Breadth vs. Depth: Playing Many Sports or Sticking With One

If you are looking to impart advice on your sports team website, one topic you might consider is the value of specialization over diversity. In other words, should young athletes focus all of their attention on a single sport, or should they play several different sports? Both options have merits and drawbacks, and it will vary on a case by case basis.

The best way to tackle this question is by talking it over with you kids. But in order to do so, you need to ask the right questions and consider logistical and long-term benefits and issues that an adolescent mind may not immediately realize. A few of these are outlined here.

• What age/level is your child playing at?
  This is the first question to ask. Younger athletes may benefit more by trying several different sports to see which one suits him or her best. In elementary school, most kids are learning how to play the games and finding their own strengths and weaknesses, and there are fewer cuts and more outlets for experimentation. Similarly, if you child is playing on a club team or just for fun, there is not real reason to focus all of his or her attention on one thing. Play around and have fun with it.
• When do the seasons start and end?
  Unfortunately, many seasons overlap with one another and it becomes difficult to schedule your child’s time properly. Not only is it unfair to other kids to miss the start or end of the season due to commitment to another team, but it will prevent your young athlete from getting the rest and necessary mental break from the grind of constant practices and games.
• What is the end goal?
  Once high school starts, it is time to consider whether or not athletics is something reasonable and desirable going forward. If your youngster is hoping for a scholarship, or even to play in college at all, it might be wise to turn his or her attention to a single team. That doesn’t mean that other sports are unacceptable - many hockey players run cross-country in the fall, and football and basketball players often join the track team in the spring to stay fit in the offseason.

Playing multiple sports can offer a youth athlete a broader experience and a chance to find different passions, while focusing on one sport may make him or her a much better player. Both are valid points to explore in detail on your sports websites.