Benefits of Playing Multiple Sports

Many eager parents and coaches encourage their athletes to begin specializing in their sport at an early age. Although this may seem like a good idea, there are many drawbacks associated with single sport athletes that actually make multi-sport athletes more desirable for higher levels of competition. One example of the benefits of playing multiple sports is the mastery of different skills and bodily movements that can be transferred between sports and make the athlete an all-around better player. Another benefit of playing multiple sports is the decreased rate of single joint injury. When an athlete decides to specialize in one particular sport they run the risk of wearing out the major joints associated with their sport which ultimately means less playing time and/or a shorter athletic career. These are just two examples of the benefits of playing multiple sports. Below is an article which further outline the importance of playing more than one sport.

https://www.nfhs.org/articles/the-importance-of-multi-sport-participation/

Here is a video, though humorous it makes valid points regarding the negative consequences of sport specialization and the benefits of multiple sport participation.

https://youtu.be/C6ezBrpaJO0