Pros

Playing a sport at the high school level can be a challenge. What is harder than being proficient in one sport? Being proficient in multiple. Playing multiple sports can lead to diverse skills and more versatility. It is a way that athletes can avoid being burnt out and improve their overall athletic ability.

“As a kid I always wanted to do sports,” said junior Jacob Rumsey. “When I moved to North Carolina I wasn’t alone, but I was shy. Playing multiple sports was my way into different social circles. It just helped me get engaged with the school I was at.”

Different sports require a variety of skills in order to successfully compete in that area of athletics. Sometimes it’s laborious to change from two different sports and their environments, but most athletes find pleasure in participating in more than one sport.

“Every sport plays into each other in one way or another,” said Rumsey. “Swimming is a different dynamic than I’ve ever been a part of. It’s my first year doing it, and it’s been a blast, but the amount of cardio is insane, and I feel like it’s only gonna make me better for other sports. I feel like the benefit of playing different sports is almost immeasurable.”

A team that bonds well makes a sport more enjoyable because it fosters friendships and shared experiences. When you’re close with your team, victories feel sweeter and the bitterness of losing is more easily forgotten. Being surrounded by a group of people you enjoy being around makes you want to play multiple sports if all the teams bonds are strong.

“I build relationships with a lot of people when I play multiple sports,” said sophomore Maddie Richardson. “I feel like in every sport I play, it’s a different group of girls, and it’s just fun to bond with multiple different groups of people who also share the same love that I have for the sport.”

Playing a variety of sports helps you build diverse skills. Each sport focuses on different abilities and physicality. Basketball enhances hand-eye coordination and agility, soccer can improve your footwork and spatial awareness, and swimming takes a whole different lung capacity. In addition to physical skills, playing multiple sports can also develop your mental game. Each sport requires different strategies and decision-making skills, which can transfer over to any other sport you play.

“Basketball is a team sport,” said senior Hailey Woodard. “I definitely feel like a lot of it is on your own. It’s more of a mental thing and reaching goals on my own.”

Overall the benefits of playing multiple sports are physically and mentally beneficial. When bettering yourself, extending your skill set with two diverse sports gives you multiple opportunities to improve what you already know.

Cons

Being a student and juggling multiple sports is very hard on the mind and body. A large number of students play more than one sport while also having to keep up with the academic side of things. Wanting to pursue a sport after high school takes a lot of dedication, and playing more than one sport can put a strain on your ability to do so. Deciding to pursue just one sport can be one of the best decisions you can make. Picking one sport and sticking with it can take some stress off your shoulders.

“Playing multiple sports can be hard on your mental health because you don’t have time in between seasons to rest your mind and take time for yourself,” said senior Linden Clemmons. “Not having any time to do any hobbies other than sports can be very draining.”

Over training can put youth athletes under an intolerable amount of pressure. This can lead to a loss of motivation, stress, anxiety and burnout. Partaking in more than one sport can cause some student-athletes to drop sports altogether. Burnout is something that takes a toll on the body physically and mentally. Burnout is the psychological feeling of no longer having control over one’s life because of their lack of social life and lack of enjoyment because of constant pressure.

“It is very hard to pick which sport to pursue more than the other,” said Clemmons. “Like for me, I am better at football, but I love baseball, more so that’s very difficult but then again, my future is in football.”

Picking between multiple sports can be a tough decision but can also be the best thing for yourself. Deciding to play just one sport will give an athlete more time to focus on one skill that will better them for that one particular sport. Playing multiple sports can also affect the relationship between a coach and an athlete.

“I have had a coach try to convince me to only play the sport that they coach,” said sophomore Autumn Wyatt. “It made me change the way I think of him.”

A relationship between the coach and the athlete is a very important bond. Coaches should encourage players to pursue the sport that they are more passionate about or are better at. Having a bad experience with coaches can leave an impression on an athlete for the rest of their career and the coach might not even realize it.

“Committing yourself to more than one thing at a time when you don’t have the mental capacity for it is very unhealthy,” said senior Noah Hewett. “Just pick what you love to do.”

Overall picking the sport that makes you the happiest is probably the best decision for the athlete’s mental and physical health. This can be a very hard decision but having people around you that have your best interest plays a big role in that.