Multi-Sport Athletes

[Atlantabell]

I don't really like the pick-up player routine. At around 12 the orgs start enforcing the pick-up player can only do so for ONE team only until post-season play (that is the rule). This can cause issues with the other players on the teams (and if the pitcher is really good, with other teams if they notice the kid moving around).

For pitchers, rec does not offer enough of a skills foundation to play occasionally in travel. It is one thing if a coach has an emergency.


No coach should ever disallow a player from playing for another sport. It is ridiculous what is happening with all these demanding coaches who only want 11 or 12 on the roster (even in the fall) who must play softball 24/7. The other side is parents who can't stand a kid sitting, even when there are 4 games a day!. Fall is now as hard nosed as spring.

It is not healthy to play softball year round and it causes burn out. Further, it is a sport with little aerobic, endurance or flexibility components (obviously there are small glimpses of these in softball) compared to other sports. To be a good softball player you MUST play another sport.

I agree with so much of what you have said. The good thing about the Fall is that most tournaments are more relaxed about rosters and the different organizations don't worry about where players are. We will also pick up players from our younger teams to take with us. Our roster is large enough to accommodate players in other sports as well.

 

[chinamigarden]

Your problem is not that you have to find an understanding coach, you have to find 2. 1 from soccer and 1 from softball. It can be done, but you will have to find that out ahead of time. My dd in 7th grade played softball, soccer and ran track all during the same season. Her soccer coach knew ahead of time, that she would be there for games and only as many practices as possible. We made every effort to get her to all of the practices for all of the sports as possible. We would go from track meet to softballpractice to soccer practice. all in the same evening, she might only make 20 minutes of a soccer practice, but the coach knew we were doing the best we could. We were always up front with the coaches and told them in advance where they were in the pecking order. Softball games were #1 priority, soccer games #2, softball practices #3 and soccer practices #4. When she ran track that was right after school and rarely conflicted with anything, other then the away meets that might cut into a practice here or there.

I hate hearing people say your kid can only do 1 sport. Some teams don't want your kid playing other sports out of season. I heard a radio commercial for an orthopedic doctor group. the whole commercial was about the danger of sport specialization and overuse injuries due to repetition.

 

[nanotech14]

To be a good softball player you MUST play another sport.

completly disagree with that statement. No other sport takes as much skill to play. hitting a round ball with a round bat being throwen at you at high speeds is harder then running around kicking a ball or shooting it in a hoop. If you train in the off season right, include running ,stregth training and other excersise. You don't need to play other sports, only if the child wants too.

 

[redhotcoach]

My dd(s) when they hit high school, there will be 4000+ students. Yes there will be a few multi sports great athletes, but unfortunately not many that can make it on all teams.
My 12 yr old loves basketball, but we have several dozen girls that play in a year round basketball club. She won't make the team. She likes swimming, but those clubs are a tight click that expect all or none. She played soccer, but unless you go Academy route like her sister, you play with terrible athletes. Her last year of rec soccer she hated, she was fairly aggressive (it is an extremely aggresive sport, watch the usa women tomorrow), parents screamed at her like she was a criminal. So activities for her left that she enjoys besides softball; orchestra, chess club, and math club.
Dw has been talking a lot lately that she thinks we should move to a small town where the kids can enjoy all the sports.

 

[nanotech14]

My dd(s) when they hit high school, there will be 4000+ students. Yes there will be a few multi sports great athletes, but unfortunately not many that can make it on all teams.
My 12 yr old loves basketball, but we have several dozen girls that play in a year round basketball club. She won't make the team. She likes swimming, but those clubs are a tight click that expect all or none. She played soccer, but unless you go Academy route like her sister, you play with terrible athletes. Her last year of rec soccer she hated, she was fairly aggressive (it is an extremely aggresive sport, watch the usa women tomorrow), parents screamed at her like she was a criminal. So activities for her left that she enjoys besides softball; orchestra, chess club, and math club.
Dw has been talking a lot lately that she thinks we should move to a small town where the kids can enjoy all the sports.

your more then welcome in my town, only 556 students in a 6th thru 12th grade school

 

[3'sDad]

DD is a rising HS sophmore. In addition to club softball she plays varsity field hockey for her school. Mix in with that homework (6 nights/week - huge anmount of work) and exam prep and her pitching lessons, she has Friday night as her night to chill out and do things with her friends.

The increase in school work from middle to high school is extrodinary. Plan for it.

 

[sluggers]

Kids at a young age fall in love with being a team, not with the sport. In order to get a kid to work hard, she has to love the game. Sometimes, a kid (and the parents) love being part of the team, and when age 14YOA rolls around, the kid hates the sport...and then it becomes a disaster.

Before you put her into another travel team, ask yourself, "Is it so bad for her to have some free time where she gets to do whatever she wants? Does she really need every minute of her day to be a structured activity?"

In most of the world, kids are playing competitive soccer at a young age. So, the coach is just doing what everyone else does. Just as an FYI about soccer...you need to take a good, hard look at your child and see if you really think she will be a top notch soccer player. I've seen kids pass up many, many sports at a young age for soccer, and then, when they turn 12YOA, they discover they are too tall or too slow to play the game at a high level. "Good" soccer players generally are much, much faster than other kids around her age. They are not likely to be too tall or too short, and they have great eye-hand (or eye-foot) coordination.

 

[nanotech14]

I see a huge epidemic of overweight softball players who can't touch their toes and never dive for balls, so I stand by my opinion. We all played multiple sports in the past and diving for balls was common. That's my benchmark.

Well, I stand by my opinion, diving for balls has nothing to do with any of this, or the overweight problem. Overweight can be a lot factors. My own daughter is not small, she isn't some skinny girl, but eats health and eats less then most of girls her age. She has up to this year played BB and softball, swims all summer and we go to the local Y during the winter to swim. She stays the same size no matter what we do. She lost 10lbs when she was throwing up for a week, before she had her Brain surgery, but that is it. She can no longer play BB due to the fact that it is a contact sport now!! So I dont think you need to play other sports to be a good softball player. I will worry about burn out, because she cant play BB now. But she is looking forward to training over the winter.

 

[chinamigarden]

I see a huge epidemic of overweight softball players who can't touch their toes and never dive for balls, so I stand by my opinion. We all played multiple sports in the past and diving for balls was common. That's my benchmark.

I have to agree with Screwball on this one. Too many girls, even those who play this great sport need more conditioning. Basketball, track, soccer... way better shape then many of the softball players. Parents have to take the blinders off and encourage more kids to run,

 

[nanotech14]

I have to agree with Screwball on this one. Too many girls, even those who play this great sport need more conditioning. Basketball, track, soccer... way better shape then many of the softball players. Parents have to take the blinders off and encourage more kids to run,

THERE ARE OVERWEIGHT KIDS PLAYING OTHER SPORTS TOO!!My point is just because a kid doesnt play other sports, does not make them less of a athlete. You dont need to play all the lesser skilled sports to play softball