DW teaches at an inner-city school system which is comprised of 98% welfare recipients. Please don't get me started
Interesting blog on multi-sport athletes.
- Thread starter BuckeyeGuy
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
DW teaches at an inner-city school system which is comprised of 98% welfare recipients. Please don't get me started
- Feb 17, 2014
- 543
- 28
I'll push for my DD to continue to play both softball & basketball through HS and I'll make sure she is part of a TB program that supports it.
spleen1015,
You have the answer! Spend your money where it suits you and if more parents do this there will be a correction in this trend, never let a business dictate what you as a consumer want!
You have the answer! Spend your money where it suits you and if more parents do this there will be a correction in this trend, never let a business dictate what you as a consumer want!
Yes only the lowest of the low would take the best athlete. A good coach wants a challenge and will only take the uncoordinated. <sarcasm>
That's a good point and counters the blogs logic. Im in agreeance.
I have stopped and erased several responses I have made in this thread to other posters. I try, I really do try to reread what I write and try to not post anything that sounds too preachy or too mean spirited, but sometimes it comes out and I am sorry. The multi sport athlete thing is important to me because I had to fight hard for my dd earlier in her softball career to make sure that softball coaches didn't try to take that away from her. They didn't, we actually were able to get a TB coach we liked from a softball perspective bend to accept that she was going to play multiple sports and when softball was in season she would make every game and practice ready to play.
People make too many excuses on why kids can't do things these days. I'm going to brag a little here, and I realize that my dd might be different in some regards. My DD plays 3 varsity sports in HS, she is a senior this year. We are fortunate that we picked a school district with smaller High Schools so there isn't a ton of competition for spots on all the teams. Yet we play in one of those mega conferences that have 6 divisions. We are the 3rd smallest school (in the whole mega conference) in softball, we play in the 3rd highest division, in my dds freshman year we played in the highest. Our school of 550 kids played exclusively against schools with graduating classes bigger then our school. Our volleyball and basketball program are not quite as highly ranked but we typically play schools 2-3 times our size with kids who specialize in sports. If small town schools full of 2 sport and some 3 sport athletes can compete against big schools that means there are kids not trying out for those big schools that could compete for starting spots, who don't because they have decided to specialize. They could do it, they for what ever reason have decided to not.
The kids are too busy? My dd plays volleyball, basketball, and softball. Plays Alto Sax in the marching band and is #1 chair alto sax and soloist on soprano sax, on the wind ensemble since her sophomore year. Is ranked #1 in her class, takes all the AP classes she can and is dual enrolled in the local Community College. She is in Student Government and NHS. She does the school announcements every day. All this while on a special diet for her Celiac Disease and taking care of her Type 1 diabetes. Parents make excuses for their kids, they can do more if the parents wanted. Kids are couch potatoes these days, my dd does everything she does plus she just watched the first 3 seasons of Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead, the kid seems to be on the couch every waking minute, which isn't much because it looks like she is sleeping all the time.
How is this all possible. To be so active, maybe overly active to some. Yet she has time to be a slob and sit on the couch and watch TV? Because every kid has the time to do these things. They just chose to not. If your dd actually only wants to play one sport, good for her, I hope she reaches her full potential and is happy. My dd was not happy to be told she couldn't play other sports, so we found a way for her to compete all year. If your dd wants to play more then 1 sport, make it happen for her. It will make her happy and a better softball player, I guarantee it.
People make too many excuses on why kids can't do things these days. I'm going to brag a little here, and I realize that my dd might be different in some regards. My DD plays 3 varsity sports in HS, she is a senior this year. We are fortunate that we picked a school district with smaller High Schools so there isn't a ton of competition for spots on all the teams. Yet we play in one of those mega conferences that have 6 divisions. We are the 3rd smallest school (in the whole mega conference) in softball, we play in the 3rd highest division, in my dds freshman year we played in the highest. Our school of 550 kids played exclusively against schools with graduating classes bigger then our school. Our volleyball and basketball program are not quite as highly ranked but we typically play schools 2-3 times our size with kids who specialize in sports. If small town schools full of 2 sport and some 3 sport athletes can compete against big schools that means there are kids not trying out for those big schools that could compete for starting spots, who don't because they have decided to specialize. They could do it, they for what ever reason have decided to not.
The kids are too busy? My dd plays volleyball, basketball, and softball. Plays Alto Sax in the marching band and is #1 chair alto sax and soloist on soprano sax, on the wind ensemble since her sophomore year. Is ranked #1 in her class, takes all the AP classes she can and is dual enrolled in the local Community College. She is in Student Government and NHS. She does the school announcements every day. All this while on a special diet for her Celiac Disease and taking care of her Type 1 diabetes. Parents make excuses for their kids, they can do more if the parents wanted. Kids are couch potatoes these days, my dd does everything she does plus she just watched the first 3 seasons of Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead, the kid seems to be on the couch every waking minute, which isn't much because it looks like she is sleeping all the time.
How is this all possible. To be so active, maybe overly active to some. Yet she has time to be a slob and sit on the couch and watch TV? Because every kid has the time to do these things. They just chose to not. If your dd actually only wants to play one sport, good for her, I hope she reaches her full potential and is happy. My dd was not happy to be told she couldn't play other sports, so we found a way for her to compete all year. If your dd wants to play more then 1 sport, make it happen for her. It will make her happy and a better softball player, I guarantee it.
Last edited:
- Jan 28, 2013
- 55
- 0
Of course playing multiple sports would make you a better athlete. No single sport uses all athletic movements and skills so doing activities that use other skills or the same skills differently would make you a better all around athlete.
No one says the other activities need to be done at a high level or even organized. NHL players kick a soccer ball around to warm up all the time.
I do know coaches who look for all around athletes and try to elevate their skills at sport X. Sprinters recruited to play softball. Softball players recruited to play lacrosse because of the hand eye coordination.
Plenty of examples where track athletes are recruited to do bobsled in the winter and quickly getting to the Olympics despite never have done the sport until they were past 20.
I also knew of a coach who would wacth a star softball player play basketball because he wanted to see how she reacted when she wasn't the star and sat on the bench at times.
I would think if athletes took 10% of the time away from their primary sport and did something different, they would
end up better at both than if they spent 100% of their time at one activity.
Too much judgment passed on how kids spend their time, IMO.
It's a choice. What is important is whether kids enjoy what they're doing, whether it realistically takes them in the direction of their goals, and whether they are the ones who are driving it.
Softball entails a variety of skills and movements. You hit balls. You throw them. You catch them. You run bases. You slide. You dive. You change directions. There are several different positions in the field, all requiring a skill set that requires dedication. Those who play softball who also participate in strength and agility then experience another range of movements and activities. You can do all that year-round, or you can play three sports. What difference does it make - if the kid is the one who wants to do it and isn't being led down the road.
Could we not also make the argument that playing multiple sports is not the best way to become a well-rounded kid? What about kids who play three sports, but never participate in the school play, or serve on student council, or volunteer in the community? Is it really better that my kid be a full-time athlete? Why not something different altogether? How many books do they read? Do they ever sit down and do something different, like put puzzle together with their family?
Or, what about a kid who spends all of his time on one sport and academics and winds up playing tennis at Duke because he's become one of the top 25 players in the country and has a 4.5 GPA? Did he become less well-rounded because of that single-minded pursuit of tennis and school 24/7? And what if he did? If that was his goal, does he not have the rest of his life to find what else he's good at?
And is it necessary that a kid even have some lofty goal in high school? Why do some think that kids cannot grow up to be respectable adults without having a passion as a child? Can they not just be good kids who do the best they can, treat their friends well, dabble in lots of adventures at a more recreational level? It might be from those experiences that they find their passions as adults.
There are so many routes that kids can take. If they're enjoying life, treating people with respect and obeying the law, I'm not worried about them. That is, I trust they'll figure it out.
It's a choice. What is important is whether kids enjoy what they're doing, whether it realistically takes them in the direction of their goals, and whether they are the ones who are driving it.
Softball entails a variety of skills and movements. You hit balls. You throw them. You catch them. You run bases. You slide. You dive. You change directions. There are several different positions in the field, all requiring a skill set that requires dedication. Those who play softball who also participate in strength and agility then experience another range of movements and activities. You can do all that year-round, or you can play three sports. What difference does it make - if the kid is the one who wants to do it and isn't being led down the road.
Could we not also make the argument that playing multiple sports is not the best way to become a well-rounded kid? What about kids who play three sports, but never participate in the school play, or serve on student council, or volunteer in the community? Is it really better that my kid be a full-time athlete? Why not something different altogether? How many books do they read? Do they ever sit down and do something different, like put puzzle together with their family?
Or, what about a kid who spends all of his time on one sport and academics and winds up playing tennis at Duke because he's become one of the top 25 players in the country and has a 4.5 GPA? Did he become less well-rounded because of that single-minded pursuit of tennis and school 24/7? And what if he did? If that was his goal, does he not have the rest of his life to find what else he's good at?
And is it necessary that a kid even have some lofty goal in high school? Why do some think that kids cannot grow up to be respectable adults without having a passion as a child? Can they not just be good kids who do the best they can, treat their friends well, dabble in lots of adventures at a more recreational level? It might be from those experiences that they find their passions as adults.
There are so many routes that kids can take. If they're enjoying life, treating people with respect and obeying the law, I'm not worried about them. That is, I trust they'll figure it out.
IMHO sounds like she has been taught really well how to manage her time
Nice work!
China, how many kids do you have? you mention your daughter, but not another child, so I assume she is your only one? I just think that your daughter must be truly exceptional. good for her, but no it is not possible for all kids to accomplish all that. And obviously you are a superior parent because you allow your daughter to participate and excel in everything she does. I have 4 kids, they can't all be everything. IF you have 4 kids and they all do everything and are #1 in their class all while sitting on the couch all day I would love to know how you accomplished that. Thanks!
