Is the female multi-sport HS athlete a thing of the past?

CanOfCorn · Feb 28, 2019

pattar said:
True, my SAT prep 25 years ago was making sure I went to bed early enough the night before so that I didn't miss taking the exam the
next morning..LOL

Exactly and who took both test multiple tImes with all the section test and now with writing.

I found a few kids are late getting their drivers permit/license because they can’t work in all the required prep and driving hours. Plus in our state (voted one of the most difficult to get a license) you have to study (they have some ridiculous questions). It hasn’t fixed how bad the drivers are though.

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BT3100 · Feb 28, 2019

Frost033 said:
I think the multi-sport athletes male and female are becoming a thing of the past. I don't believe this is beneficial for our young athletes mentally or physically. We are seeing more and more major joint injuries at younger ages than we ever did 20+ years ago. Kids aren't allowing their bodies to rest and recover and aren't playing different sports which build up different muscle groups. My daughter is 13 and has been pitching for 4 years now. She loves it and would do it year around if I let her, but I have to force her to play other things and take a break to let her body recover. She is on the MS swim team from mid-Dec until mid-Feb and then is ready to get back after it.

I'm not sure she will swim once she's in HS, that season is pretty long and demanding, but right now it's a good break and allows her to reset physically and mentally for spring-summer-fall softball.

We found a great otho at Univ of Penn when DD was having bad back issues. He's said to me "I've been doing this 23 years". He fixed my DD's issue by prescribing PT that actually worked. I mentioned that some of these injuries may be caused by focusing on only 1 sport. He said that's a myth. The reason for the joint injuries is kids are pushed hard without a strong lifting regime.

CanOfCorn · Feb 28, 2019

BT3100 said:
We found a great otho at Univ of Penn when DD was having bad back issues. He's said to me "I've been doing this 23 years". He fixed my DD's issue by prescribing PT that actually worked. I mentioned that some of these injuries may be caused by focusing on only 1 sport. He said that's a myth. The reason for the joint injuries is kids are pushed hard without a strong lifting regime.

You nailed it (or the doctor did)! We are fortunate to live near a couple fantastic strength training facilities. My kids have trained next to gold medalists, Cy Young winners and even MVPs.

One DD had a common issue with some muscle overdevelopment (even playing 3 sports) which showed in her posture and movement. DD2 was getting worn out to the point chronic injuries were starting to pop up. We dropped basketball for strength training and dialed back on the second sport. They are totally different builds, injuries gone, more power, faster, easier movements. Bonus is they also eat better because they feel good about themselves.

I have seen too many of their friends battle injuries because of the non-stop sports. Many have few solid muscle groups and those who are blessed with strength are wearing down from going year round (one or more sports). Not enough muscle to support joints or overdeveloped muscles pulling joints out of alignment. I watched volleyball tournament last weekend and what jumped out was the college players with posture issues, knee problems, bowed knees, the list went on.

CoC

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_MIA_ · Feb 28, 2019

CanOfCorn said:
You nailed it (or the doctor did)! We are fortunate to live near a couple fantastic strength training facilities. My kids have trained next to gold medalists, Cy Young winners and even MVPs.

One DD had a common issue with some muscle overdevelopment (even playing 3 sports) which showed in her posture and movement. DD2 was getting worn out to the point chronic injuries were starting to pop up. We dropped basketball for strength training and dialed back on the second sport. They are totally different builds, injuries gone, more power, faster, easier movements. Bonus is they also eat better because they feel good about themselves.

I have seen too many of their friends battle injuries because of the non-stop sports. Many have few solid muscle groups and those who are blessed with strength are wearing down from going year round (one or more sports). Not enough muscle to support joints or overdeveloped muscles pulling joints out of alignment. I watched volleyball tournament last weekend and what jumped out was the college players with posture issues, knee problems, bowed knees, the list went on.

CoC

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I got carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists in MS from too much dribbling/shooting...LOL!!

chinamigarden · Feb 28, 2019

pattar said:
True, my SAT prep 25 years ago was making sure I went to bed early enough the night before so that I didn't miss taking the exam the
next morning..LOL

My dd graduated HS in 2015 and that was her act prep as
Well.

_MIA_ · Feb 28, 2019

chinamigarden said:
My dd graduated HS in 2015 and that was her act prep as
Well.

If you can get away with it, it will save some time and money!!

uncdrew · Feb 28, 2019

sluggers said:
The scholarship is getting more and more valuable. A full ride these days is worth $150,000 or $300,000--3 to 6 times more valuable than what my DD got.

It is hard to fault parents these days from selling their kids into sport servitude.

... and they go to college and get an education in... softball?

FP26 · Feb 28, 2019

Westwind said:
Pattar, I think it’s interesting that she got burned out playing multiple sports, especially back then.

I have always operated under the assumption that the cure for burnout is change. Shows how much I know, lol

I don't think your theory is incorrect, but it does vary by person. We laugh about it now, but DD was a yo-yo... if you talked to her in April or May, she absolutely loved softball and hated basketball. But then if you talked to her in November or December, it was reversed. I don't think it ever got to the burnout stage, but the change definitely did her some good. For some people, playing competitive sports is a "grind", and I'm not saying that in a bad way. But the constant training and practice can be difficult to deal with. Even if you are changing from one sport to another sport, it may not be the sports themselves that are becoming the issue. Just that they are always part of that same "grind". Just a different season.... If someone wants to play multiple sports, I think it can be a very positive thing. But there is nothing wrong with focusing on just one sport as well. In my opinion it is all about balance. Instead of focusing on "multiple sports", kids should focus on "multiple activities". Playing softball and joining the drama club (just as an example), can be enough of a change to make that balance work.

_MIA_ · Feb 28, 2019

FP26 said:
For some people, playing competitive sports is a "grind", and I'm not saying that in a bad way. But the constant training and practice can be difficult to deal with.

Right I think my sister's exact words were something like "It felt like all I ever did was play sports..." Now she was a great student too but I think in her case playing 1 sport or maybe 2 and doing
some other activity would have been good for her.

FP26 · Feb 28, 2019

pattar said:
Right I think my sister's exact words were something like "It felt like all I ever did was play sports..." Now she was a great student too but I think in her case playing 1 sport or maybe 2 and doing
some other activity would have been good for her.

One of the girls from our travel team had been planning to play college softball for years. She worked harder than anyone else I know and was probably the best overall player in our area. But when it came time for her freshman year in college, she decided against it. We had a long talk about it because it was really weighing on her. Basically she was doing it because she felt other people were counting on her (her family, her coaches, etc.). It was getting to the point that she felt competitive softball was becoming a job. It wasn't fun any more. After having a long talk with her mom and dad, she decided to strictly focus on academics in college. She is considering playing club softball because she still loves the sport. She is just tired of the competition aspect of it.

Is the female multi-sport HS athlete a thing of the past?

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