One sport or multiple sports?

The pros/cons of kids specializing in one sport has been discussed 1000 times on our board. The Pro Scout comments below imply that it's a feather in a Kid's hat if he has played more than one sport in High School.

Be sure to read the story...it's pretty neat. An Indiana kid gets to live 'the dream' & play for IU. (Of couse, this also says something about the sad present state of affairs of Indiana basketball after the Kelvin Sampson cheating disaster).

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081210/SPORTS04/812100700/1002/SPORTS

"It just all happened so fast," Chip Schutz said. "When it finally sunk in, I think he was more worried that his baseball coach might think he was somehow turning his back on baseball, but that wasn't the case at all."

Actually, baseball coach Tracy Smith has been 100 percent behind Schutz. And Schutz, who hit .317 last season with six home runs and 48 RBIs, is receiving positive feedback from baseball scouts when they hear he's playing on the basketball team.

"Every scout has told me that playing basketball only helps Kipp in their minds," Smith said. "They say it shows his athleticism, and the competition and competitiveness factor really helps him as well."

 

I'm a huge advocate of multiple sports...and to play basketball demonstrates one's athleticism. Playing football shows one's toughness. Obviously, no one needs to play multiple sports, but it sure doesn't hurt.

 

Multiple Sports

Play them all!

 

Russell Wilson

Here's an example of a multiple sport collegiate athlete. Even today, there are still some special athletes who are gifted enough to pull it off. If your talented enough to play more than one sport and thats what you want to do..... then by all means, play them all

 

I think Matos hit on something.....it takes a "gifted athlete" to pull of playing multiple sports now a days.....are we to blame for this?

Back in the day when Braves and I were running around as young tikes we played the sport that went with the season......baseball, football, basketball, track etc.

Now a days the the kids picks one sport and play it all year round....which brings up the question...is it the athletes fault or us as parents for only pushing the "one sport"?

Just food for thought, interested in hearing the comments.....

 

Easy answer

PARENTS...we want scholarships!!!!!!

 

Play

what you want to play. If you want to play multiple sports them play multiple sports. If you only want to play one sport them play one sport. We can argue till the cows come home the merits of working at one sport year round vs playing other sports. Im not going to get into that. But when a scout sees a player they could careless how many sports he plays if he throws 95. And he can play 5 sports and it wont matter if he is not talented enough at baseball to be drafted or recruited.

 

Play

I've seen it a bunch......Akid kid sits out football or basketball because his cause tells him he needs to focus on baseball.......the kids sits out and never plays at the next level....Play Ball!! It only comes around once.

 

like everyone else said it time and time again THIS IS A NO BRAINER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You only go through High School Once. Why not play as many as you can? I agree with Braves comment on what the sports offer...