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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I guess I don't think of him as really specializing, to be honest. He's tried other sports and for some reason, fell in love with baseball. And as I mentioned, he still plays rec basketball every year.

[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.

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.

100% accurate. Elite athletes (think major D1 revenue sports) are able to play 3 sports with ease. They are that much more physically gifted than the average athlete. Most kids aren’t able to do so and need to specialize in order to make a varsity roster. This being said, No kid should specialize until 8th or 9th grade. Kids that specialize young often peak prior to HS because their sport specific skills are more developed. Athletes that didn’t specialize young fall behind on sport specific skills but often develop stronger physical and mental athletic talent. Then around HS they begin to close the gap on sport specific skills and in turn become much more successful HS athletes because their other talents are further along.
Parents struggle to realize that their child is much more likely to be average than special athletically. The best way for an average athlete to compete is to be a tremendous competitor. That is best developed by competing in all types of activities. Both those you excel at and those that challenge you.

[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.

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.

100% accurate. Elite athletes (think major D1 revenue sports) are able to play 3 sports with ease. They are that much more physically gifted than the average athlete. Most kids aren’t able to do so and need to specialize in order to make a varsity roster. This being said, No kid should specialize until 8th or 9th grade. Kids that specialize young often peak prior to HS because their sport specific skills are more developed. Athletes that didn’t specialize young fall behind on sport specific skills but often develop stronger physical and mental athletic talent. Then around HS they begin to close the gap on sport specific skills and in turn become much more successful HS athletes because their other talents are further along.
Parents struggle to realize that their child is much more likely to be average than special athletically. The best way for an average athlete to compete is to be a tremendous competitor. That is best developed by competing in all types of activities. Both those you excel at and those that challenge you.

Messi played nothing but soccer since 5…is your claim that he isn’t an elite athlete? You never hear of great multi-sport soccer players.

Juan Soto did nothing but play baseball since a child…again, is he not an elite athlete?

Honestly, almost no international superstars were multi-sport athletes because that’s not how things work internationally.

Perhaps the difference is those athletes receive professional instruction, training and nutrition at very young ages which keep them healthy.

So…there really isn’t one answer to the question.

[Anonymous]

I think what the previous poster was trying to say is that it is highly unlikely that your child is an elite talent and therefore it will serve them better to learn to be a better competitor in the long run athletically.
The poster also said elite athletes would be able to play multiple sports… they did not say they had to.

[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.

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.

100% accurate. Elite athletes (think major D1 revenue sports) are able to play 3 sports with ease. They are that much more physically gifted than the average athlete. Most kids aren’t able to do so and need to specialize in order to make a varsity roster. This being said, No kid should specialize until 8th or 9th grade. Kids that specialize young often peak prior to HS because their sport specific skills are more developed. Athletes that didn’t specialize young fall behind on sport specific skills but often develop stronger physical and mental athletic talent. Then around HS they begin to close the gap on sport specific skills and in turn become much more successful HS athletes because their other talents are further along.
Parents struggle to realize that their child is much more likely to be average than special athletically. The best way for an average athlete to compete is to be a tremendous competitor. That is best developed by competing in all types of activities. Both those you excel at and those that challenge you.

Thanks. I'm OP. I don't think my kid is "elite," but they are above average in terms of pure athleticism, and sports are a huge source of their personal development, so I want to keep them on a good path. I think it's through sports that they've found their best role models and learned about what work ethic and habits it takes to succeed. None of the kids on any of their teams are purely physically gifted; they all put in a lot of work, and that's a good lesson. My kid doesn't want to give up any of their 3 team sports. I'm hopeful that they can make the high school team in all or maybe 2 of them, although lacrosse is where they are most behind in skills, but ahead in athleticism, specifically in speed and hitting. Hopefully, they can close the gap as we approach HS, as you've suggested.

[Anonymous]

The problem today is that if you don't specialize, and you are not naturally gifted, you likely won't make the high school team. Possibly not even the middle school team. When I was young, and I expect most parents today feel similarly, most school sports had a spot for everyone who was willing to try (even if it was just bench warming). It is hard when you have a kid who wants to play for fun but they can't because the rec teams have ended and they cannot make the school team. Even for the kids who "specialize", there is a growing need to pay for private lessons, winter sessions, summer camps, etc., on top of the travel and elite leagues, just to get to you on a team. I don't want to buy into all this specialization, but I also don't want my kids to not have access to team sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem today is that if you don't specialize, and you are not naturally gifted, you likely won't make the high school team. Possibly not even the middle school team. When I was young, and I expect most parents today feel similarly, most school sports had a spot for everyone who was willing to try (even if it was just bench warming). It is hard when you have a kid who wants to play for fun but they can't because the rec teams have ended and they cannot make the school team. Even for the kids who "specialize", there is a growing need to pay for private lessons, winter sessions, summer camps, etc., on top of the travel and elite leagues, just to get to you on a team. I don't want to buy into all this specialization, but I also don't want my kids to not have access to team sports.

This seems hyper-regional, or gender/sport specific. For example, rec softball goes through 12th grade where I live (Loudoun) and at least half of the high schools have a softball team that you only need to be marginally good to make. Same with volleyball. Yes, maybe the starting Varsity Volleyball players play club volleyball, but it's definitely not required to make freshman or JV. Track, Cross Country, Swimming, Field Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Cheer all pretty much take anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

100% accurate. Elite athletes (think major D1 revenue sports) are able to play 3 sports with ease. They are that much more physically gifted than the average athlete. Most kids aren’t able to do so and need to specialize in order to make a varsity roster. This being said, No kid should specialize until 8th or 9th grade. Kids that specialize young often peak prior to HS because their sport specific skills are more developed. Athletes that didn’t specialize young fall behind on sport specific skills but often develop stronger physical and mental athletic talent. Then around HS they begin to close the gap on sport specific skills and in turn become much more successful HS athletes because their other talents are further along.
Parents struggle to realize that their child is much more likely to be average than special athletically. The best way for an average athlete to compete is to be a tremendous competitor. That is best developed by competing in all types of activities. Both those you excel at and those that challenge you.

Messi played nothing but soccer since 5…is your claim that he isn’t an elite athlete? You never hear of great multi-sport soccer players.

Juan Soto did nothing but play baseball since a child…again, is he not an elite athlete?

Honestly, almost no international superstars were multi-sport athletes because that’s not how things work internationally.

Perhaps the difference is those athletes receive professional instruction, training and nutrition at very young ages which keep them healthy.

So…there really isn’t one answer to the question.

PP didn’t say ALL elite athletes play multiple sports, or that one MUST play multiple sports to be considered an elite athlete. He said elite athletes ARE ABLE TO play multiple sports with ease. Do you think Messi or Juan Soto would have been able to play another sport if they CHOSE to do so?

This isn’t a difficult point to grasp.

[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.

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.

Yup.

Parents don't want to accept it but it's true. Who you parents are will make a much bigger difference in how good you are then the amount you practice.

[Anonymous]

Aaron judge and Giancarlo Stanton played football, basketball, and baseball in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem today is that if you don't specialize, and you are not naturally gifted, you likely won't make the high school team. Possibly not even the middle school team. When I was young, and I expect most parents today feel similarly, most school sports had a spot for everyone who was willing to try (even if it was just bench warming). It is hard when you have a kid who wants to play for fun but they can't because the rec teams have ended and they cannot make the school team. Even for the kids who "specialize", there is a growing need to pay for private lessons, winter sessions, summer camps, etc., on top of the travel and elite leagues, just to get to you on a team. I don't want to buy into all this specialization, but I also don't want my kids to not have access to team sports.

+1

Agree with every word of this. I do agree it is regional to some degree and highly depends on the high school. But all of the above is definitely true for our UMC large suburban high school. It is relatively difficult to make nearly all teams (even as a benchwarmer) with the exception of football, cross country, wrestling and track (which are all no cut). Everything else requires quite a bit of work, and from a relatively early age. Occasional exceptions for kids with extreme physical attributes (a 6ft+ tall girl or a boy with blazing elite speed etc) but that is it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem today is that if you don't specialize, and you are not naturally gifted, you likely won't make the high school team. Possibly not even the middle school team. When I was young, and I expect most parents today feel similarly, most school sports had a spot for everyone who was willing to try (even if it was just bench warming). It is hard when you have a kid who wants to play for fun but they can't because the rec teams have ended and they cannot make the school team. Even for the kids who "specialize", there is a growing need to pay for private lessons, winter sessions, summer camps, etc., on top of the travel and elite leagues, just to get to you on a team. I don't want to buy into all this specialization, but I also don't want my kids to not have access to team sports.

This seems hyper-regional, or gender/sport specific. For example, rec softball goes through 12th grade where I live (Loudoun) and at least half of the high schools have a softball team that you only need to be marginally good to make. Same with volleyball. Yes, maybe the starting Varsity Volleyball players play club volleyball, but it's definitely not required to make freshman or JV. Track, Cross Country, Swimming, Field Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Cheer all pretty much take anyone.

I definitely believe you (sounds like how things were when I was growing up), but it is so very very different at some schools. At my kids’ high school, there are club volleyball players with many years of experience who don’t even make the freshman team. Same for basketball & baseball. Soccer too. Tennis and golf teams are very VERY difficult to make, for both boys and girls. Cross country, swim, track, cheer do indeed take everyone but a lot of kids are not invited to any meets ( or very very few).

[Anonymous]

Maybe those club and travel teams aren't as "elite" as you thought.
In most communities these days there are as many or more travel/club teams as there are rec teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe those club and travel teams aren't as "elite" as you thought.
In most communities these days there are as many or more travel/club teams as there are rec teams.

Correct. Especially at the 12u and older levels. There are more travel/club players than rec players. That tells you all you need to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe those club and travel teams aren't as "elite" as you thought.
In most communities these days there are as many or more travel/club teams as there are rec teams.

Club has increasingly just replaced rec leagues. In sports like basketball and baseball (and I guess volleyball), there are many low level club teams and mid level club teams…and then there are elite teams, where if you make that team, then you are usually one of the best players on your HS team.