If your teen is a nationally ranked athlete in a sport and wants to play a second sport for fun, would you let them?

[Anonymous]

Explain the risks and then let your kid choose. My kid got an injury in a pick up game with friends and was out for the season. Kids will be kids but when it’s not the main sport and it’s secondary like this, sometimes more injuries can happen.

Still, i would let my kid do it if they wanted it. Kids need to be kids and it would ultimately be their decision. If they are that highly ranked, they know what is at stake.

[Anonymous]

Of course!

I'd let them quit the nationally ranked sport tomorrow in favor of the rec team sport too if that's what brought them joy. It's their life!

The point of sports is to get exercise, learn discipline, and have fun. Those can be done with any sport at any level.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Not at 13 but it also depends on high they are ranked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:secondar sport is soccer. Teen is very highly ranked nationally in an individual niche sport.

What is up with parents not disclosing such information? Why the secrecy?

Because it’s a sport that maybe 3 people play

So, the national ranking doesn't seem to mean much. Aren't they all tp 3 in the country?

[Anonymous]

Genuinely, I'm not sure why all the hate for fencing on this board. The sport is an Olympic sport. It is physically and mentally demanding. It is growing and is increasingly diverse.

OP, I am not sure - it depends on what your kid's (versus your) goals are in the primary sport. Possible college recruiting is the primary motivation for doing the sport? I would probably say yes to the secondary sport. But if the primary sport is the kid's passion, and they want to compete in it past college? That is a different question, and the risk of injury is real.

It would be helpful to name the sport, but I do understand niche sport communities can be insular and small.

[Anonymous]

P.S. And if it is fencing, is the national ranking in Y14 or, say, junior? Because those are two very different things, and the considerations are different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old is nationally ranked in an individual sport but also likes to play a second sport for fun at their school. The school does not mandate this. Would you let them play the secondary sport and risk an injury which can affect their main sport? I understand the benefits of cross training but does the opportunity cost make any sense here?

No one can offer reasonable advice without knowledge of the two sports and of the parents' and childs' goal for the nationally ranked sport. If the goal is to compete internationally and the 13 year old is likely to remain ranked nationally, then it might be foolish to participate in such an injury laden sport as soccer.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a great idea. You don't want too much of their identity and self-worth tied up in one sport. This is especially true if the niche sport is something like figure skating, where you'll see big changes over the next few years in a 13-year. Many lose their triples when they hit puberty and have to get them back once they are used to their new body, and it doesn't always work.

This, 100%, if the niche sport is figure skating.

[Anonymous]

If you say no, it may be yet another step towards them giving up their niche sport. Just keep that in mind. SO many teenagers burn out of their primary sports during HS.

[Anonymous]

I literally can't imagine saying no to this except maybe on an extremely temporary basis (e.g., no secondary sport in the 2 weeks before a super important event because even a minor injury could cause issues).

[Anonymous]

Yes I did and he was an All American in college, plays pro,

[Anonymous]

I have an older teen who is ranked highly in one sport and is a high level division 1 recruit. Gave up soccer junior year because of injury risk

[Anonymous]

No, I wouldn't let my child have fun.

Or if you don't care about that, Roger Federer credits his tennis success to having played a variety of sports as a kid:

https://davidepstein.substack.com/p/heres-why-federers-developmental-22-10-03

""I would tell all the juniors and kids out there, do other sports too, for fun. Go play squash, go ride your bike, go play basketball, go ski, whatever it is...until you are in the mid-teens I think you can really do everything, and even later on too, because if you only start focusing too much on one sport only I feel like you can get burned out and start seeing the sport for a job, rather than actually a hobby, and I still see tennis as my hobby — that became my dream job, you know. I think it's really good for the mind to do different sports."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old is nationally ranked in an individual sport but also likes to play a second sport for fun at their school. The school does not mandate this. Would you let them play the secondary sport and risk an injury which can affect their main sport? I understand the benefits of cross training but does the opportunity cost make any sense here?

No one can offer reasonable advice without knowledge of the two sports and of the parents' and childs' goal for the nationally ranked sport. If the goal is to compete internationally and the 13 year old is likely to remain ranked nationally, then it might be foolish to participate in such an injury laden sport as soccer.

First good answer