Why Young Athletes Should Play Multiple Sports Before Specialising

Should your child focus on one sport, or would playing multiple sports actually help them become a better athlete?

As a parent, you naturally want your child to improve, perform well and reach their potential in sport. It can be tempting to think that more training and specialising in one sport earlier will give them an advantage.

But youth athletic development is about more than simply doing more of one sport.

Playing multiple sports can help young athletes develop a broader range of movement skills, build confidence, stay engaged and create a stronger physical foundation for their sporting future.

Build a Broader Athletic Foundation

Different sports challenge the body in different ways.

Running, jumping, throwing, catching, changing direction and reacting to other players all develop different movement skills. Experiencing these activities can help young athletes become more adaptable and develop a wider physical skill set that can transfer into their chosen sport.

In Episode 153 of the Inner Athlete Podcast, From Australia to US College Sport: Building the Right Foundations For Your Child, former collegiate lacrosse players Bryce Walker and Connor Egan shared how growing up playing multiple sports, including baseball, basketball, football and lacrosse, helped them develop their athleticism, movement skills and competitiveness.

They also discussed how skills developed in one sport could transfer into another. Their experiences highlight how playing different sports can help young athletes develop a well-rounded athletic foundation before eventually focusing more heavily on one sport.

Support Physical Development and Injury Resilience

Playing different sports also exposes young athletes to a variety of movements and physical demands.

Rather than repeatedly performing the same sporting movements throughout the year, multisport participation can give children opportunities to run, jump, change direction, throw, catch and move in different ways. This broader physical development can help build the foundation they need to handle the demands of sport as they grow.

The goal isn't to guarantee that a child will avoid injury. Instead, it's about giving them a varied movement foundation as they develop.

Give Your Child Time to Find What They Enjoy

Multisport participation is also about helping children discover what they genuinely enjoy.

Trying different sports exposes young athletes to different coaches, teammates and environments. It gives them the opportunity to find activities that motivate them and make them want to keep improving.

Connor explained that he and his brother eventually chose lacrosse over baseball after experiencing both sports. For him, the greater level of action and involvement in lacrosse helped him develop a genuine passion for the sport.

That enjoyment can be important for long-term participation, confidence and motivation.

When Should Young Athletes Specialise?

There is no single age when every child should specialise.

Instead, parents can consider whether their child is choosing to focus on a sport because they genuinely enjoy it, or whether they feel pressured to specialise before they have had the opportunity to explore other activities.

Both Bryce and Connor continued playing multiple sports into their teenage years before eventually focusing more heavily on lacrosse.

For parents, the goal does not have to be choosing between athletic development and performance. A broad athletic foundation can help support both.

Give Your Child Room to Develop

Multisport participation doesn't have to mean competing seriously in several sports at once.

Parents can encourage their child to try different sports, participate recreationally, or simply give them opportunities to develop different movement skills through activities they enjoy.

The key is to give young athletes room to explore, develop and discover what they enjoy before feeling pressured to specialise.

At Inner Athlete Performance, we help young athletes develop the strength, movement skills, confidence and physical foundations they need to perform well and stay active for the long term.

Want to help your child build the strength, confidence and movement skills they need for long-term sporting development? Book their Quick Start Trial with Inner Athlete Performance today.