The Hidden Benefits of Playing Multiple Sports in High School

Some time ago, we at Cultured Athlete wrote an article about why playing multiple sports was good for a child’s development. In that piece, we lauded the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of engaging with a wide array of youth sports activities. The thing is, those same benefits exist whether a child is 6 or 16 years of age. Moreover, they might prove to be even more helpful when a teen is looking to utilize sports as their gateway towards a college education.

This concept of diversification of sport is not unfamiliar to parents of student-athletes. Indeed, with today’s sometimes overly competitive youth sports culture, it’s not unusual for parents to want their child to engage in year-round training. The thing is, year-round training in a single activity might give athletes a head start on perfecting their craft, but it can also result in burnout or repetitive stress injuries. Thus, the more updated approach towards the playing of multiple sports through high school. Evidence suggests that teens who do this, often see greater benefits—not only for their performance but also for their overall well-being.

At the same time, the professionals are beginning to see the light as well. College recruiters, professional athletes, and sports medicine experts are increasingly adopting this as their preferred practice for young athletes. As it happens, there is ample proof to indicate that this practice will also give student-athletes an edge over the competition.

In this article, we will explain the myriad advantages of playing multiple sports in high school, from preventing injuries and burnout to building complementary skills and improving a person’s mental health. We will also explain why it may be the smarter path for a student’s long-term success in college and beyond.

The Pressure to Specialize

The Early Specialization Trend

If there is a villain in this story, it is early specialization. This concept is a foil to the one we are trying to convey here and across the United States, more and youth are choosing—or rather, are being pushed towards—specializing in a single sport. Even more troubling is the fact that this is happening at younger and younger ages. This puts an enormous amount of pressure on kids, parents, and everyone else involved.

It isn’t impossible either, especially if one looks at the fact that seasonal sports are kind of, no longer a thing. Private coaches, travel teams, and year-round leagues make it entirely possible to focus on specifically one sport for a full year. Overzealous parents don’t really help the situation either. They often invest heavily in one sport, monetarily and emotionally, in the hope of having their kids get a college scholarship.

The Risks of Specialization

Several sports medicine organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have been fairly vocal about the risks of early specialization. Such risks include:

• Overuse injuries: Such as stress fractures, tendonitis, repetitive strain, etc.
• Burnout and dropout: Usually caused by mental fatigue or troubled emotional state.
• Missed opportunities: Specializing can stymie an athlete’s broader athletic development.

And look, we aren’t experts either. There are times when specialization works perfectly for some athletes, but recent findings indicate that just as many athletes benefit from a more balanced, multi-sport approach.

Physical Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation

Injury Prevention

Conversely, multi-sport practice can offer a reduction in the frequency of sports injuries. Remember, different sports stress different muscle groups and joints, so playing multiple sports reduces the repetitive stress that can occur on those same, overused muscle groups. Think of it like this, say a baseball pitcher also plays basketball. That person would develop their overall conditioning while giving their throwing arm a needed break between seasons. The same could be true for a soccer star who swims in the off-season to build their endurance while resting their overused knees.

Balanced Muscle Development

Though it doesn’t always occur, many one-sport athletes will develop imbalances in their muscle development. Essentially, some muscles will end up being overworked while others will be basically neglected. Meanwhile, multi-sport athletes build a more balanced body. There is also that fact that different sports emphasize different skills—speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, or endurance. Thus, an athlete that cross-trains through multiple sports will boost their overall athleticism, making them more adaptable on the field and in life.

Think about the sports one might play over the course of a year: hockey might assist with leg strength, tennis with arm and shoulder strength, and track will help an athlete to develop speed and endurance. Taken together, you have a mentally-stimulated, well-rounded athlete.

Mental Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation

Preventing Burnout

Year-round participation in one sport is frankly, kind of boring. More importantly, the constant grind of practice, competition, and high expectations from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, can leave athletes physically and emotionally drained. This is not always the case when it comes to multi-sport athletes, however, as they are better able to experience variety within their sphere of physical exercise. As the seasons change, so do the sports, so their mindset is fresh and the fun is new with each passing shift. In the same way, a new sport may reignite the slowly burning embers of enthusiasm an athlete might feel towards the end of a season.

Building Resilience

Switching sports isn’t as east as 1,2,3; even for the most entrenched young athlete. This is a skill that requires a bit of honing. After all, each sport has different rules, strategies, and skills. This is not a bad thing, per se, however, as it allows athletes to face fresh challenges between seasons. The result is often a better sense of adaptability and better problem-solving skills.

Expanding Social Circles

Going to a new sport means meeting a while new Group of teammates and getting used to new coaches. This kind of shifting social dynamic, helps teens to develop broader friendships and social support networks. Teens have it hard enough in the social arena, and this added variety of acquaintances reduces the social pressure that is often tied to a single group. These added friendships could even be the key towards a healthier sense of belonging.

Skill Development Across Sports

Transferable Skills

There are certain intrinsic sports skills, developed in one sport, that can then be transferred directly to others. For example, having good footwork in soccer may very well improve one’s agility in basketball. The same is true for hand-eye coordination. Having good hand-eye coordination from playing baseball will likely help you play tennis or lacrosse better as well. In the end, the skills one builds in one sport can absolutely help you do better in a host of others.

Teens might also be able to up their “game IQ” as they shift between sports. This refers to the broader understanding of competition, strategy, and teamwork. They might also be able to accrue leadership skills in one sport that will help them lead better on another field of competition.

Standing Out to Recruiters

Recruiter Preferences

Believe or not, there are a number of college coaches out there with a preference for multi-sport athletes. There are several reasons for this, ranging from the enhance athletic versatility of multi-sport athletes to the fact that they are less likely to show up with chronic injuries when they get to college. There is also the fact that many multi-sport athletes have a stronger sense of adaptability and competitive spirit than your average lifetime footballer.

Notable Examples

To add credence to this theory, we should probably discuss a few professional athletes who happened to play multiple sports in high school.

• Patrick Mahomes (NFL quarterback): Not only did Mahomes excel in football, he was also a talented baseball and basketball player.
• Abby Wambach (soccer legend): This soccer star played basketball in high school before swapping the court for the pitch.
• LeBron James (NBA superstar): Good ol’ LeBron was actually a top-ranked high school football player, in addition to being a basketball phenom.

Cultured Athlete Says…

As you can see, there are many hidden and quite a few obvious benefits for high school students who play multiple sports. The proof is in the pudding, so they say, and it is clear that while specialization promises faster development in one area, multi-sport participation delivers broader athleticism and stronger mental health. More importantly, diversifying one’s sports experience often equates to a greater chance of long-term success. Even if the child is well-rounded enough to not have to worry, simply impressing college recruiters may be enough to give them a distinct advantage when shifting into the college sports experience.