It has become an endangered species, if the athlete is good enough, the pressures to play AAU, select, or club is intensified. A two sport athlete is tough accomplishment at big schools. Football and Basketball combination is tough because of two different types of conditioning. There are many high school coaches flat out discourage multiple sports. I would love to see a resurgance of 3 sport athletes or a backlash against AAU. Terry Sandfoss, Frank Jacobs and Kevin Hergott were all great 3 sport athletes who excelled from my era.

 

When was the last time anyone has seen kids playing a pick up game in your neighborhood park? I know that's a different thread.

It has become an endangered species, if the athlete is good enough, the pressures to play AAU, select, or club is intensified. A two sport athlete is tough accomplishment at big schools. Football and Basketball combination is tough because of two different types of conditioning. There are many high school coaches flat out discourage multiple sports. I would love to see a resurgance of 3 sport athletes or a backlash against AAU. Terry Sandfoss, Frank Jacobs and Kevin Hergott were all great 3 sport athletes who excelled from my era.

 

When was the last time anyone has seen kids playing a pick up game in your neighborhood park? I know that's a different thread.

 

I say "let'em play" and I know Kevin has his boys trying to play three at HHS......amen brother!

No easy solution to this one. Let's be real, very few athletes are going to play at the next level in any sport. Look at the elite athletes in tennis and golf, that is all they do and have from a very, very early age. There aren't many Larry Nelson's out there who started playing gold in his 20's and made millions in the sport. There are outliers. My experience is that specialization doesn't make a huge difference, even today, except those individual sports. The very best athletes are usually good in most of them. I went to high school with Phil Simms. I am telling you he was outstanding in everything he played, better than anyone in a 1500 student high school in all sports and it wasn't even close. He didn't play basketball, but he could, and was better than anyone on the team. He was a better baseball player in high school than a football player. Although, Southern ran the ball 90% of the time in the mid 70's, so he never really got to show his passing skills, therefore, wasn't recruited heavily.

 

I say if they can manage it, let them play them all. We have lost perspective on high school athletics IMO. High school athletics can be and is with some programs about building character, teamwork, and sportsmanship. We are slowly losing that due to a variety of reasons, mostly being that winning matters above every thing else and a close second are some parents belief that their kid is going to get a full ride to a D1 school and with that comes coaching headaches and too much interference from them.

I think that it is easier to be a 3 sport athlete if you are an exceptional athlete. Sounds obvious, but you are no longer competing w/ kids who play football, basketball, and baseball. Most kids pick one sport, or maybe 2. If you are an average athlete, you are going to lose out for playing time to kids who specialize. It's just the way it is now. Now you pick a favorite and go year round. I'm not sure if it is a bad thing or a good thing b/c really it's individualized to each athlete's personal experience.