Should a student-athlete be encouraged to specialize in one sport?

[shooter]

Several parents and coaches have talked to me lately about kids specializing in one sport or another and I wanted to know what's your take on this and under what circumstances would you encourage a kid and or a parent to do this? Personally, I would never encourage a kid to play one sport, but I would support a parent if they made the decision to do so.

[Bucof2010]

A massive percentage of student athletes will never play above the h.s. Level...might as well play while you can, what's it gonna hurt?

[bronco1]

Well lets face we are talking about teenagers and their interests can change on a dime. I believe a student athlete should participate in every sport or at least multiple sports. It will only help them in every sport in the long run.

[tvc184]

I would encourage a student to play only one sport when they start paying them for their service. Otherwise, play all they want.

It sounds like some people want to make them a professional class athlete or are trying to live vicariously through the student. Let the the kids have fun in as much as they wish. I think that any parent that requires their child to play one sport is doing a poor job of parenting. It may be their right but that doesn't make it correct.

[New Indian]

Let them have fun, play all they want im trying to do that but with 3 kids its kinda hard my oldest plays BB and FB but wants to play soccer and basketball (even tho hes really short) my younget son plays only soccer ive tried baseball fo 3 years now and it hasnt took, my daughter plays softball and cheerleads for my sons football team, i cant afford anymore!!!!!!! ;D

[KFDM COOP]

[BearWolf]

Let the kid decide. My son played FB, BB and ran Track through the 9th grade and only gave up BB because he was good enough in T & F to participate in the Junior Olympics USA Track and Field Program which required a different level of commitment. That experience outweighed him giving up BB.

[AJ25]

most coaches encourage playing other sports.. because it keeps u in shape year round. and a good point above me, you won't play forever. so whats it going to hurt?

[BMTSoulja1]

But what if you get injured with the rigorous strain on your body?  You may mess up your chance of a scholarship.

[tvc184]

But what if you get injured with the rigorous strain on your body?  You may mess up your chance of a scholarship.

What percentage of athletes get scholarships? Out of the ones that do, how many lose that chance due to an injury?

If a student is such a stud player that a scholarship is almost impossible to miss and if he/she decides to play that one sport then I am all for him/her. Go for it. For the other 97% that want to play other sports, go for it. Either way, I would support what the student wants to do.

[Bucof2010]

But what if you get injured with the rigorous strain on your body?  You may mess up your chance of a scholarship.

If your good enough to get a scholarship in a sport stick with it...not many have a good shot at a scholarship though.

[Guest Penny]

Soulja, most of the injury potential will be increased if you specialize.  Repetitive motion injuries, especially for youth baseball players is a serious problem, folks don't know the danger of it, I don't either.  It's a new phenomenon that needs to be watched.  Most people I've heard discuss or from what I've read about this subject would tell you that as TVC stated, unles you're getting paid you need to play what you enjoy.  Each sport has it's own set of motor skills that improves your overall development as an athlete.  Until you'r well into high school or as in rare cases, a golf phenom, I think you should be developing athletic skills.  Then if you have a shot at the next level, focus at that time, versus when you're 8,9,10,11 years old.  Just my opinion.

[dawgnut]

Brian Sanches was a great all around athlete for Nederland, he played several sports. In college he specialized in Baseball and is now chunking for the Washington Nationals. Did it hurt him to play several sports in HS, I don't think so!

[tvc184]

Brian Sanches was a great all around athlete for Nederland, he played several sports. In college he specialized in Baseball and is now chunking for the Washington Nationals. Did it hurt him to play several sports in HS, I don't think so!

I think everyone knows that the more sports you play, the more skills you develop. That is not any issue.

[SFA85]

That's killing PAM's program.  From what I was told @the beginnig of last football season, RTG strongly pushes those kids to either play football or basketball and strongly discourage the kids to play more than one sport.  Those who buck the system get their playing time messed with.  Mostly on the football field but it's killing all sports.  They would prefer the kids in 7 on 7 vs. running track.  Sad state of affairs in PA.....

School board is quiet and the new high school is coming up just nicely so all isn't bad, just on the athletic front....

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

That's killing PAM's program.  From what I was told @the beginnig of last football season, RTG strongly pushes those kids to either play football or basketball and strongly discourage the kids to play more than one sport.  Those who buck the system get their playing time messed with.  Mostly on the football field but it's killing all sports.  They would prefer the kids in 7 on 7 vs. running track.  Sad state of affairs in PA.....

School board is quiet and the new high school is coming up just nicely so all isn't bad, just on the athletic front....

Thats dumb if he's doing that. Thats how Lincoln was so good from '99-when it closed. the players ran track and it reflected on the field. Even Shan D (rb) played b-ball until his sr year. if thats whats going on that makes the athletic dept look very stupid.

[dawgnut]

Brian Sanches was a great all around athlete for Nederland, he played several sports. In college he specialized in Baseball and is now chunking for the Washington Nationals. Did it hurt him to play several sports in HS, I don't think so!

I think everyone knows that the more sports you play, the more skills you develop. That is not any issue.

So what is the issue?

[adminbaberuth]

Below 5A, when you have a potential next level athlete it's a tug of war between the parent and the AD. The AD needs to fill a team not only with starters but a 2nd team, the parent feels it's athlete should only play the sport year round to compete at the next level.

[Guest Penny]

It goes deeper than that, admin.  When I was in high school low these many moons ago, I played with guys who went on to play BIG time sports at big time schools after high school.  But, they played everything they could play, because we were buddies and we camped together, we fished together, we hung out together and we PLAYED together.  We played it all together cuz we were 16-17 years old and having the time of our lives... we also knew it took all of us to get it done.  They could've said hey, I may get hurt, then what, they didn't have offers and most don't, but they had the potential to and did play at the next level... but they still played em all.

I'm not saying either side is right, but there is a HUGE difference in the way it's done now versus the way we did it.  Today is not as much of a team game in most instances as when "WE" played, and I say "WE" pretty generally as many of us on this board are a part of that time.

[tvc184]

Brian Sanches was a great all around athlete for Nederland, he played several sports. In college he specialized in Baseball and is now chunking for the Washington Nationals. Did it hurt him to play several sports in HS, I don't think so!

I think everyone knows that the more sports you play, the more skills you develop. That is not any issue.

  So what is the issue? 

It is not a skills issue but an injury issue. The more sports you play, the more chances to get hurt. I don't think there is anyone with half a brain that doesn't know the more things you do, the more skills you develop.

[ballcoach12]

The encouragement of high school athletes to "concentrate" on one sport especially for the purpose of gaining an athletic scholarship has become one of the greatest disservices to kids in athletics today.  As parents, think about the high school memories you discuss with your old buddies when you get a chance or what sports memories you discuss with your kids.  I would be willing to bet you don't talk about the fall ball team you played on while all your buddies were on the gridiron.  I have coached 17 years and have yet to have a kid sign a Div. I, I-AA, or II basketball scholarship.  I have had a lot of players quit all other sports to "concentrate" on basketball because that was where someone, (insert AAU  or select coach's name here), told them they would receive an athletic scholarship.  I have been around a few kids that received baseball scholarships.  Very few big schools and almost none of them were full rides.  I have seen more kids receive football scholarships mainly due to the fact that Div. I schools have 85 to offer.  Irregardless, almost all of the athletes who received scholarships played more than one sport.  Why?  Because recruiters recruit kids who are athletic rather than skilled.  In other words, take a young man who can field ground balls really well but can not move.  A college coach can only take that young man so far until he has peaked out athletically.  He will never be able to field a ball hit in the gap the way a quicker kid could because he simply can not get there to make a play.  Conversely, take a kid who is not as skilled at the sport but can move and the coach can teach him the skills necessary to get him to field the ball because he can at least reach it.  The same can be said for all sports.  Basketball players may be great shooters but they must get open and then play defense on the other end of the court.  Receivers may have great hands but they must be able to get open to receive the pass.  Pitchers are the exception because they are obviously recruited for pitching rather than fielding. 

All of this to say playing multiple sports helps to create the athlete and thus makes them more recruitable while also allowing them to obtain the lessons sports were intended for in the first place (teamwork, integrity, sportsmanship, discipline, hard work, etc.).  Read the attached article about Rice baseball players who played football.  You could substitute any sport for baseball and I think it would hold true.  Just my take.

Paper: Houston Chronicle

Date: Mon 06/19/2006

Section: Sports

Page: 1

Edition: 3 STAR

Rice proves football can mix with baseball / Athletes go from end zones to the basepaths to toughen Owls

By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER

Staff

OMAHA, NEB. - There is little statistical evidence of the agonizing pain Rice outfielder Jordan Dodson has endured this season.

Scar tissue in a shoulder muscle that Dodson tore during his senior season at The Woodlands hindered his swing and affected his throwing from right field. A foul ball off his left foot broke a bone midway through the season, but Dodson missed only four games.

If there is a profile of a product of Texas high school football, Dodson fits it.

"Being a football player, you've got to play through pain. If you don't, you're not going to get to play much," said Dodson, a sophomore. "That mentality (helps) as far as how (Aaron) Luna had to get stitches (against Houston on May 28) and didn't come out. (Tyler) Henley is always getting hit by pitches and never comes out or complains.

"The football mentality keeps everybody tough, and that's probably a bit of an advantage against other teams."

Depending on athletes who played high school football - something Owls coach Wayne Graham calls a rite of passage in Texas - has paid off for Rice (56-11) this season.

It's difficult to gauge how two-a-days in mid-August can deepen one's tenacity. The Owls, who will meet Miami tonight in a winner's-bracket game at the College World Series, have displayed resolve that borders on astounding.

"If you're not mentally tough in football, you're not going to do very well," Dodson said. "You have to be more mentally tough in football, and it helps a lot in baseball."

Said Henley: "It's played a big part in a lot of our come-from-behind victories. Our mental and physical toughness has a lot to do with that."

There are at least eight players on the Owls' 25-man roster with roots in Texas high school football. The group includes first baseman Joe Savery who, like Dodson, was a decorated quarterback.

Three Rice pitchers - Bobby Bramhall, Craig Crow and Kyle Gunderson - earned multiple letters in football. Henley and Luna were all-state tailbacks, with Luna sharing the load on two state title teams at Southlake Carroll.

Junior catcher Travis Reagan, a two-sport standout at Lubbock Monterey, was lost for the season after breaking his right ankle May 14.

The Owls didn't need Reagan in a comeback against Georgia in their CWS opener. Rice rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh after Georgia had taken a lead.

"It's just another advantage - mentally - to have played football," said Graham, who recalled how his experiences playing football at Reagan High School helped him as a baseball player. "We always have a desire to (recruit two-sport athletes)."

It should come as little surprise that Luna and Henley pace the club in being hit by pitches with 22 and 20, respectively. Fittingly, Henley hasn't missed a start this season.

"When you see somebody take a ball in the ribs and not even flinch, even the players that hadn't played football derive strength from that," Dodson said. "It plays a huge role."

. . .

[Guest Penny]

Dang I'm glad you posted that article, I had missed it.  Wayne Graham may know a thing or two about winning, "It's just another advantage - mentally - to have played football," said Graham, who recalled how his experiences playing football at Reagan High School helped him as a baseball player. "We always have a desire to (recruit two-sport athletes)."

I could go on and on here, but won't Wayne Graham has taken the words out of my mouth and the mouths of many high school baseball and football coaches.

[DP#1FAN]

Enjoy your high school years and play what you want to. Because you can never go back so make the most of it. I know us older ones wish we all could go back!

[bullets13]

play as many as you want!  I started out playing 3 sports when I got to high school, and finished playing two, simply because of scheduling conflicts.  Soccer was my biggest sport, but I wouldn't have missed football for the world, even if there was a risk of injury that could later affect my soccer season.  Every sport has something different to offer a kid, and every coach he comes in contact with has the opportunity to teach him and mold his character. 

[stangchain]

good post, bullets....