In this day and age, we are seeing more kids focus on one sport. Kids might start out playing a variety of sports, but at some point, they might choose to focus on one. This can be for many reasons: they might be bored with one and want to focus on a different one, they might not have enough time for multiple sports, or they are simply better at one sport than the others. While there is nothing wrong with a dedication to one sport, it’s still important to allow your child to try multiple different sports.

During early and middle childhood, playing multiple sports can be a great option for a child to learn gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and body awareness. Some great options, especially during early childhood, are gymnastics and karate. With these sports, a child is working on local muscular strength, coordination, and balance, all of which help a child understand their bodies. As they get older, parents might want to explore sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball. With these sports, a child will be able to improve life skills like kicking, throwing, catching, jumping, and dribbling, all of which can transfer to other sports.

One of the most important aspects of trying multiple sports is working on different planes of motion: frontal, sagittal, and transverse. If a child is able to move through these different planes of motion, they are more likely to avoid injuries, which can also benefit them in other areas of life. As a child reaches their adolescent years and they want to focus on one sport, they should know that the time they spent in their early years playing different sports created a stronger, more well-rounded athlete.

Spencer Haywood
M.S. CSCS