Pioneer Valley Youth Sports and Fitness Institute

the source for sound athletic advice

I recently conducted an ACL Injury reduction workshop for a Jr. High School female soccer group and was asked a great question that all parents and coaches should be in tune with. In summary, the parent’s question was this, my daughter really only likes to play soccer, our pediatrician recommends she participates in multiple sports, how do you feel about this and why? I think about these issues all the time. The one-sport versus multi-sport athlete, a child’s future sporting success based on sport-skills or athleticism, the health of a young athlete, what is best for today’s young athletes? Because I think about this frequently, since these issues are so very present in youth athletics, I was quick to answer.

The idea that a child’s future sporting success is based on developing specific skills for a particular sport is incorrect. Variety is the best, general athletic ability will lead an athlete to better their sport specific skills. Participating in multiple sports and/or in conjunction with, improving their functional movement and functional performance through appropriate, well constructed and supervised athletic development workouts, will allow an athlete to improve their future sporting success.

Athletes that participate in one-sport year round and do not participate in appropriate athletic development workouts are more prone to overuse injuries because similar movements are always being performed thus creating asymmetries in functional movement that may produce nagging knee pain that is not associated with ACL injuries or meniscus tears, or discomfort and tightness in the hip or shoulder joint that has been increasing over time.

As a sports performance coach I think it is important to recognize Gray Cooks, Optimum Performance Period. The base level, functional movement, an individual possesses the ability to explore a full range of movement, demonstrating body control and movement awareness throughout numerous positions. The middle level, functional performance, the individual demonstrates a substantial amount of gross athleticism, the ability to perform well timed, well-coordinated effort so that no movement is wasted and optimal efficiency is present. Now, the athlete is ready to control the skill needed for that particular sport, the top level of the pyramid, functional skill.

A young athlete’s future sporting success and general health success relies on participating in a variety of activities that possess multi-movements. Young athletes need to be aware of how their bodies move and how to move with efficiency before they can master sport-specific skills. Participating in a variety of activities that possess multi-movements and/or in conjunction with working with a credentialed sports performance coach will provide the optimal long-term sporting success and functional health of a young athlete.

To discuss resistance training and health/fitness programs please contact Len Haggerty at len@strideshpi.net.  Len Haggerty, MA, CSCS, YFS –Level 1 is a Sports Performance Coach operating STRIDES Human Performance Institute in Northampton MA. They provide an experience for youths, athletes, and adults of all ages and abilities to discover their potential.

One-Sport Versus Multi-Sport Athlete