SPECIALIZATION/MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES
Have you ever heard a professional athlete say they are glad they only played one sport or specialized at an extremely young age? Even if it were true, you don’t hear anyone saying it. On the flipside, I can recall multiple athletes (The Tkachuks, Steph Curry, and Mike Trout, to name a few) emphasizing the importance of playing multiple sports to their overall development. Today, kids are specializing in sports at younger ages than generations prior (https://nfhs.org/stories/the-double-edged-sword-a-guide-to-early-sport-specialization). If the greatest athletes in the world advocate for playing multiple sports growing up, why is specialization so prominent?
Growing up, I never played a sport with the intention of getting a scholarship or playing professionally. I played sports because that's what my friends were doing and I craved activity (and competition). I played organized hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse amongst other unorganized sports. The fun I had and memories I made were reason enough to play a sport. In hindsight, the self-development opportunity sports provided were the most important takeaways growing up. When winter ended, getting out of the rink and onto the field was exactly what the doctor ordered. The obvious points of using different motor skills, different mental stimulation, different rules, scoring systems, team dynamics, preparation and approach, are known benefits of playing multiple sports. One thing that gets overlooked is developing confidence and self-identity.
I was above average at most sports, certainly more inclined towards hockey, but less inclined towards baseball, soccer, and basketball. The change in environment from being a better player at one sport, on one team, to being an inferior player on a different team at a different sport teaches a lot more than if you were to only play one sport. In one sport, you are confident in your ability, your teammates look to you in key moments and situations, parents and coaches give you high praise - you feel confident in who you are. Now, imagine putting yourself in a situation where you don’t play a key position, get the most playing time, or perform as well as other teammates. Two totally different environments but immense in helping you become more well-rounded. The dichotomy between the two situations, if handled correctly with the right support system, can help with problem solving, resilience, accountability, and goal setting to name a few benefits. On top of that, what every teenager struggles with, and what I believe is a large issue in youth sports culture, is identity. Being more talented at one sport compared to another can provide an opportunity to show that self-worth and who teenagers are as individuals are not tied to your ability to perform at a sport. I believe many kids struggle finding an identity and that’s why it is so easy to find yourself with the wrong people. You may not agree with what they are doing or what they get involved in; but they include you and give you belonging. I could go on a deep dive of belonging and self-identity and maybe I will in another blog. But ultimately the takeaway from playing multiple sports is the influx of outside factors that you can navigate to better yourself. By limiting your environment and sticking to one sport, one team, one friend group, you may not be as well rounded as you could be down the line.
Ultimately, 6% of high school athletes end up playing in the NCAA with 2% at the D1 level. Beyond that, you look at how many NCAA athletes end up in the pros and it's another single digit percent. Why hold back your child from other development opportunities that could be gained from playing other sports? Even if they say they only love hockey at 8 years old, you are their parent, you know what is best for them, not them, and everything from the science to the anecdotal experiences of collegiate/professional athletes says playing multiple sports growing up is a large contributor to success down the line.
