I somewhat agree, but my question would be what do you consider 12 months a year?

 

Some may know by following my posts, and I know PP knows...I coach basketball and work with a lot of the athletes at the local high school where I live. I have started off season basketball workouts...actually started them several weeks ago, not long after basketball season ended. So far I have a handful of kids coming, we try to do something a couple of times a week, 1 to 1 1/2 hours each session, focusing right now mostly on ball handling and shooting. I have a couple of basketball only kids coming right now, I have a few kids playing baseball that come when they can, sometimes after a baseball game or practice.

 

Point being, if someone is "basketball only", plays over the summer, works out/practices a couple of times a week (with some weeks missing due to coach work schedule, vacation, etc.) would you consider that 12 months a year? Personally I don't. Now if a kid is in the gym 3-4 hours almost every day playing/conditioning/drills, and just never seems to get a break that I see and that would take a toll on the body and would not be good for the kid. So I guess the definition I am looking for is what is considered "12 months a year".

No, I wouldn't consider your example as year around.

Even if that one sport is golf?

Not really. Golf is low impact for the most part. However I might be concerned about the torque that can be put on the back and knees on a growing child. But most kids' swings aren't violent enough to do damage.

A few surprises in the data behind single-sport and multisport athletes | USA Today High School Sports

I'm don't care if your kid plays 1 sport or 20. But when you allow them to play 1 sport 12 months a year you're an idiot. If they are only going to play 1 sport, great but they have to have time off. AAU and travel baseball is probably the 2 worst offenders but select soccer isn't far off. IMO if your child just likes to be playing something, pick 2 and alternate them with a little time off from both.

 

 

 

My kid quit football when he was 8 years old. He didn't like getting hit. He quit baseball when he was 9 years old. He said it was boring. He's played basketball only since then. Some summers he played AAU. Other summers he didn't. Last summer he couldn't find a good team to play for so he got a membership to a local gym and worked out on his own and with another teammate who played AAU sparingly. This summer he was injured and had surgery. If not for the injury he would have played AAU all summer. My point is that my kid has loved basketball more than any other sport his whole life and would play it year round if possible. I don't understand why I shouldn't allow him to play what he wants to play when the opportunity presents itself. These kids that play multiple sports don't get any time off at all. They may get a week off in between sports but they are playing something year round pretty much nonstop.

My kid quit football when he was 8 years old. He didn't like getting hit. He quit baseball when he was 9 years old. He said it was boring. He's played basketball only since then. Some summers he played AAU. Other summers he didn't. Last summer he couldn't find a good team to play for so he got a membership to a local gym and worked out on his own and with another teammate who played AAU sparingly. This summer he was injured and had surgery. If not for the injury he would have played AAU all summer. My point is that my kid has loved basketball more than any other sport his whole life and would play it year round if possible. I don't understand why I shouldn't allow him to play what he wants to play when the opportunity presents itself. These kids that play multiple sports don't get any time off at all. They may get a week off in between sports but they are playing something year round pretty much nonstop.

It's not about getting breaks. I'm not saying any kid needs to take x amount off and do nothing. I'm saying playing a sport like basketball 365 is not wise. Especially a sport with explosive movements like basketball. The body needs to heal and grow and repeated use in like throwing a baseball isn't good for growing bodies. Hell it isn't good for grown bodies. The body needs rest to recover. That could be as simple as active recovery days or doing something that uses different muscles and movements.

 

I'm not saying playing only one sport is stupid. You just have to be smart about it.

It's not about getting breaks. I'm not saying any kid needs to take x amount off and do nothing. I'm saying playing a sport like basketball 365 is not wise. Especially a sport with explosive movements like basketball. The body needs to heal and grow and repeated use in like throwing a baseball isn't good for growing bodies. Hell it isn't good for grown bodies. The body needs rest to recover. That could be as simple as active recovery days or doing something that uses different muscles and movements.

 

I'm not saying playing only one sport is stupid. You just have to be smart about it.

 

I guess my confusion lies in defining playing a sport 365 days a year.

I guess my confusion lies in defining playing a sport 365 days a year.

I think any sport that any kid plays needs a min of a month off from sport specific activities every few months. I would have to do more research to form a more exact opinion. When it comes to kids and growing bodies I just think you have error on the side of caution.

My kid quit football when he was 8 years old. He didn't like getting hit. He quit baseball when he was 9 years old. He said it was boring. He's played basketball only since then. Some summers he played AAU. Other summers he didn't. Last summer he couldn't find a good team to play for so he got a membership to a local gym and worked out on his own and with another teammate who played AAU sparingly. This summer he was injured and had surgery. If not for the injury he would have played AAU all summer. My point is that my kid has loved basketball more than any other sport his whole life and would play it year round if possible. I don't understand why I shouldn't allow him to play what he wants to play when the opportunity presents itself. These kids that play multiple sports don't get any time off at all. They may get a week off in between sports but they are playing something year round pretty much nonstop.

 

I don't look at your son's situation as a specialization issue. He is only interested in basketball and it has been that way for a while. If he wants to play that year-round, more power to him.

 

Now, if he said he wanted to try football again now that he is bigger and stronger and people started trying to talk him out of it because he needs to play basketball year-round, then that is not good in my opinion.

My kid quit football when he was 8 years old. He didn't like getting hit. He quit baseball when he was 9 years old. He said it was boring. He's played basketball only since then. Some summers he played AAU. Other summers he didn't. Last summer he couldn't find a good team to play for so he got a membership to a local gym and worked out on his own and with another teammate who played AAU sparingly. This summer he was injured and had surgery. If not for the injury he would have played AAU all summer. My point is that my kid has loved basketball more than any other sport his whole life and would play it year round if possible. I don't understand why I shouldn't allow him to play what he wants to play when the opportunity presents itself. These kids that play multiple sports don't get any time off at all. They may get a week off in between sports but they are playing something year round pretty much nonstop.

 

My oldest daughter plays soccer and runs track. She is good at both. She really likes doing both. If we have another severely pulled hamstring she will be down to one sport. Her pick.

My son played the big 3 through 8th grade. Then chose on his own to focus on football. I didn't like it at first, because he had the skills to do all three. He will be a senior next year, and I have come to appreciate his decision.

 

Fighting three coaches would be misery.

To each his or her own. That being said, I have experienced MANY parents that encouraged their child to "pick" one sport to focus on at an early age. This mentality seems to be more prevalent in larger communities, but is slowly creeping into he smaller communities.

:lol2:

 

A dislike for that @FarBeyondDriven?

 

Just curious to know why...

:lol2:

 

A dislike for that @FarBeyondDriven?

 

Just curious to know why...

Oops.....must have hit it while scrolling on my phone. Sorry about that.

Nothing at all wrong with a kid choosing not to play but one sport. The problem is coaches who expect their players to be there year round or parents who want so bad for their kid to earn a scholarship in their best sport so they force them to specialize. Or they spend X amount of dollars on an AAU or summer ball team but won't spend money for their kid to play another sport outside of school. The problem is never with the players it's with the coaches and parents.

The craziest thing about it is usually the two sports that are specialized in IMO are baseball and basketball which are the two hardest sports to earn a college scholarship for.