The idea of being a one sport athletes comes and goes. This idea is different for everyone depending on who and where they get their information. I want to give everyone my educated input on every aspect surrounding this topic.
Growing up through youth sports and into high school, I was introduced strongly to this idea. "Sports are changing, you have to play all year around."
The Problems
Overuse Injuries
Obviously every athlete has their own circumstances. An athlete that plays one sport all year around, and doesn't train, is in big trouble. Let's take a baseball player for example. A right handed hitter could take thousands of swings a year from the right side if they play all year long. What can we start to see in these athletes? Possibly oblique injuries. How about a youth pitcher that is pitching off a mound all year long? Shoulder, lat, and elbow injuries become prevalent. This applies to every sport.
We don't see enough regulations from our sports industry to help take preventative measures to this problem. What we see is some high school coaches requiring their athletes to play on their travel teams. Then you account for extended seasons in high school with that coach such as a spring sport having fall ball. Now we are looking at athletes that feel they can't play another sport without consequences. This leads to a repeated use of the same motions required by the sport, over and over again, all year long.
Training
Some one sport athletes feel as if they are better off playing more of their sport and neglecting the strength training aspect. This is either because they feel that more is better in terms of their sport, or they just can't find that extra time. This is where parents come into play. Making sure your athlete is well aware of the fact that training is an essential piece to injury prevention and performance improvements.
Love for the game
This one may create some controversy. Speaking from a first hand experience, playing one sport for several years takes its toll. After choosing to stop playing football my 9th grade year, and being cut from JV basketball the season after, I decided my time to focus in on baseball was right then. Embracing one sport and playing all year around is what I found essential to success. During my time playing JUCO baseball I knew my time to play was coming to an end. I worked every single day on my game, and felt that passion diminish over the years. As the injuries started to pile up, I struggled to find my drive. This is when I found myself ready to hang up the cleats after I played my final game.
It doesn't end up this way for everyone, but it happens to more athletes than we know. My job as a strength and conditioning professional is to create an escape from their sport, almost like they are a two sport athlete. Our goal is to improve performance, decrease risk of injury, and create an enjoyable "get after it" environment for athletes to take with them for the rest of their lives.
The Approach for One Sport Athletes
The best thing you could do as an athlete that plays only one sport is to take some time away. Allow for a reset. This is the optimal time to focus in on strength and conditioning. We can provide a different stimulus to an athletes body while improving overall performance and mentality. My pitchers, put the ball down for a few months. Football players, get away from the field. Basketball players, put some salt in your sneakers and toss them over the telephone wire. This seems shocking to so many parents and coaches. I promise you it will have a positive impact on their performance. A reset doesn't have to be long, 2-3 months. Get bigger, faster, and stronger in that time. Come back to your sport with a fresh mindset and display the new tools. This is the time in which we can let kids be kids. Go outside and play something else with friends. Pick up a hobby. Get your strength training in and take care of your body.
Strength and conditioning professionals bridge the gaps in an athlete. One of the best things a baseball player can do in the gym is train rotational power through the opposite direction. Develop a well-balanced machine, and injury probability will decrease. Training outside of a season is an optimal time to stimulate the body in ways that it doesn't get out of its sport. Becoming a well-rounded athlete outside of your sport is essential to success within it.
The benefits of a multi-sport athlete
As previously discussed, part of the reason we train our athletes in the gym is to provide a different stimulus to the body. Playing 2-3 sports helps to develop a well-rounded athlete. Take this for an example. An athlete gets pure top speed development out of running track, while football provides them with change of direction and power. Now we implement training as the "3rd season" and we are looking at a a well-oiled machine. A second sport doesn't have to have a perfect translation such as the football and track analogy. Any sport to provide a different stimulus to the body bodes well for an athlete in the long run.
Why do we need to have the tires on our car rotated? Because each tire wears at a different rate. What if we only drove that car in a clockwise circle? The right two tires would wear significantly faster than the left. This is no different for an athlete.
Coaches and parents must be lenient on allowing athletes to have some crossover in sports. They must understand the benefits it will have on their athletes success. As a coach, I would much rather have my athlete missing a travel baseball tournament to go play in a basketball tournament on occasion any day over an athlete that choses to play one sport all year long.
This is much more pertinent to athletes in youth and high school sports. This is not quite as feasible at the college level, which is completely okay. Why? Because at the college level, these athletes are limited in the offseason as to sport specific activities. They are not limited to their strength and conditioning coaches. For many athletes, it is much easier to develop in college, as teams mandate strength and conditioning. We don't see this as much at the high school level. We see more athletes choosing to play their sport non stop all year long.
If I could go back and do it all over again, with the knowledge I have now, I would in a heartbeat. Being a well-rounded athlete through either other sports or strength and conditioning, has a lasting impact on an athlete. This helps to prime them for success through high school and into college. Through reducing the risk of injury and developing an athlete of many traits, we can help kids love and excel at their sports for their entire career.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the movie Moneyball. "We are all told at some point that we can no longer play the children's game. Some of us are told at 18, some of us are told at 40, but we are all told." Help your athletes savor every moment of their sport, and excel at it. Burnout and overuse are the best way to prevent that passion and success for your athletes.
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