Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Multiple Sports, Same Season Athlete Prototype Becoming the Norm in Youth Sports

Multiple Sports, Same Season Athlete Prototype Becoming the Norm in Youth Sports

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jun 27, 2015

No Comments

A few years ago I began noticing a new type of youth sport athlete – the 2 sport, same season athlete. Rather than playing just one sport, these kids were committed to two sports at the same time. I found this interesting (not to mention exhausting), but it was somewhat of a rare sighting as most kids were still playing just one sport per season (the traditional way of playing sports). This week, however, while speaking to a group of high school team captains I became even more aware of how common it is becoming for young athletes to play multiple sports per season (I even met a girl this week playing three sports concurrently).  Well over half of the group of kids I spoke to acknowledged that they are playing not one, but two sports simultaneously this summer.

Is this multiple sport, same season choice a good thing for kids?  That question remains to be answered, but one thing is for sure – the idea of simply playing one sport at a time may be a dying concept in youth sports.

Kids who play multiple sports at the same time run a greater risk of physical injury and emotional burnout, and they also face major challenges when it comes to time management and being able to fully commit to each team.   Sports parents invested in supporting their child playing multiple sports can certainly mitigate some of these issues, but even with the best efforts there are only so many hours in a day. Years ago when kids began to specialize in one sport and play that sport year-round, many people were concerned, yet that athlete prototype remains strong today with millions of kids becoming “sport specialists” every year.  Will the multiple sport athlete become “normal” in the years ahead – similar to the sport specialist?

The biggest questions I have around the multiple sport, same season athlete include the following:

  • Does the child fully understand all the commitments involved to both teams?
  • Why is the child competing on multiple teams at the same time? Is he or she being pressured by coaches, teammates, or even parents?
  • What other opportunities are being missed because of such a huge commitment to sports? Other clubs/activities? Volunteering and internships? Family vacations?

I sometimes worry that families make these kinds of decisions not because it is “right” for their child, but instead because they look around and see other families doing it, and therefore think they should, too. I witnessed a similar trend happen about ten years ago where the line in the sand between travel leagues and recreation leagues became quite blurred — travel leagues began to quickly expand, and not because the talent pool had grown, but instead due to the number of families who simply wanted to be a part of a travel league rather than a rec league.

Remember, just because everyone is doing something (or it seems like they are), doesn’t make it automatic that you should do the same. Signing your child up for multiple teams at the same time might seem like a great decision on the surface, but if it leads to increased injury risk, emotional burnout, and partial commitments to both teams then it might not be a wise choice. If, on the other hand, you have given great thought to this decision and fully accept the potential negative consequences mentioned here, then this might be a decision worth considering for your child.

www.drstankovich.com

 

 

 

 

burnout, coach, injury, parent, psychology, specialization, sport, travel

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 22, 2023 Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • March 20, 2023 Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • March 14, 2023 Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • March 13, 2023 3 Important Tips for Today’s Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • February 26, 2023 The Most Important Sports “Ability” Might Surprise You

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

7 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child Have an AWESOME Sports Season!

NEXT POST

How to Have an AWESOME Start to the Upcoming School Sports Season

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Boys Sports , Burnout , Coaching , Communicating with Coach , Cuts , Evaluating Talent , Girls Sports , League Operator , Mental Toughness , Parent Training , Performance Enhancement , Playing Time , Prep , Quitting , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sport Specialization , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Sports Safety , Team Building , Training and Development , Travel Leagues , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports , Youth Sport Burnout , Youth Sports

Tags

burnout, coach, injury, parent, psychology, specialization, sport, travel

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • The Psychology Behind Breaking Bad Habits
  • What has Happened to Free Play and Recreational Sports for Kids?
  • The Importance of Efficiency Applied to Success & Productivity
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • Accident Prone & Forgetful? Poor Stress Coping May be the Reason
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓