The well-rounded competitor
Growing up in a town where basketball and soccer are the priority sports, you could say that the variety of competition that a young athlete exposes themselves to is miniscule.
Athletes like this play their respected sport- and I mean just one sport- year round. They compete in AAU basketball tournaments, premier soccer events, fall baseball, etc. They sacrifice their weekends to sharpen their skills in sports they have dedicated themselves to. Is focusing on one sport year round in the best interest for a young athlete though?
I firmly believe that athletes should look to venture out of the cocoon that is their one sport, and give themselves a chance to participate in others. I’m not saying that dedicating oneself to a particular sport is bad, but an athlete needs a variety of competition or else they’ll either be worn out by the time college comes into play, or they’ll be sick of playing the same sport over and over again.
I know of one athlete that experienced this first hand. This was a kid that I graduated with; that I played sports with for years; that I went through the youth basketball player’s hierarchy with. As time went on many athletes in my class began to rise up in the ranks through different sports. They were playing soccer in the fall, hockey in the winter, and baseball in the spring. This particular athlete didn’t expand his horizons past the hardwood though, and would never end up doing so.
He was a tremendous slasher and shooter, could get to the hoop any which way, and was clearly the best player on the court at all times. He would travel all over the country to AAU tournaments on weekends, all year round.
This athlete was a top-notch competitor, but was slowly getting worn down by the pressure of being the best, and the over-working that comes along with such an honor. He began having foot problems, which transferred to knee issues, and eventually to back complications. He fought through the ailments and went on to play Division III basketball. His dream was short lived though. After this athlete’s first college season he suffered an injury that required two surgeries. The time had eventually come when his body couldn’t take it anymore. His career was done.
An athlete like this was over-worked, and the fact is that this is happening more and more to future college athletes. I believe that the best athletes are the ones who test their skills in an array of sports. A lot of athletic skills obviously come from natural ability, but by working different muscles that are required in different sports an athlete becomes well rounded. They have a solid base and don’t wear out the same muscles and body parts 365 days a year. Not to mention, they don’t get bored out of their minds.
Although passion and commitment are a huge deal in a one-sport athlete’s fate, a lot of the time their parents are the ones that push them to the brink of hostility against the sport they once loved. Parents sometimes try to live through the young athlete’s ability, which often creates a competitive environment for them, and an uncomfortable environment for their kids. They want the best for their kids so they almost force them to compete in year-round training, but really the best thing for them athletically is to hone their skills in several sports.
If Jonny wants to play football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring, he should be able to. How much fun is shooting 500 foul shots 24/7/365 when you’re twelve? The young athlete will have a much more solid base and they’ll enjoy themselves more if they experience competition in several sports. At the very least they won’t want to go home and play Xbox in the middle of their 162nd Little League game of year.