eligible? Ohio State Baseball has two 3-sport athletes I know of, probably more.

 

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My DD and I were looking at the profiles for the the young ladies playing in the Softball CWS a couple of years ago. Quite a few of these ladies were multi-sport athletes in HS, and a couple still were in college. I don't remember seeing how many years they played or letters they earned in their "2nd" sport" in HS. Based on today's trends, which seem to say you have to pick one sport and specialize once you hit high school, they may have only been multi-sport athletes for their freshman and/or sophomore years and then focused on softball when they could officially be recruited.

Although many on this board curse it, if I remember correctly, soccer was the most popular 2nd sport listed. I would guess most negative feeback on here directed at soccer is because it competes with softball for participation numbers, but the cross training it provides can be very advantageous. Obviously, the same can be said for other sports as well.

 

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One of my DD's former pitching coaches played volleyball, basketball and softball all through high school in California in the mid 1990s. She then got a scholarship to pitch at Michigan. Case in point for the multi-sport athlete.

 

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I guess I'll rain on the multi-sport parade by mentioning what a bummer it is to have talented pitcher leave a GAME after the third inning because, suddenly, she forgot that she had basketball PRACTICE. (both organizations are rec teams)DD has been put into games cold (no warm-ups) when stuff like this happens. She goes in, doesn't complain, does her job, and then, afterward, on the way home, asks "Mom, why do players get away with that?"

 

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That is a decision based on what the player wants from the sport!!!!

At 12y/o she can formulate what she wants from the sport. ??If she can't then just let her play for fun. ?But if she decides that she wants more, maybe to play college level then she has to give something extra to the sport; the sport of her passion. ?

"To the guy who said we didn't play year round, let'em play for fun through high school," I say sure if that is what your DD wants!

The bar is being set higher each year with travel level players that use hitting coaches, pitching coaches, fielding and throwing coaches. ?Don't play at that ?level, then don't plan to play in college. ?

Think about these kids development. ?You have kids at 14-15 pitching 62-63 with good junk. ?You tell me - did they give something extra to a sport?? ?I'll bet they did!

I let my DD play muliti-sports through middle school and she made the choice to work on softball pretty much year round. ?It was her passion. ?Guidance, directing, leading, motivating, assisting = YES> ? ? Ultimately, ?isn't it their decision!!!

I read on these posts all the time ... I am going to make her.... into a great pitcher or hitter. ?To that I say, "Oh, really!" ? If it isn't her passion, iI don't beleive it will last! ? ?JMO

 

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Every elective my daughter took down here in Texas involved competition. Every teacher or coach involved in this wants the students full time.

Debate Club
Band
Art
Drama
Cheerleading
Shop
Math

Then throw in all the sports on top of them.

The HS my daughter attended has a music program that was given a GRAMMY award 2 years running for its excellence. Only 5 awarded in the country. She had to quit Chior her senior year because she was a pitcher and could not attend the different functions for the competitions they entered during the year.

Who turned little Susies fun at acting into pursuit of an award? Jonnies shop project? Joeys thesis on quantum Physics? Jimmies fun at cheering on his team?

Who did this to your kids? And why?

Elliott.

 

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My daughter (senior this year), has had a lot of success being a multi-sport athlete in both middle school and high school...both in club and school sports. In middle school she competed for her school in gymnastics, track, volleyball and basketball....while playing/practicing with her her travel fastpitch team year-round. In high school she lettered (as a freshman) both in track and softball (both in the same season, was regional champion in one of her 3 track events, went to State in all 3 events...and was selected by the Cinci Enq. as a "Softball All-Star" at the same time). She did four sports as a freshman, 3 as a sophomore, 3 as a junior and for the first time this year as senior she is not competing in a fall sport -- too many college recruiting visits.

The key to her success? COACHES who support multi-sport athletes!!! When competing in two high school sports at the same time, one of them has to be designated the #1 sport for which you never miss a game/meet (for her this was softball). The coach from that sport has to support that the athlete *may* miss practice to compete in the other sport (but won't miss a game....in head-to-head conflicts, the #1 designated sport "wins&quot.

Truth be told it was the track coach who was the "better" of the two at compromising, rearranging and making concessions....but then it's much easier for a track coach to replace an athlete who cannot make a few meets, than it is for a softball coach to replace one of his 9 starters.

I am SO thankful these coaches were willing to work out their schedules so they both could take advantage of having my daughter compete for their programs...rather than taking the "all or nothing with me" attitude that appears to be the norm in HS coaching! Track makes/made my daughter a MUCH better softball athlete....and at the same time, allowed her to earn recognition for her individual talents away from the softball field.

She will be playing D1 collegiate softball, which makes this last opportunity to compete in track in the spring all the more important to her. I would never encourage any young girl to pick just one sport too soon. Their interests and motiviation may change as their body develops and they mature. What might have seemed the perfect or natural focus when they were in 7th grade, may give way to what they discover suits them better in 10th grade.

My other daughter is still in elementary school....but already she's experienced Taekwondo (she's reached brown belt), softball, basketball and volleyball....and she enjoys all of them. I hope she continues to do so for a long time!