My son will play soccer for a Power-5 school this fall with 25% of the scholarship. He played soccer, golf and tennis when he was six years old and did not focus solely on soccer until he turned 16 years old. He competed in USTA and junior golf. He is also with DA soccer. He is nationally ranked in both golf and tennis at the age of 15. By 16 years old, he just likes soccer more. We hire a D1 soccer coach to stay at our house during the summer for the past two years to train my son. The coach said that kids should play multiple complementary sports in addition to soccer to prevent burnout and improve the mental aspect of the athlete.

My kid (now 15) has played a ton of sports over the years (soccer, baseball, flag football, basketball, tennis, diving, hockey, and lacrosse). He's only played hockey at a travel level (and has played at the highest level in the area for the past 4 years). Hockey is now a 9-10 month a year sport, but we've always tried to make sure he has a few months almost completely "off". All the other sports have always been a rec level, and for the past 5 years, he's always made the decision that hockey is no. 1, and he'll miss just about anything else for a hockey related activity. His rec coaches have been OK with this, but they are mostly our friends at this point. I think this has made him a better athlete, and I doubt that its really held him back in hockey. But we know some kids who focus strictly on hockey, and they haven't burned out (yet).

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1
Our coach said any kids missing a practice for another sport will be benched. This was after someone missed a practice for a championship swim meet. These are young kids. We will be leaving at the end of the season.

You have to do what you think is best for your kid. My son plays multiple sports but would not miss a game or off season practices due to conflicts with another sport. We all find it pretty frustrating when teammates do and it is pretty obvious that these kids - though certainly athletic and well rounded - are not at quite the same level if they came to all practices. Players on A teams should be committed or make way for other gifted players making a full commitment.

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.

+1
Our coach said any kids missing a practice for another sport will be benched. This was after someone missed a practice for a championship swim meet. These are young kids. We will be leaving at the end of the season.

Gretzky lived lacrosse in the off-season.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The single- sport athlete is far more prone to significant overuse injuries and burnout.

YES! My kid wanted to stop everything but soccer after 4th grade. He had chronic groin, ankle, etc issues. Now in 7th I made him go to track and he will go back to rev basketball next year.

His little brother plays everything and is never injured.

They are both very athletic, but you need diversity.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Check the NBA, NHL, and MLB rosters. They're hardly only Americans.

Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jim Brown, Tim Tebow, Willie Gault, Bob Hayes, Tom Glavine, John Elway, Babe Didrikson, Dave Winfield, Jim Thorpe, Usain Bolt, Herschel Walker, Danny Ainge --- world class athletes in at least 2 sports.

Luis Enrique, Lev Yashin, Henrik Larsson,
Younis Mahmoud, Clive Allen, Bruce Arena,
Can Bartu, Chuni Goswami, Devin Barclay
Aldo Donelli , Knut Anders Fostervold, Andy Goram ,
Harold Jarman

all soccer players who played multiple sports at a high level.

Really? That’s who you came up with to prove elite soccer players can play other sports at high levels? At least two of them were kickers in football, which is the same skill set as soccer and most of them were born before 1970. So that’s not that convincing, although if there aspiring soccer/cricket players this will be inspirational.

With that said, playing sports like basketball or tennis or something recreational to compliment soccer is great for many reasons. My son plays rec basketball and my daughter plays rec volleyball in addition to soccer and both play tennis for fun and it is great.

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

Who give AF about Brazilian soccer players? Most of those so called Brazilian pro soccer players are broke and not well rounded. Are we trying to create well rounded humans are washed up players?

Those gifted will make their way to the NT.

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.

Check the NBA, NHL, and MLB rosters. They're hardly only Americans.

Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jim Brown, Tim Tebow, Willie Gault, Bob Hayes, Tom Glavine, John Elway, Babe Didrikson, Dave Winfield, Jim Thorpe, Usain Bolt, Herschel Walker, Danny Ainge --- world class athletes in at least 2 sports.

Luis Enrique, Lev Yashin, Henrik Larsson,
Younis Mahmoud, Clive Allen, Bruce Arena,
Can Bartu, Chuni Goswami, Devin Barclay
Aldo Donelli , Knut Anders Fostervold, Andy Goram ,
Harold Jarman

all soccer players who played multiple sports at a high level.

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?

Quite a bit, apparently.

Anonymous wrote: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.

---
Right because nobody plays baseball, tennis, basketball, track and field, or hockey outside the US --- those sports are mostly ignored outside the US.

America does produce world class gymnasts but in the process it breaks a significant amount on young bodies because the coaches haven't been bright enough to figure out that they could reduce the overuse injuries by getting kids into other sports instead training them year round.

You're right about the NFL player --- he's fighting for a much tougher jobs to get. There are far fewer NFL jobs than are professional soccer jobs world wide.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Good plan until little Tommy burns out from 20 activities. He'll walk out 200k in debt from his master's and make enough money to live in your basement until 35.

Let your kid be passionate about something and support that. Forcing anything on them isn't helping. "Cross training" and playing multiple sports at high levels lands you a college acceptance in the best case scenario. More likely it leads to a torn ACL like we see an epidemic of in this country.

Just for reference, new father, travel coach, and I've already said I dont care if my son plays soccer. It won't affect my enjoyment of the game.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

*grabs popcorn* DCUM is the best...

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The single- sport athlete is far more prone to significant overuse injuries and burnout.

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.

+1000000