Playing Multiple Sports Doesn't Make You a Better Athlete

I'm sure a number of people saw the title and immediately rolled their eyes or became enraged, which is kind of the point. However, I feel as travel sports continue to expand and rake in money while athletes and facilities constantly post training or workout videos on social media, we as parents feel like the only way for our kids to get better is by having them workout year round in their preferred sport. Yet, this draws constant backlash from parents who have kids that play multiple sports. Those parents respond to the parents that have their kids doing workouts and focusing on one sport all year by posting statistics of how many NFL players played multiple sports in high school or how Aaron Judge was a 3 sport star in high school. They hold onto this belief or idea that professional athletes got to where they are or developed into a better athlete by playing multiple sports growing up.

I'm here to tell you that I will forever believe that those professional athletes got to where they are because they were born with quick twitch muscles, hand-eye coordination, and a body-type that cannot be achieved or combined no matter how many sports you play or how hard you workout.

Now before I get labeled as a raging lunatic, let me walk this out a bit. As a coach and a parent, I always want my kids playing as many sports as possible. Why? Because they are kids. The opportunity to play an organized sport with your friends is such a small window in our lives. Those of us who have played sports often look back at those days as some of the best of our lives.

Coaching travel baseball has given me a glimpse into some of the pressure, expectations, and non-sense these kids and family get faced with. There are baseball and softball teams that have been conducting workouts for weeks now, and we're in December! The first outdoor games won't be played in this area for close to four months. Why are kids and families made to feel like they should be working on a summer sport BEFORE winter has even officially begun? These kids should be playing basketball, wrestling, or indoor soccer. Have fun, you're a kid!

As the kids on my travel team have gotten older, I have tried to start winter workouts a little bit later each year. Not because I don't think kids should be working on their baseball skills, but because I don't want my parents and players to get burned out running from one sport to another. Parents and kids feel like they are going to lose out on opportunities and playing time if they miss practices, so they are trying to balance how many baseball workouts they miss versus how many basketball practices they miss. My answer is always the same, "the sport that is in season takes priority." Kids and families shouldn't feel like they have to miss out on a practice for a team that is playing games, for a team that doesn't have a game for two months. It is just crazy to me how many youth coaches want kids to practice/play the sport that they coach nearly year round.

For the brief time I was involved with high school sports I was so disappointed with the lack of cooperation between coaches in the off-season and summer when it came to working with kids. Instead of trying to do what was best for the kid, it seemed to always turn into one or multiple coaches telling the kid that they HAD to be at their teams workout or they would be in danger of losing their spot. This kind of behavior and pressure from adults and coaches almost encourages kids to choose one sport. However, talk to any coach and they'll all preach to the hills about how they want kids that play multiple sports. Not all coaches are like that, but the majority of them are and have to be because of the pressure to win. So while most high school coaches preach about multiple sport athletes, the majority that do play multiple sports often are behind others when they resume activities for the sport that is now in season. Unless you are one of those athletes that is just big enough, fast enough, and naturally better than others where you can just show up and be a part of the team, like most Division 1 and professional athletes.

So let me bring this back around to my intended point. Professional athletes are special. They are the best in the WORLD at what they do, and their aren't many of them. They were born with special attributes that just make them better than the rest of us. They also have to work their ass off to keep their jobs, but no amount of work by 99% of other athletes will put them into their class. Athletes from any professional sport can cross over and be one of the better players in another athletic area if they have played the sport in their past. They might not be a star, but physically and athletically they will hold their own. Put a MLB player into a pickup baskeball game at the local gym and they'll likely be the best rebounder on the floor. Put an NBA star on the field for some flag football and good luck. These guys are just different, and playing multiple sports didn't make them this way.

Let me go into a few examples of well known multi-sport stars.

I consider Tony Gwynn to be the best pure hitter of my lifetime, maybe ever. Most people don't know that he was also an Division 1 all-conference guard in basketball while at San Diego St. I am sure he worked at his hitting craft in the off-season, but it is fair to say that he didn't put the amount of time into his hitting as his teammates at the time or that most high school and college baseball players do today at that age because of his commitment to basketball; yet, he somehow managed to win 8 batting titles. Is it because he played basketball? Did that make him an elite hitter? I'll argue it did not. It might have helped him with his footwork when it came to winning 5 gold gloves and stealing 319 bases, but I don't think I ever heard Gwynn give an interview where he said that the key to being an elite hitter was playing basketball. Gwynn was blessed with a combination of hand-eye coordination, eye sight, and athletic ability that few people that have ever walked this earth receive. I doubt at any point the baseball coach told Gywnn he might lose his spot if he wasn't at winter workouts. I mean this guy played two Division 1 college sports, and most people in today's world spend thousands of dollars just trying to get an opportunity to play one.

Aaron Judge is another popular meme or example I see thrown out on social media as this model for why kids should play multiple sports. Did playing multiple sports help Judge grow to be 6 foot 7 inches and 282 pounds? Can you show me the high school basketball coach that wouldn't want that kind of kid on his team? What football coach wouldn't love to be able to design plays to throw a ball to that kind of frame? While he ultimately made the right decision to play baseball, he was going to college for free in whatever sport he wanted, but not because he played multiple sports. Playing multiple sports rounded him out as an athlete, but I doubt his high school coaches threatened him with playing time if he missed a summer workout. Why? Because he is a gifted athlete that would make any team better with his presence.

John Smoltz is a Hall of Fame pitcher and broadcaster that I admire greatly. He was one of my favorite players of all time and I think highly of him as a broadcaster. He is always using his platform to promote that kids should not be specializing and should be playing as many sports as possible. I think that is absolutely the correct message to be sending to parents and kids. However, Smoltz was blessed with a special right arm. That right arm helped him become the Braves all-time leader in strikeouts and one of the best pitchers in MLB postseason history. He was an all-state football player in high school, which he credits for building his mental toughness and preserving his arm. Yet, Smoltz still had to undergo Tommy John surgery during his career. Granted it wasn't as early as a lot of kids face now, but not playing baseball 9-10 months out of the year as a kid didn't prevent him from having his arm betray him. I also have yet to see the study that shows how playing football will increase velocity and allow you to eventually throw 95 MPH. Smoltz was blessed with gifts that most of us that played sports could only dream of. He still claims to be able to dunk a basketball.

I could go on and on. Bo Jackson claims to have rarely lifted weights when he was younger, yet he was a two sport star. Michael Jordan stole 30 bases in the minor leagues and hit .252 in the Arizona Fall League against the top prospects in baseball. Tom Glavine won 300 games but was also drafted by the Los Angeles Kings after scoring 47 goals in hockey during his senior year of high school. Dave Winfield played basketball AND baseball at the University of Minnesota, and despite never playing college football was selected in the NFL draft. And those are just the big names. People don't give enough credit to guys like Chris Weinke, Chad Hutchinson, or Brandon Wheeden who were good enough to play two sports professionally, but were mainly role players or never saw stardom in either one professionally. But they all have one thing in common: THEY ARE FREAKS!

So I guess I named a few guys that everyone knows. There are hundreds more that we could name off the top of our head. Big deal! Think they are the exception? Think that bench-warmers and guys who "only" make it to the Division 1 level or semi-pro aren't equally as impressive athletically. Ever heard of DaRond Stovall? Unless you grew up in the East St. Louis area in the late 80's-early 90's, I'm guessing the answer is no. DaRond Stovall was the greatest multi-sport athlete I ever saw in person. He was the point guard and all-conference on the basketball team. He was a two time all-state quarterback for back to back state championship football teams and had the opportunity to play quarterback at Nebraska during their National Championship years. Instead of Tommy Frazier and Scott Frost, Nebraska fans could still be idolizing DaRond Stovall, but he decided to play baseball where he won a state title and was selected in the fifth round out of high school. There wasn't anything he couldn't do in any sport; yet, he only got 78 major league at bats. 78 more than we all dream of, but the best all-around, multiple sport athlete I ever saw in my lifetime only got to have 78 major league at bats.

I'd put Stovall's high school athletic resume in terms of personal and team accomplishments across multiple sports against anybodies. So, did he get to that level of professional baseball because he played multiple sports? It probably helped, but he was born with abilities most of us can never comprehend, and yet he still wasn't good enough to stick in the major leagues. His younger brother was a modest athlete who to my knowledge did not play any college sports, which helps me prove that these athletes are born with abilities and bodies that most aren't and some siblings are blessed while others may not be.

Again, I'm all for kids playing multiple sports, but please stop with the it makes them a better athlete crap. In 2017, a study was done with all of the players selected in the NFL draft. Now before I get into that, I'd have a hard time listening to anyone argue that the two most important aspects of being in the NFL are anything other than size and speed. Yes I know you have to have instincts, toughness, and intelligence; but hundreds of college football players have those same attributes or they wouldn't be playing at that level; the inferior size and speed is what sets them apart from NFL players. So of the 253 players drafted that year, 222 played multiple sports in high school. 62 percent ran track while 45 percent played basketball. What are two of the most important aspects of those sports? Size and speed! I won't argue that running track will help improve your speed, but it will only help make the fast kids even faster. So these NFL players talk about playing multiple sports, but it's because they have always been bigger and faster than everyone their whole life. Last I checked you can't play football year round, so it makes perfect sense for these guys to take their elite skill sets to other sports to help stay in shape and do something they enjoy with their friends.

The state of Michigan did a study last year that found about 43% of high school student athletes participated in more than 1 sport. However, at the Class A schools, the biggest in the state, that number was around 35%. Why? Well my guess is that at the bigger schools you have to be a much better athlete to play multiple sports. You face tougher competition to make teams, so kids that are fringe athletes in one sport choose to focus on their best sport and only play that one. The kids that play multiple sports are likely a star in one sport and athletically good enough to be a darn good player in another. Multi-sport participation is above 50% at the Class D level, the smallest in the state. Those schools would typically be drubbed by the Class A schools in any sport and often times have kids on their roster that would be hard pressed to make a hard JV roster at a large school. However, these numbers are just for students participating in a high school sport at any level. My assumption would be that those numbers go even lower for the Class A schools if we look at multi-sport VARSITY athletes.

So why is it that when we watch Division 1 college sports or professional sports we hear all of these stories about athletes being multiple sports stars? Well it's because those kids are special. Why do color analysts promote playing multiple sports? Well it's because they were once Division 1 or professional athletes. They played multiple sports because they were always a cut above everyone else athletically. They didn't have their options trimmed to one sport and need to focus on that in the hopes they were good enough. Also, let's not forget that nearly every school in America does not cut kids who wrestle or run track. So a number of kids want to play multiple sports in high school, but they just aren't good enough. However, Division 1 and professional athletes never have to worry about that.

Luke Leto is the top high school baseball prospect in the country and committed to LSU before even playing a high school game. Currently he is a senior in high school in Portage, Michigan. For the past 5-6 years he has played summer baseball for teams out of Georgia and Florida; yet, he was an all-conference guard in basketball as a freshman, despite not playing in the summer, and an all-conference football player. How is that possible? Well, because he is gifted in ways others are not. I have never met him, but I assume he works his butt off. You don't just roll out of bed and do those things, but he has an athletic advantage physically that no matter how hard most kids work they will never reach. Is he the next DaRond Stovall or John Smoltz? Time will certainly tell, but there is no arguing that he is special, different, a cut-above. I have no doubt he works his ass of, but I doubt he was throwing 90 MPH at 14 because he played basketball.

I wanted to write this article to show that I fully support and encourage playing multiple sports as a coach and parent. Kids should enjoy playing organized sports for as long as they can. I believe that playing multiple sports helps condition kids and makes them better rounded athletes. I think that kids absolutely need a break from playing just one sport or the same sport. I think it is ridiculous that some baseball teams are having winter workouts before winter has even officially begun. However, no amount of arguing will ever convince me that playing multiple sports has ever made someone a better hitter, throw harder, jump higher, or run faster. Those things can be worked on without playing multiple sports.

I think the world of youth sports has gotten completely out of control. Kids shouldn't feel the pressure or need to hit or throw a baseball until basketball season is over. Kids shouldn't worry about missing a football workout in June because they had a baseball game or tournament. High school sports have become more like college sports programs, so I guess it's natural that youth sports have become more like high school programs, but I don't know if that produces a better product. I think it simply produces stronger kids that must decide earlier on in life if they want to commit to a sport like adults do to a job.

The only thing I will staunchly argue until my dying day is that playing multiple sports will not make you a better athlete. We are born with the talents and body that were bestowed upon us. It is up to us to use or enhance those abilities however we see fit, but the taller, stronger, and faster kids will always play Division 1 and professional sports. Those kids are born, rarely made.

Everybody talks about hard-work and determination. Don't be outworked or give up on your goals. They talk about Michael Jordan being "cut" from the basketball team. Michael Jordan wasn't cut, he was put on JV as a sophomore. This is the level where the overwhelming majority of sophomores that play basketball at large schools find themselves. Only 1 sophomore from his class made the varsity team, and that's because he was taller! Jordan was an electric scorer at the JV level, as we can all imagine. Jordan was not 6 feet tall until he was a junior in high school and kept growing until he eventually reached 6 feet 6 inches. His hard work, skill, and ability allowed him to make a living from basketball. If he wasn't 6"6 he would have still been a good basketball player. However, if he stopped growing at 5"11 he wouldn't be the world icon that he is now. Why? Because Division 1 and professional athletes are different, and their isn't much special or different about a 5"11 guy who can play basketball really well.

So please don't tell me about how kids shouldn't focus on one sport or how playing multiple sports makes you a better athlete. Kids are being forced to focus on one sport earlier to try and have a chance against these elite athletes by parents and coaches that don't understand the world of sports outside of their little area. Anybody who knows what they're talking about or doing knows when they're watching a future Division 1 athlete.

If you're not sure what a Division 1 athlete looks like; or you want to believe that playing multiple sports will somehow turn your child into one, then keep posting your memes and living in that world. For everyone else, especially coaches, allow kids to play multiple sports for the enjoyment that it brings. Don't make kids think that if they miss a practice or workout months away from a game because they're playing another sport that it is going to cost them a spot. And if you're kid only plays one sport, give them a break from it. Unless they are born with the physical traits needed to play at a Division 1 level, no amount of work they put in will change that. I only hope that people understand that practicing or conditioning will make them better prepared and playing multiple sports will make them more rounded, but it won't make them a better athlete.