Sometimes you have to put a disclaimer out there before writing a column. To that end, I confess that I may sound a little on the crotchety and cantankerous side in this writing but the good news is that I’m only 45 so I’m ahead of the game.
I can’t help but notice how much youth sports have changed over the past 25 years and not necessarily all for the better. Many young athletes now hone their skills through groups known as travel teams or select teams. When I played youth sports over half my life ago, you had select teams but they were not en vogue like they are now.
Some believe that this level of competition puts too much stress on young athletes. Many parents and grandparents who have shared this experience with their children see it as a unique opportunity to build skills, character and family ties. Most of all, however, too many adults see it as an opportunity to paint their kid as a Div. I prospect. Memo to said parent, “Reality check, your kid has about a 1 in 100,000 chance to become such an athlete.”
Such parents tend to think the kid has to play a sport year-round in order to get better. I say nonsense. Look at any random college or pro sports media guide and you will find plenty of athletes who played multiple sports. You will find plenty that didn’t play AAU basketball or any traveling team. Conversely, there are plenty of former travel ballplayers who likely never played a single minute of college athletics.
One of my favorite discussions/debates when it comes to youth sports is “should a kid specialize in one sport or diversify by playing several sports?” I tend to prefer the latter, but if a kid falls into the former category, I have no problem as long as it is the youngster’s choice as opposed to the adult who rams that decision down their throat.
So, is it better to be a jack-of-all-trades or a master of one? That’s one argument you hear regularly when it comes to deciding whether a youngster should play various sports or concentrate on one.
What makes Athlete of the Year discussions a little harder to sift through now — compared to previous years — is that at larger schools, kids are more likely to be laser-focused on one sport.
At smaller schools, youngsters are more likely to play a multiple of sports because since the enrollment is much smaller, the teams need bodies to fill the rosters.
So, is specialization a good thing or a bad thing?
If a youngster strongly believes he or she has potential to compete at levels beyond high school, by all means that person should give it their all to maximize that production.
For the sake of discussion, if a youngster, regardless of age, is a potential state placer in track or wrestling, and they are on the soccer team, but playing only when the game is out of reach — then why not drop soccer and focus on one sport?
After all, being a bench-warmer at one sport is not going to make you any better at the sport of specialty. If the player is a significant contributor, however, then playing multiple sports makes perfect sense.
The bad thing about specializing in one sport is that the risk of burnout becomes much greater because there is not that variety. Plus, only one out of every 100 high school seniors gets a scholarship to play at the college level, so why not take advantage of that chance?
Plus, other sports can benefit an athlete. For example, wrestling and track can help a football player with footwork, balance, technique, conditioning and speed.
Some coaches and parents, however, are inclined to press a youngster to focus on one sport. Again, for the sake of discussion, let’s say football.
In that case, the adult might be compelled to press the kid to lift weights and run during the offseason to get stronger and faster.
I’m not necessarily against travel ball teams, club teams, or whatever term you want to attach. I’m just saying they are not for everyone. I’ve seen good players on travel ball and recreation teams alike.
The only semi hard and fast rule I have is that travel ball teams for say ages 12 and under are a waste of time. If the kid is gifted, you will know it when he or she hits the field. Most (not all) parents are putting the kids in travel sports to please themselves. Kids should be able to choose their own paths.
If you are, say, an undersized kid that the other team underestimates and then you do great things, they will remember you.
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