9th grade. Seasons seem to overlap more than ever with the preseason workouts and lifting. They weren’t mandatory and not expected if you were playing another sport but by the time one season finally ended my son was tired of the rigorous schedule. He had basically been going for 10 months with the preseason for his preferred sport. He didn’t want to go right into the next sport, which he didn’t love nearly as much, and dropped it.

My 10th grader plays varsity basketball and baseball. Baseball is his number one sport, and he plays only baseball in the spring. Summer and fall he’ll go to a basketball practice or game if it works with his baseball schedule. For about 2 months of the winter he doesn’t do any baseball and is all in on basketball.

This may be the last year he does this - it’s a little much.

High school

At 13 we’re still trying to do it all but as demands have increased its becoming unsustainable. Next year when DS goes into high school he’s going to have to make some hard decisions.

My oldest picked one main sport by 7th grade and ran cross country at school. He's a junior now and just does his one main sport ALL. OF. THE. TIME.

DD is in 8th. Never met a sport she wasn't good at. She's played one club level sport for years, plus another mid-level sport. Add to that a CYO season for her main sport and a school sport each season (it's required), and this is kid is stretched thin! She dropped the mid-level sport this year. (It was kind of her decision, but I may have encouraged it.)

Youngest kid is in 6th. He played two club level sports for a while and dropped one entirely this year. He's kept up one club sport, one rec sport, and joined cross county at school.

My kids all do only one travel sport, and then rec sports as they prefer (as long as the overlap with travel is minimal). For example: travel baseball (spring and fall), rec basketball, summer swim team. Something like that. In the event of overlap they choose their travel sport.

For all the kids we know that have done multiple travel sports (that conflict)- they end up choosing around age 12. Usually this is because absences from practice or games stop becoming as tolerated….in elementary school it was considered not a big deal to miss travel for another sport occasionally (like miss soccer for a swim meet or vice versa) but towards middle school is becomes less acceptable. Also middle school becomes more homework heavy which adds additional strain.

Age 15. DC has a broader base and w/in 6 months is even or ahead of the kids that started specializing at 9-10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9th grade

The intended philosophy regarding (and research promoting) multiple sports is not a whole bunch each season, but varied across the year. So, yes, multiple high level sports all at the same time is an injury risk. Total training volume should be considered.

Through late elementary my kids were able to club swim plus a travel sport (soccer or basketball). In middle school, one sport was at the club/travel level and the other wasn't quite as intense, usually "select" level, above rec, or a school sport plus the club/travel sport.

In high school, my kids made the choice to specialize.

Swimming as a second sport is a great idea but probably too late for that and it didn't go anywhere when I suggested it. DC's sports overlap. They both require an almost year-round commitment to remain competitive. Most of the other kids on the two sports that conflict have specialized by 10-12. DC is getting hurt more often than the other kids and is tired. I drank the Kool-Aid but I'm second-guessing the research.

The overlap and this belief are the problem. I'm not blaming it on you, the youth sports industry runs this way, especially around here. Families aren't left with enough choices, but it is your choice to make. Don't specialize too early, but don't play two travel sports per season...easier said than done (but almost always the right choice).

Anonymous wrote:9th grade

The intended philosophy regarding (and research promoting) multiple sports is not a whole bunch each season, but varied across the year. So, yes, multiple high level sports all at the same time is an injury risk. Total training volume should be considered.

Through late elementary my kids were able to club swim plus a travel sport (soccer or basketball). In middle school, one sport was at the club/travel level and the other wasn't quite as intense, usually "select" level, above rec, or a school sport plus the club/travel sport.

In high school, my kids made the choice to specialize.

Swimming as a second sport is a great idea but probably too late for that and it didn't go anywhere when I suggested it. DC's sports overlap. They both require an almost year-round commitment to remain competitive. Most of the other kids on the two sports that conflict have specialized by 10-12. DC is getting hurt more often than the other kids and is tired. I drank the Kool-Aid but I'm second-guessing the research.

9th grade

The intended philosophy regarding (and research promoting) multiple sports is not a whole bunch each season, but varied across the year. So, yes, multiple high level sports all at the same time is an injury risk. Total training volume should be considered.

Through late elementary my kids were able to club swim plus a travel sport (soccer or basketball). In middle school, one sport was at the club/travel level and the other wasn't quite as intense, usually "select" level, above rec, or a school sport plus the club/travel sport.

In high school, my kids made the choice to specialize.

Anonymous wrote:Not soon enough. We wish we had done it at around 3/4th grade

Not the best answer.

Should not specialize until puberty. Don’t set your child up for burn out

Not soon enough. We wish we had done it at around 3/4th grade

13

It is getting increasingly difficult to keep DC in multiple sports. There are a lot of folks pushing multiple sports, but I don't see how DC can play more than one club/travel sport. Also, I'm not buying the argument that playing multiple sports prevents overuse injuries. I am seeing the opposite: every sport seems to tax DC in similar ways and the cumulative effect is high risk of injuries.