The Downside of Being a Multi-Sport Athlete

There are many benefits to being a multi-sport athlete, as has been detailed here as well as in numerous articles and athlete-driven promos across the Internet. The cross-training, the different styles of coaching, the different atmospheres, etc. all contribute to making a well-rounded athlete who can compete more effectively.

The old-school types in particular love to talk about all the great things that come with participating in multiple sports, and how they did it and it made them better all the way around.

But there’s a very definite downside in today’s world, especially if you want to compete at a high level. The downside is the time commitment required and its effect on the athlete’s physical and mental state.

You see, back in the “good old days” of multi-sport athletes each sport had a season. You played volleyball or ran cross country or did whatever in the fall. When that season was over it closed out and the athlete moved on to basketball or swimming or whatever in the winter. Then came softball or track or another sport, which was separated from everything else.

Today, however, every sport seems to be 24 x 7 x 365. A typical day will see an athlete attend a game for a school sport in one season as well as a practice for another sport that is out of season. Throw in lessons, speed and agility sessions, weightlifting classes – not to mention school/homework and possibly work for the older players – and it’s amazing these players can stand upright much less participate in so many activities.

In the summer they don’t have school to contend with, but often they have two or even three full-blown teams in different sports running at once along with the other activities. No rest for the wicked, eh?

What it often means is athletes who are never 100% healthy or energized. Instead, they are doing the best they can each day, but not necessarily the best they’re capable of.

What’s the solution? The ideal situation would be setting up a system where the governing bodies of various sports get together to set priorities.

Each sport would have a full-on season where they take the bulk of the time, while the others step back to a very limited level. For example, in the summer softball would have priority, and sports like basketball and volleyball would hold no tournaments on the weekends and perhaps be limited to a single practice each week. In fall a different sport would have priority and summer sports would be limited in the same way.

Of course, that’s never going to happen. The sports culture here in America is too tied to winning for any sport to take a back seat to others, even if it’s for the benefit of the athletes themselves.

The next best alternative is for parents to keep an eye on their athletes and set the priorities for them. Even if it makes them unhappy.

They and their athletes should figure out which sport is their priority and make that the focus of their efforts. They should then, in my opinion, treat any other sports as fill-ins.

Rather than playing club/travel for every sport, play it for one and then do the others for school or at a rec level.

Club/travel coaches can also help out by voluntarily limiting practices to once a week when out of season, with liberal policies if their players have to miss due to a conflict with the main sport.

This plan may not solve everything, but it’s a start.

The level of commitment required these days is just insane in my opinion. It’s time to change the culture.

We need to make it possible for athletes to receive the benefits of being multi-sport athletes without the detrimental effects. It will be better for them, better for their parents, and ultimately better for their teams too.

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