Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally in favor of multiple sports.
I think skills learned in one sport can translate to other sports
Diversity of sports helps prevent overuse injuries and burnout
But what do I know?

Just so we're clear, more sports will lead to less use?

Overuse injuries are just that. If you're running playing soccer then running playing basketball, you're overusing your legs, end of conversation. The whole multiple sport argument only holds water in the US, where all the big sports don't face competition from outside. Messi didn't waste his time playing 20 sports, playing 3 instruments, and take SAT prep classes in 3rd grade. Seems to have turned out ok focusing on one sport.

You apparently are uneducated on the research on cross training. Also, Messi is a freakish anomaly so calling him out demonstrates your delusion. Hopefully, you focus your kid on only soccer while my kid focuses on school and soccer and a few other things and one day your GED kid will work for my kid who has a masters degree. Good parenting plan Einstein.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally in favor of multiple sports.
I think skills learned in one sport can translate to other sports
Diversity of sports helps prevent overuse injuries and burnout
But what do I know?

Just so we're clear, more sports will lead to less use?

Overuse injuries are just that. If you're running playing soccer then running playing basketball, you're overusing your legs, end of conversation. The whole multiple sport argument only holds water in the US, where all the big sports don't face competition from outside. Messi didn't waste his time playing 20 sports, playing 3 instruments, and take SAT prep classes in 3rd grade. Seems to have turned out ok focusing on one sport.

I am referring to overuse in the same repetitive position, which typically occurs in the same sport and changes up a bit in a different sport.

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally in favor of multiple sports.
I think skills learned in one sport can translate to other sports
Diversity of sports helps prevent overuse injuries and burnout
But what do I know?

Just so we're clear, more sports will lead to less use?

Overuse injuries are just that. If you're running playing soccer then running playing basketball, you're overusing your legs, end of conversation. The whole multiple sport argument only holds water in the US, where all the big sports don't face competition from outside. Messi didn't waste his time playing 20 sports, playing 3 instruments, and take SAT prep classes in 3rd grade. Seems to have turned out ok focusing on one sport.

Anonymous wrote:Our coach is in favor of multiple sports, but the way they schedule the practices makes it basically impossible. We practice three days a week, but they switch up the days we practice nearly every week or two. M-T-W-R-F in some variation at different fields and times. It makes scheduling any other activity almost impossible.

Yep, that is our issue as well. 3 kids doing travel soccer, just hard to add anything else to the mix except for Rec basketball over the winter.

I’m personally in favor of multiple sports.
I think skills learned in one sport can translate to other sports
Diversity of sports helps prevent overuse injuries and burnout
But what do I know?

Our coach is in favor of multiple sports, but the way they schedule the practices makes it basically impossible. We practice three days a week, but they switch up the days we practice nearly every week or two. M-T-W-R-F in some variation at different fields and times. It makes scheduling any other activity almost impossible.

The multiple sport argument is only made by Americans using predominately American sports as the basis of "proof".

Soccer is a global sport and elite world class soccer players pretty much just play soccer. Messi didn't move halfway across the world to La Masia to be a three sport athlete.

America produces world class gymnasts. I don't think any of them play another sport.

America produces "world class" three sport athletes in sports that only American's generally play.

Of course kids should try and play different sports because it is good for them and they are fun but not because that is what a NFL player did as a kid. That NFL player isn't fighting for a job in a global sport the way a professional soccer player is.

I have no idea if this has merit, but I was looking for sports camps and came across this article recently on a camp website. Basically, it states multi-sport exposure is preferable for kids over early specialization for most sports, with a few exceptions like gymnastics, figure skating, etc. They say that kids are specializing earlier these days, but that some of the negative consequences of specializing too early can be early burnout, overuse injuries, etc.

It mentions specialization being fine starting around age 13.

https://kidselitesports.org/late-specialization-is-recommended-for-most-sports/

That's right, all the professional players in Brazil played multiple Sports. (Laughs)

Anonymous wrote:Parents and coaches pushing for year-round play are doing kids and their families a disservice.

https://kidzu.co/sports-athletics/why-specializing-in-one-sport-is-a-bad-idea/

You are assuming these kids want to play other sports, but are denied. Many kids I know do so much soccer because that is what they love to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True, but by time you're 14 or so the kids need the reps and training to compete at elite level. For fun sure play all the sports.

I think the statement should really be: by the time your kids is 14, elite coaches want 100% of a kid's "sports" time so that they remain a paying customer vs. being distracted by other sports that might steal them away. Anyhow, history is littered with elite athletes that grew up playing multiple sports, even in high school and swear by the benefits that approach provided. Any coach that is against your kid playing other sports is primarily interested in themselves and not your kid. Change coaches. Immediately.

Well, to be fair, I'm not familiar with that many elite level soccer players who grew up playing multiple sports in high school. Most multi-level athletes have baseball as one of the sports, or track, or something complementary. Not saying there is nothing to your point, but with soccer, it isn't that common. You can do it, but not usually at the highest level. Normally, something has to give either around 14 or by the middle of high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True, but by time you're 14 or so the kids need the reps and training to compete at elite level. For fun sure play all the sports.

I think the statement should really be: by the time your kids is 14, elite coaches want 100% of a kid's "sports" time so that they remain a paying customer vs. being distracted by other sports that might steal them away. Anyhow, American Sport history is littered with elite American Sport[u] athletes that grew up playing multiple sports, even in high school and swear by the benefits that approach provided. Any coach that is against your kid playing other sports is primarily interested in themselves and not your kid. Change coaches. Immediately.

I fixed it for you.

Anonymous wrote:True, but by time you're 14 or so the kids need the reps and training to compete at elite level. For fun sure play all the sports.

I think the statement should really be: by the time your kids is 14, elite coaches want 100% of a kid's "sports" time so that they remain a paying customer vs. being distracted by other sports that might steal them away. Anyhow, history is littered with elite athletes that grew up playing multiple sports, even in high school and swear by the benefits that approach provided. Any coach that is against your kid playing other sports is primarily interested in themselves and not your kid. Change coaches. Immediately.

True, but by time you're 14 or so the kids need the reps and training to compete at elite level. For fun sure play all the sports.

Parents and coaches pushing for year-round play are doing kids and their families a disservice.

https://kidzu.co/sports-athletics/why-specializing-in-one-sport-is-a-bad-idea/