Did playing multiple sports for as long as possible work for your kids?

[Anonymous]

I think the "research" would say multiple sports. I think the environment of club sports makes that really hard.

I listened to a podcast recently where Abby Wambach said she credits her success with headers to playing high school basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

[Anonymous]

My son plays college baseball and a number of kids on his team played other sports in high school. Seems to be a positive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

There was a specific reference to people like Patrick Mahomes that were pro caliber in multiple sports. Sounds like your kids won the genetic lottery. It happens.

The real question, is how many players on your kids' D1 teams were serious multiple sports athletes in high school vs specializing? Also, whether a revenue sport or not.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean by specializing? Like doing nothing else but the one chosen sport?

My son plays baseball- has played either rec or travel baseball since 1st grade (now a freshman). He's also played rec basketball but that is a minimal commitment, as the HS league has no practices and several games a week.

He did make the JV baseball team but is nowhere near as hardcore as some of those kids are. There are definitely kids on the school team who play other sports too.

He's starting to feel a bit burned out though and is debating skipping fall travel ball. Not sure if that will hurt his chances of remaking JV next spring but for a kid whose baseball career will end in HS, I feel like basically going February to November is just too much baseball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Can you tell me more? I have a kid who is a very strong athlete. He wants to play 3 seasons of varsity in high school and no club, but he also wants to keep college doors open. I'd love to know about people who have successfully done so.

If you mean they played varsity and club in 3 sports, or varsity in 3, and club in 1 and got recruited for club, I guess that's different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Can you tell me more? I have a kid who is a very strong athlete. He wants to play 3 seasons of varsity in high school and no club, but he also wants to keep college doors open. I'd love to know about people who have successfully done so.

If you mean they played varsity and club in 3 sports, or varsity in 3, and club in 1 and got recruited for club, I guess that's different.

Not playing club and still playing in college is a limited list. Like, you can't just play HS soccer- no college will give you the time of day.

For track and field or XC- you can just do HS. A lot of sprinters do club but it is not required.

As for multiple sports- it depends on the kid and the sport. One of mine was a great athlete in two sports- but one she really dislike practices and early practice times so she quit before 9th grade. She started running in HS- never having done any running- and became really good. By junior year- she had to give up the original sport she liked because of injury risk and she knew Div 1 prospects were in running.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I grew up in smaller towns where a good athlete could play three varsity sports in high school. DH believes the data supports playing multiple sports for as long as possible, and kids shouldn't have to specialize before college. Does that still work? Our tween is good at several sports, but not great at any of them. I think it's because they aren't putting in the same reps as other kids who have specialized.

Does your tween wish to play a sport in college? If yes they should aim to be great, not just good, in at least one of their sports. If that means they have to give up one of more sports then so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Must be a joke sport

[Anonymous]

These days youth sports development has gotten so sophisticated - offseason training, nutrition, weight training, speed training. Playing multiple sports is comparatively a pretty inefficient way to improve athletic and sport specific development the older a child gets. The transition from multiple sports to focusing on a single sport, for serious athletes (want to make varsity at a competitive HS sport, or have a chance at playing in college), in my opinion should probably happen sometime in middle school. But they still do need to play the "main" sport year round prior to that or they can fall behind quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Can you tell me more? I have a kid who is a very strong athlete. He wants to play 3 seasons of varsity in high school and no club, but he also wants to keep college doors open. I'd love to know about people who have successfully done so.

If you mean they played varsity and club in 3 sports, or varsity in 3, and club in 1 and got recruited for club, I guess that's different.

Different poster, but my kid played three varsity sports. Also played summer club for the sport he plays in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Can you tell me more? I have a kid who is a very strong athlete. He wants to play 3 seasons of varsity in high school and no club, but he also wants to keep college doors open. I'd love to know about people who have successfully done so.

If you mean they played varsity and club in 3 sports, or varsity in 3, and club in 1 and got recruited for club, I guess that's different.

Different poster, but my kid played three varsity sports. Also played summer club for the sport he plays in college.

Just summer? Can you tell me the sport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by specializing? Like doing nothing else but the one chosen sport?

My son plays baseball- has played either rec or travel baseball since 1st grade (now a freshman). He's also played rec basketball but that is a minimal commitment, as the HS league has no practices and several games a week.

He did make the JV baseball team but is nowhere near as hardcore as some of those kids are. There are definitely kids on the school team who play other sports too.

He's starting to feel a bit burned out though and is debating skipping fall travel ball. Not sure if that will hurt his chances of remaking JV next spring but for a kid whose baseball career will end in HS, I feel like basically going February to November is just too much baseball.

Do you regret specializing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Must be a joke sport

No, dude. The intense craziness is to get mediocre athletes to be good at a particular sport. I say this who has one mediocre athlete who is very driven and has become great at his preferred sport. But he’ll never be as good as the gifted athletes who don’t need all the intense training to be great.


Those are the Pat Mahomes, Caitlyn Clark, LeBron athletes, and it’s not most of our children. Athletic ability can be learned but we all have a ceiling and a floor.

For most average athletes, it’s probably better to play multiple sports at a lower level, and save your money and time. They’re never going pro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s your goal?

To reach their potential in sport.

That's too wishy-washy. If you don't care at all about college recruitment, then play three sports.

Some incredible athletes like Patrick Mahomes could have gone pro in either football or baseball...most professional or even college athletes had to specialize.

I don't think you will ever hear of a top professional soccer player ever seriously playing another sport.

The Dominican Republic has the most per capita players in the MLB, and those kids don't do anything else.

That's wrong. I have two kids who played three sports, one each season. Both ended up playing D1 in one sport, one of them after only having started to play it as a sophomore. If you're trying to develop your athlete's general skill, they can excel at most any sport. Of course you can't take up ice hockey as a 16 yr old, but you can switch from hockey to lacrosse or football or whatever.

Can you tell me more? I have a kid who is a very strong athlete. He wants to play 3 seasons of varsity in high school and no club, but he also wants to keep college doors open. I'd love to know about people who have successfully done so.

If you mean they played varsity and club in 3 sports, or varsity in 3, and club in 1 and got recruited for club, I guess that's different.

Different poster, but my kid played three varsity sports. Also played summer club for the sport he plays in college.

Just summer? Can you tell me the sport?

Sure, it is baseball. Played club in the summer and hs baseball in the spring. In fall and winter he’d do some baseball training when he had time, but mostly just focused on the in season sports.