Athletes focusing on single sport too early?

[alexander58]

My kid plays vball, track and softball. She is a pitcher which requires considerable amount of practice time of course - and the frustrating thing for me, internally, is that I see other girls, not as naturally talented as my kid is, focusing on one sport, and passing her up while she is off to vball or track. She plays whatever is current at 110% - and so takes considerable effort to stay with the pitching practice that is needed. This year, her sophomore year, we will spend the required time doing pitching practices, in spite of vball practice.
She misses a lot of show opportunity - for example, a team she will play with has an excellent set of fall showcases some against college teams, that my dd will miss - to go play vball. She is a good vball player ( all district as a freshman) , but she is 5.6 will probably max there at one more inch - and probably wouldnt cut it as a college vball player. To get a vball ride, all it takes is to be 6 foot and have the ability to jump up and down. Softball, as we know, is a different story.

It's become a vicious circle. The girl nextdoor forgoes other sports and activities to get better at pitching. Yor daughter is a pitcher too, but she likes to play other sports. She falls behind as a pitcher if she follows those interests.What does she do?

 

[softball_chic_12]

i used to play basketball, softball, and I was a cheerleader. about 2 years ago I gave up basketball and cheerleading. They didn't interest me anymore and I found my true passion anyway. Softball. I do get burned out sometimes and i know i will this year too. I will be playing high school, 14 & under, 18 & under, fall ball, and tournament ball. But i dream of going to Arizona ( I live in Pennsylvanina). I realize that those girls out there have the nice weather to practice and play all year long and i have to compinsate by playing all year long with the cold weather and doing what i can to be able to compete with those girls to get a spot on a softball team. I also dream of playing on the USA team. I know it takes a lot of work. I figure that if I start now, I will hopefully have the ability to keep up with the other girls. I had my dream of goint to AZ for college and playing for the USA team when i was younger. So i here i am trying to persue my dreams.

 

[mudbug]

Not the kids or parents fault either.

Even though collegiate coaches like to see multi-sport girls, HS coaches dont, they are concerned only about winning in their sport, and theirs first. The first sport of the year is the primary, and they may have rules where they cannot start the next one if they overlap till the primary is finished. This really only applies to very competitive HS programs. I do know girls at less competitive small schools that play about everything.

Throw on top of that if you miss practices you wont play in games, and they make it so that girls cannot play multiple sports anymore. No point in even playing if you will sit bench because you have to miss some practices due to overlapping sports. About the only two that dont overlap are volleyball (pure fall) and softball (pure spring) , but since travel ball is year round, it does conflict with the volleyball anyway.

For instance, basketball starts in fall, and may run till end of february, may practice/play 6 days per week. Have rules that cant play in games if miss practices. Now a girl can hardly practice/play fall travel ball and basketball at same time, and has to choose, and will also miss the first 2 months of HS softball as well. So whats the point? They have to pick the one they either like the best, or have the best chance of playing collegiate, and go with it.

A friend of mine in HS was a baseball standout, and football quaterback. When he was in 10th grade the football coaches and AD sat him down and told him he could not play both, he had to choose. He said "OK, I choose baseball". They said " Maybe we can let you play both after all"

 

[alexander58]

Not the kids or parents fault either.

Even though collegiate coaches like to see multi-sport girls, HS coaches dont, they are concerned only about winning in their sport, and theirs first. The first sport of the year is the primary, and they may have rules where they cannot start the next one if they overlap till the primary is finished. This really only applies to very competitive HS programs. I do know girls at less competitive small schools that play about everything.

Throw on top of that if you miss practices you wont play in games, and they make it so that girls cannot play multiple sports anymore. No point in even playing if you will sit bench because you have to miss some practices due to overlapping sports. About the only two that dont overlap are volleyball (pure fall) and softball (pure spring) , but since travel ball is year round, it does conflict with the volleyball anyway.

For instance, basketball starts in fall, and may run till end of february, may practice/play 6 days per week. Have rules that cant play in games if miss practices. Now a girl can hardly practice/play fall travel ball and basketball at same time, and has to choose, and will also miss the first 2 months of HS softball as well. So whats the point? They have to pick the one they either like the best, or have the best chance of playing collegiate, and go with it.

A friend of mine in HS was a baseball standout, and football quaterback. When he was in 10th grade the football coaches and AD sat him down and told him he could not play both, he had to choose. He said "OK, I choose baseball". They said " Maybe we can let you play both after all"

We all think our sport of choice to coach is the most important. I try to be lenient as far as time goes (practicing other sports in season). I've always told the players during the summer softball should be number 1 , and during the winter basketball, volleyball, etc. takes precedent. However, there are many coaches that don't like to share. They'll bully the kids into making choices. I've given up on the sharing notion, particularly school coaches of cheerleading ...if that can be considered a sport.

 

[StacieM]

It's not only from a physical/sport perspective. There are simply other areas in life besides softball (even though it may not feel like it) and kids need to learn how to deal with these areas as well. When one sport dominates your every waking minute, you get defined by that sport and how do you deal with life once that's no longer what you are? I think other areas of life, outside of sports in general, need time and attention too.

 

[InsidePitch]

Last summer at the end of rec league my 10 year old daughter was invited to join a local tournament team. I was thrilled that someone recognized her talent. When we got to the first game I was floored by the level of competition. Who knew 10 year old girls could pitch 40-45 mph. I knew a girl on the opposing team and sought out her mother who filled me in on what is required to play at this level. I asked my daughter if she enjoyed the game that much and now we are in winter clinics. She does play vball and basketball but just for her school. We were a new team and only won a total of two games last summer and fall. Unfortunately our team is not practicing so I'm afraid we will suck again this season. My next dilemma....should I seek out another team?

 

[ang4yanks]

i used to play basketball, softball, and I was a cheerleader. about 2 years ago I gave up basketball and cheerleading. They didn't interest me anymore and I found my true passion anyway. Softball. I do get burned out sometimes and i know i will this year too. I will be playing high school, 14 & under, 18 & under, fall ball, and tournament ball. But i dream of going to Arizona ( I live in Pennsylvanina). I realize that those girls out there have the nice weather to practice and play all year long and i have to compinsate by playing all year long with the cold weather and doing what i can to be able to compete with those girls to get a spot on a softball team. I also dream of playing on the USA team. I know it takes a lot of work. I figure that if I start now, I will hopefully have the ability to keep up with the other girls. I had my dream of goint to AZ for college and playing for the USA team when i was younger. So i here i am trying to persue my dreams.

Softball Chic...good for you!! If you can understand the importance of passion, goal setting, and are willing to work, you have all the makings of a success (your definition of success may change through the years and that is called maturity...still there myself : )

 

[SoftSocDad]

I can't believe we're having to deal with this already.

In our area (not necessarily our town), softball is very competitive, but soccer is ultra-competitive. After only one season of rec soccer, DD was invited to a select tryout, but the coaches told me they want her on the team. When I told her about the invitation, she said she wanted to go, but not to play. At 7YOA, she decided that she wanted to check out the level of play to see what she needed to work on.

She's going to stick with rec soccer, but in one of the upper U10 divisions. That's good, because club soccer demands a full-time commitment that would conflict with her current softball goals. There are softball coaches who are willing to be lenient of practice attendance as long as she works out on her own (pitcher), but of the 3 club soccer coaches we've spoken to, none are that forgiving.

Again, she's 7, which I think is way too early to specialize, even for an elite athlete. She does great in school, too, loves to read, and has been involved in theater and dance...all a part of growing into a well-rounded young woman someday.

 

[EP Dad]

I was talking to a dad this winter and his daughter was playing travel hockey, travel soccer, and rec baseball. The soccer coach (this is 12U for cripes sake) was ALREADY insisting on "year round" participation for soccer forgoing all other sports.

So, she quit soccer. Our travel fastpitch program will accomodate her hockey schedule. So, soccer's loss is our gain. She now plays hockey and softball and has cut travel soccer and rec baseball.

My daughter plays rec basketball and I want that to continue. She does have to pitch all year long though. There's almost no way around that if you want to keep up.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Glad to hear the maniac soccer coaches aren't limited to this area.

Aren't there approx 50% more soccer scholarships than softball available to women? I don't know about the relative competitiveness (how many girls are trying out for each soccer scholarship vs softball), but soccer seems to have more visibility.