This came across my feed today and thought it was worth sharing.
“Here's a stat that might surprise you: 88% of NCAA Division I athletes played 2-3 sports growing up, and 70% didn't specialize until after age 12. These are the kids who made it to the highest level of college athletics, and they got there by playing everything—not by focusing on one thing from the time they could walk.”
https://t.co/XH3Pmt9Tlt
https://t.co/bjVUk2Vb1c - this one goes on to cite single-sport athletes have over 2x injury risk vs multi-sport athletes.
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I highly encourage our players to pick up other sports - even if you’ve never tried them. Things like picking in basketball will help your lacrosse game, finding somewhere to put your thoughts in a long XC run will help you on the lacrosse field to stay focused.
But there’s more - things like time management skills - you’ve got to fit homework, teamwork and practice all in one day - figure this out now. That’s what high school is for.
Playing lacrosse in the off season is fine and can be helpful. But keep in mind, far too many kids burn out - lose interest and quit. Finding balance can be hard - make sure you watch for the signs like not wanting to attend club practices or games, not working on stick skills at home, thinking about the game less and less.
