I agree with Tony. However, Coaches are pressuring kids to play one sport all year round.. I think this is a mistake. Kids that are multi-sport athletes are just as prepared as those who play a sport year round. If the kids had a choice, and were not being pressured to play one sport, I think more kids would play multiple sports. High School coaches need to lighten up on the pressure of making kids choose one sport too early. If an athlete has not chosen the sport for them by the summer of their Senior year, then a coach, counselor, parent should evaluate and help the athlete determine their best option.

Interesting discussion. Is it better for a kid to experience mediocrity in multiple sports or excellence in one sport. Hard to say. Experience in multiple sports is great for a developing youth. However, success breeds confidence. Bottom line should be life lessons learned. I'd like to see more discussion on this topic.

Jim, your assumption that playing multiple sports will result in mediocrity while playing a single sport will result in success is not well taken.

I don't have stats to back it up, but my guess is there are many more single-sport athletes who experience non-success than those who do. Of course, this depends on your definition of success; as you've put it, I think you mean "winning". Since only one team wins, and many do not win, there will always be more non-success (in terms of winning championships) than success, so the assumption is invalid.

There have been several studies of outcomes of elite athletes, and to the best of my recall, all of them supported non-specificity as a youth athlete as a positive contributing factor for elite athletic performance later in life (defined as successful professional and olympic athletes).

Additionally, medical epidemiological studies strongly support non-year-round sports as an important factor in reducing chronic overuse injury in overhand athletes in particular. One way to reduce year-round participation is cross training in other sports, giving an effective off-season for the throwing arm, shooting legs, etc.

Anecdotally, I've coached youth sports for many years. I've seen burnout a number of times, always in a child concentrating on a single sport. I've never seen it in a child who plays multiple sports, either emotionally or physically.

As a result of these factors, I strongly support multiple-sport participation in youth athletes. My own children participate in at least three different team sports, as well as an individual sport.

I think the point about coaches pressuring kids is valid. Coaches at all levels should not pressure kids to play in a single sport. Nor should they punish kids who do.

Success should be defined by the child, Doc B, and success does, as you pointed out have many definitions.

On the injury point, I have not read any studies, however I have had youth sports medicine professionals in different states recommend a 6 week rest for kids during the year, it does not have to be all together. A week here, a week there suffices. Obviously, the more times a single motion is carried out the greater chance for injury. Particularly if the motion is executed incorrectly or is an unnatural motion. Children who experience large growth spurts may need specific exercises to help their bodies adapt and strenghten in order to continue to be injury free.

I recently conducted a very short and narrow study on, in part, child centered philosophy on youth wrestling teams: http://www.rhinowrestling.org/sportsmanagementsurvey.html you may or may not find it interesting.

Multi-sport elite youth are rare, in my opinion, I do believe that if the goal is to reach the elite level in a sport, it takes a dedicition to a definition of success that is much different than simply having fun, developing skills, and enjoying the sport. This does not mean that the definition does not include aspects of those things.

For the record two of my four children are multi-sport athletes: Freestyle, Folkstyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Some might consider them single sport athletes because it is all wrestling, however their participation in three different styles (and maybe adding Beach this year) keeps them from burning out and allows them to enjoy a sport they love and one that is part of their personaes.

I will also add that in the 10+ years I have been coaching and in my 20+ years as a leader of adults, burn out does not come from being focused on a single activity or objective, it comes from the attitude that that pursuit is executed with and the 'command climate' or 'mental environment' that they exist in. In the case of children, this is most influenced by their parents, and secondarily by their coaches.

Enjoying the discussion!