Multi-Sport HS players going the way of the dinosaurs

[3'sDad]

DD's school field hockey coach is working with her, advising DD of places where she can play 2 sports at the next level if she chooses. D III schools primarily, which is what DD is looking at academically anyway.

[softball65]

Based on what I have heard and what I have seen, there is very clearly opposing positions on multisport athletes. My DD plays vball and softball. Her school loves that she plays both. her travel softball team loves it also. her club vball team "tolerates" it at best. But I;ve been told that college coaches like girls that balance both because they feel like both sports make the kids better overall athletes plus it shows commitment, resilience, drive, work ethic and all the other things that we'd typically think of in a multisport athlete.

The issue comes in that the competition is so fearce now it's really hard to play both at a high level, especially if your kid is a pitcher (which mine is). She'll likely play both through HS but unlikely she'll be able to play both in the travel realm. Sad....

[DonnieS]

DD had two college coaches show up to watch her play Basketball, one multiple times. Their reasoning is they want athletes and competitors. I had one coach tell me he goes to a lot of Volleyball tournaments. (He lives in a VB hotbed)
I'll take the multi-sport player everyday.

DD2's college coach came to see her play vball , in fact , the coaches were at the first playoff win in her high school's vball history, they had added vball two years before. They told us the same thing - they wanted athletes. And they mean it. I had another D1 coach tell me the same thing - "I only recruit all around athletes" and then I learn, that coach was only kidding.

[handsinsidetheball]

Just an observation from the younger ages (12/14u) right now and using only a very small sample size ( kids I know or know of), I am seeing a lot of injuries to the two sport athletes who are doing travel/travel... It's concerning. With that said, I fully support multi-sport play, but am beginning to pay much closer attention ( or just now being exposed to) to the injuries.

DD has been asked to play 'A' soccer ( is that what it is called?) and also Basketball. We have not moved on either, but she does play a little soccer here and there as a goalie. Loves it...I can see her enjoy the sport and be much more of a leader than on the softball field. In soccer she is the 'older' kid (birthday in December) where in softball she is always the youngest...don't get me started on the dec 31 age cutoff boondoggle softball has!!

So we are still debating.... We love how soccer has helped her develop her leadership, but just concerned with taking that leap to two 'year round' sport commitments....want her in one piece.

[DonnieS]

HITB, having been through a little of this stuff, there are three criteria you should use to help decide -
1) is she having fun
2) is she around good kids and families
3) is she having fun