Skip to main content

Play Multiple Sports

  1. Multi-sport athletes are 70%-90% less likely to suffer an injury than players who only play one sport.
  2. Children who specialize in one sport at an early age have a far greater risk for burnout due to stress, decreased motivation, and lack of enjoyment.
  3. 88% of college athletes participated in more than one sport as a child.
  4. Children who commit to one sport at a young age are often the first to quit sports and have a higher rate of physical inactivity as adults.
  5. Multi-sport athletes have better overall skills and are smarter, more creative players than those who specialize in one sport at a young age.

So, when is the right time to start specializing in a sport? Well, provided that your child LOVES playing the sport, Changing the Game Project suggests that between the ages of 13-15, 50% of your son/daughter’s time can be devoted to a single sport provided the other 50% is spent playing other sports or activities.

Not until age 16, should your child spend more than 80% of his/her time playing a single sport. And again, that’s only if they LOVE the game and are playing for the right reasons!

As parents, coaches, clubs, and programs, we need to do a better job of encouraging kids to play more than one sport! It will only benefit them in the long-run.