Multi-sport athletes have a leg up

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s the fall sports seasons start drawing to a close, I’m betting Dogie fans (like me) are beginning to look toward the winter. As I turn my sights toward basketball, swimming and wrestling, it got me wondering who we will see suiting up for each of those sports.
Volleyball has had high numbers over the last several years, yet girls basketball numbers are waning. The football team struggled this season due to low turnout in the upper grades, yet I know there are faces that we will see on the court and the mat that weren’t hidden under a helmet in the fall.
In the not-so-distant past, I would see the same kids on the sports rosters in all three seasons but that seems to be a trend that is becoming more of an exception than the rule.
As the variety of youth sports options have risen (along with college tuition), parents have started to “push” their children into sports at earlier ages. Coaches and parents have also “pushed” those young athletes into specializing in one sport in hopes of earning an athletic scholarship.
I have always been a proponent of kids being multi-sport athletes because to me, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
The number one benefit of playing more than one sport is that the athlete is able to develop different skills that complement other sports. For example, if you look at the most successful kickers in Dogie football history, they’ve all been soccer players. 
The agility and quick reactions of volleyball players translates beautifully on to the basketball court. 
Swimming works every muscle in the body, thereby increasing strength and stamina for pretty much any other sport.
Playing football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, running track, or whatever all benefit each other by improving footwork, agility, balance, endurance, explosion, agility, communication and hand-eye coordination.
Another huge benefit of being a multi-sport athlete is avoiding overuse injuries. If an athlete focuses on only one sport year-round the prevalence of sport specific injury rises dramatically due to constant repetitive motions.
Another good reason to mix things up sports-wise is that focusing on only one sport year round can easily lead to burn-out and losing the love of the game. Once it’s no longer a passion, the likelihood of continuing to play — and play well — plummets.
To be fair, there are also benefits to single-sport specialization.
First, when an athlete focuses on just one sport they are able to perfect their skills for that sport which obviously makes them a better player.
Second, the better an athlete becomes in their chosen sport, the more confidence they will gain which then translates into being an even better player.
Third, there is always a risk of injury when an athlete plays more than one sport. We’ve seen Dogie athletes suffer an injury playing a sport on the “off-season” of their favorite one, and then had to sit the bench missing out on the opportunity to play the game they really love.
While sport specialization does offer some attractive bennies, let’s look at the numbers when it comes to how likely it is that a high school athlete will actually see any type of monetary gain from sticking to one sport only.
According to ncaa.org, only 2% of high school athletes will be awarded a scholarship to play NCAA Division I sports. Though the top schools do give out millions, if not billions, of dollars nationwide to recruit the top players, the average scholarship is only $16,000. When you’re looking at tuition that runs $25,000 to $40,000-plus per year, that’s not a huge number.
Obviously, division 1 athletics are only for the elite. However, only 17% of high school athletes go on to play at the Juco (junior college) level, and the average scholarship there is only $1,400.
Let’s also look at the athletes who are getting recruited.
In 2017, 30 of the 32 first round draftees in the NFL were multi-sport athletes in high school. In addition, several DI coaches admitted they prefer to recruit athletes who played more than one sport. 
When you weigh the pros and cons of single sport specialization and being a multi-sport athlete, I really think it’s a no-brainer. 
And if you need more proof, some of the greatest athletes in professional sports played more than one sport in their youth. Bo Jackson, Michael Jackson, Tom Brady and Steph Curry are just a few who mixed things up in their younger years.